Better Breathers Bring Good Cooking to Your Table

Better Breathers Support Group members, front l-r, Julia Meagher, Marilyn Page, Judy Szych, and Frances Martin (in back) debut their new cookbook.

Most of us take breathing for granted. An involuntary biological act, it isn’t something we think about. We just do it. However, for members of North Country Hospital’s Better Breathers Support Group that isn’t always the case.
The members of this tightly knit group have a variety of chronic respiratory disorders ranging from asthma to emphysema. The group is, in part, sponsored by the American Lung Association of Vermont.
“The first step in living with lung disease means learning about lung disease,” Amy Poutre explained. “These support groups meet regularly to learn about tips and techniques to better manage their disease.” Amy, who works in North Country Respiratory Care Department, facilitates the group.
Many of the guest speakers who speak to the group come from within the walls of North Country Hospital. Among recent speakers have been Dr. Veronika Jedlovszky and Scott Wheeler. Dr. Jedlovszky, a doctor of pulmonary medicine at North Country, spoke about Lung Reduction surgery. Scott, who in addition to working in the Community Relations Department at North Country, serves on the Healthcare Committee in the Vermont House, spoke with the group about the legislative process in forming healthcare legislation. A few of the others who have spoken to the group include, registered dietician Anick Desorcy gave the group updates of the food pyramid and how to manage portion control. Neely Bryant from Social Services has come to speak to the group regarding Advanced Directives.

Amy emphasized in addition to learning how to live with their disorders, many members of the Better Breathers have become close friends. So when the groups funding was reduced earlier this year, members rallied to raise money to keep it up and running. They didn’t want to lose the educational opportunities and friendships that the group provides so they decided to host a fundraiser of their own.
“They wanted to do something to raise additional money to support the group,” Amy said. “They decided one way to do that was to make a cookbook using their favorite recipes.” The Derby Port Press provided the printing, paid for by the hospital community relations department. Using their years of cooking, group members compiled their favorite recipes into a cookbook that numbers about 70 pages. The following are some of the many recipes: Crock Pot Venison Stew, Hamburger Vegetable Soup, Easy Cajun Jambalaya, Cowboy Spaghetti, Annie’s Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Chips, D’s Famous Salsa, Mom’s BBQ Sauce, Sandee’s Mom’s Cowboy Cookies, and Joann’s Fudge.

The cookbook is on sale in the Window Box Gift Shop off the lobby of North Country Hospital and in the Respiratory Care Department.
Amy also encourages other people with chronic breathing disorders to consider joining the group. “Join the thousands of others with chronic respiratory disease across the country who participate in the American Lung Association Better Breathers Clubs,” she said.
The group meets on the third Thursday of each month from 1:30 to 3:00 in the downstairs meeting room of North Country Hospital. People interested in learning more about the Better Breathers should call (802) 334-3212.

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