Blog # 14

There are many things that women can do to reduce their risk of assault. Women need to be aware of their surrounding at all times. They need to know how to identify a potentially dangerous situation and have a plan if they encounter this. Women should always care mace in their purse. If it nighttime, it is important for women to have someone with them at all times. It is safer to be with someone else rather than be by themselves. When getting into their vehicle it is very important to look behind your seats before taking off. If you are home alone it is important to always lock the doors. If someone rings the door bell it is crucial to look through the peep hole before answering the door.
These are just a few safety measures that can be taken to prevent an assault. Anyone can be assaulted at any given time. The key to prevention is education and be prepared.

Blog #13

I think it is a sign of personal strength if women admit to having a drug or alcohol problem. To admit to having a problem takes a lot of courage. Many people want to hide or deny they have a problem. This makes it very difficult to treat. When someone admits to having a problem that is the first step in making a change. They are more willing to seek help and are compliant with their treatment plan. Their chances of recovery are increased compared to those who don't think they have a problem. Those people who don't own up to it tend to continue hurting themselves. It is a very sad situation. Anyone who is willing to admit to it shows me that they are courageous and care for themselves and their loved ones. There is no way I can feel that this is a weakness. Admitting to a drug or alcohol addiction is the hardest thing anyone can do, but it is the most beneficial and I applaud anyone who does so.

Blog 12

My sister was diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder. It is a mental disorder that disrupts thinking and relationships are dysfunctional. She was diagnosed at the age of 21, only 4 years ago. Up to the time she was diagnosed she was in and out of trouble, could not maintain a job, used drugs and accompanied herself around the wrong crowd. The relationships she formed were abusive and potentially were life threatening at times. For many years she seeked counseling but never was a diagnosis given. Finally my parents couldn't take anymore. They were helpless. They set her up with a psychiatrist and within weeks she was diagnosed and given many different meds. The psychiatrist called the whole family to come together so we could discuss our sisters mental illness and what we could do to help. I was so thankful for this meeting. I didn't realize that things I would say to my sister was actually hurting her more than helping her. After many years, my family has came along way. My sister currently is living with my father attending college and working part time. She is doing great. I am so proud of her.

Blog #11

I interviewed a pt of mine who has lived with Multiple Sclerosis for 15 years. She was first diagnosed with MS at the age of 25. She currently in a wheelchair due to her increased weakness in her lower extremities. This disability doesn't stop her from doing some of her favorite hobbies. She loves going to the movies, reading, watching her children play sports, and loves shopping. She has not had a relapse of her symptoms for a year. When she does experience a relapse the most common symptoms experienced is tingling and numbness in her lower extremities and increased fatigue. She is thankful that she hasn't experienced some of the common symptoms such as loss of vision, incontinence and paralysis. She currently receives home health physical therapy for increasing muscle tone and improving her strength especially in her lower extremities. She is so thankful for having a supportive family and wonderful friends that keep her positive and keep her spirits up. She is a pleasant woman and has a huge heart. It was a great opportunity for me to be able to interview her.

Blog #10

Cardiovascular disease is a very important topic to me. It's a topic that I am very knowledgeable about and research often. It is very important to me because at the age of 21 I suffered a heart attack. To this day doctors can't tell me why. It really bugs me that I don't know what happened. It worries me that it could possibly happen again. It is not something that I want to experience again or put my family through again. I don't have a strong family background of heart disease. My uncle and aunt both have had heart attacks in their 40's and both suffer from congestive heart failure. As far as my immediate family goes they are very healthy. So your probably wondering how this happened. Luckily my father is a doctor and he was visiting me after I had just had my 2nd child 3 weeks prior. I was driving and starting feeling pressure to my chest. The only way I can describe it by saying it felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest and wouldn't get up. I began to cry. I immediately pulled over and my father checked my pulse. It was all over the place. He immediately took me to the ER where they hooked me up to an EKG and run all my cardiac enzymes labs. At that point they told me a had suffered from a heart attack. I was there for 2 weeks and left with still no answer to why it happened. 7 years later I still don't know. I see a cardiologist yearly and everything looks fine.
One thing that I want to educate everyone on is that it is true everyone experiences a heart attack differently. People may feel indigestion, nauseated, radiating pain from shoulder down arm, chest pressure and I have heard of not feeling any symptoms. It is so important to be knowledgeable on cardiovascular disease because it can affect anyone. Take me for example, I was a 21 year old healthy fit, mother. If it wasn't for my dad being there with me I don't know what would have happened. Please everyone take care of your health.

Blog 9

The biggest challenge to regular exercise and a healthy diet that I face are lack of time and consistency. As a full time student, working a full time job and carrying for 3 young children, it is very difficult at times to find time to work out. I tend to have to eaither have to wake up extremely early or go after work. I make many attempts to eat healthy but there are so many days when we have such much going on that grabbing fast food tends to be the quickest thing to eat. It can be so stressful at times because I know the important of exercise and diet but at the same time I just feel I don't have the time. I want to be a good role model for my children. I want them to view exercise and health as an important part of life. My plans are to make sacrifices so that I can have the time to work out and feel good about myself. I want to work on healthier eating habits. Within the next five years I hope to accomplish many of my goals by balancing family, work, and my personal wellness. I want to involve my children in making healthy food decisions. I hope to make it a fun and learning experience for them. As a family I feel we will be able to work together so that these goals can be met.

Blog #8

After reading the article entitiled One Size Fits All, I realized just how big a problem we have at hand. Many women face the problem of being what they think as over weight, and feeling the need that they need to lose weight. The bigger problem is that society portrays women as being 120 lbs. This is really sad because the majority of people this is affecting is our teen population. Teens want to be thin like the models the see or the singers they listen to and watch on videos. Many teens will do whatever it takes to become that thin even becoming bulimic and anorexia. They don't have the knowledge on these two diseases to know how damaging it can be to there health. I feel that society needs to focus on women of all sizes and the beauty that each one has. Women need to build on there self esteem. If they choose to lose weight it's for themselves and not for any other reason. I really am glad to start seeing fashion models that are full figured. To me, they are the most beautiful! I hope that teens will start viewing these models as role models and realize that not everyone needs to be thin.

Blog #7

If a loved one were to confide in me about having a STD, I would first sit her down and have her talk to me about whats going on. I would then talk to her about the importance of getting tested. I would give her information on the consequences of not getting treated such as symptoms worsening and more severe symptoms such as infertility. We would also discuss the importance of telling her sexual partner so that he as well can get treated. We will talk about condoms and how important it is to protect herself in the future. I would reassure her that everything would be okay. I would then assist her in making an appointment and will accompany her to the doctors office so that she is not alone.

I have actually had a love one confide in me and this is exactly how I handled it. It went really well. Its amazing how many people there are that are just not knowledgeable on STD's and protection. STD's are serious and harmful diseases. It is so important to be informed and make good decisions. The key is education. I feel that by educating my loved one, I made a difference in her life. I hope to do the same to many others.

Blog #6

I have chosen to interview my sisters on their thoughts of having children. I have 4 sisters and 1 brother. I have 2 older sisters and 2 younger, so I am right in the middle. My oldest sister is 39. She has always wanted children. She is great with her nieces and nephews, but unfortunately her significant other is not all for having kids. I think this is a very sad situation because she would be an excellent mother. She is on birth control faithfully. My second sister is 37 years old. She has been married for 13 years and have been with him for 18 years. They both want children. Unfortunately, they are having a difficult time conceiving. They have tried artificial insemination and it didn't take. They are continuing to try and I hope one day they will be blessed with a miracle baby. I have even told her I would be her surrogate mother. My sister right under me is 25 and she definitely doesn't need one. She is irresponsible and is not able to take care of herself at this time. She lives with my father and is looking for a job. She wants a child and thinks that if she had a baby that may straighten her up. I think she's crazy. The last thing she needs is a child. My youngest sister is 23 and she has a daughter that is one. She would love to have another child. She is a single mother and works her butt off to take care of her responsibilities. She hopes one day to fall in love and have another child. Now for me, I am 28 and have 3 children ages 7,6 and 1. I got pregnant with my first child when I was 20. It was difficult. I was working, in college, and trying to be independent. I don't believe in abortions, so I knew I had to do what I had to do. I knew I always wanted children. My oldest daughter was only 6 months when I got pregnant again with another girl. I was scared but I knew I could do it. My husband and I decided to get married at this point and raise our children has a happy married couple. For 5 years I had an IUD. I didn't want anymore children at that time. But then I wanted to try for a boy. In April 2008, I found out I was pregnant. In Sept 2008 I found out it was a boy. I think my husband and I cried with joy for hours. Now with 3 children, I think I am done! My children are the world to me!

Blog #5: A devastating event

I chose to read the powerpoint posted by M. Kampschroeder on miscarriage. As a mother of three, I have never experienced such a devastating event, but I have been a part of someones life who has experienced this event on more than one occasion. And let me tell you it was such a horrible time. I wasn't quite sure how to handle it. I didn't know what to say to her or how to be there for her. All I could do was give her a shoulder to cry on. The powerpoint gave me a lot of insight on miscarriages. A very small percentage of pregnancies result in miscarriages. That would put anyone's mind at ease. Unfortunately this wasn't the case for my dear friend. She cried and cried. She would ask questions- why me? Why would God allow this to happen? Everything happens for a reason, what reason is this??? So many questions that I just couldn't answer for her. I felt helpless. After reading the slides, I know this is all a normal reaction to the loss of a fetus. It is okay for people to mourn. At the time I wish I had more knowledge on miscarriages, because I would have known what to say. I would have encouraged her to mourn and not feel guilt. I knew it was nothing she did. My challenge was getting her to realize that. To this day, she is trying to conceive. I pray each and everyday God will bless her with a child. The most important information I got from the slides was that women who experience multiply miscarriages will eventually have a healthy baby. This I hope one day will be what happens to my dear friend.

Blog 4

Sex education is very important to be taught to our adolescents. I think the abstinence plus education program needs to be initiated in all schools. It doesn't make sense not to teach our children all about sex, protection and STD's, they need to know it all. We need to give them the educational tools to make wise decisions and be responsible for those decisions. We are not going to be able to hold our children's hands their whole life. They need to be educated on the facts. Not only do I feel its the schools responsibility to educate, but I also feel it is the parents. Parents need to be able to feel comfortable about discussing sex with their children and if they aren't there are plenty of useful resources out there that parents can reach out too. Unfortunately for me growing up, the only thing that was ever taught to me in the public schools what not to have sex. That's it, nothing else was said about it. I turned to my parents to teach me all about sex. I was thankful that I had parents that felt comfortable discussing this with me. Not only where they there to educate me, they had were there to help me through the most difficult time of my life-getting pregnant at an early age. Not everyone is fortunate to have this in their life, that is why I feel the need for schools to play an important role in teens lives. Teen pregnancy is on the rise. Teens are having sex at younger ages, and STD's are continuing to occur more and more among this population. It is important for our public school systems to help sustain these numbers and teach sex education. I don't know for sure if implementing this education in schools will significantly decrease the numbers, but what I do know is that it will education our teens on the importance of safe sex and could possibly slow down the rates of teen pregnancy. This is what I hope for.

Blog #3

After rating myself on the Self Assessment of preventative practices, I was very impressed on how well I scored. Most of my answers were scored with a yes expect 2. Of course I already knew that my biggest problem is the way I eat. I tend to think that since I work out 4-5 days a week, I can eat anything I want. After reading so many articles about healthy eating habits, and seeing the affects of not eating healthy on your body, I have realized that this is not so. As of Monday I have made it a goal of mine to eat healthy. I plan to increase my protein intake and decrease fatty foods and food with alot of salt. I also know that I need to increase my vegetables and fruit. Currently my intake of veggies and fruit is low. I really don't understand why since I love just about every fruit. I have realized that I need to sent a good example for my children. I need to teach them at a early age the importance of eating healthy and being physically active. Child obesity is continuing to be a world wide problem and the importance of parents getting involved with there children and setting good examples is a key to reducing risks. Currently I work out 4-5 days a week. I am very consistent. I find this time to be a place where I can get away and feel good about myself. Working out is a stress reliever for me. I sleep about 5-6 hours a night, although I would love to sleep 8-9, its just not happening anytime soon. Being a mother of 3 its almost impossible for me to get in bed by 9. I work out in the mornings because that is the only time I can fit it in, therefore my hours of sleep are from about 11-5am. To realive stress I work out, visit with friends, and shop. Shopping is a great stress reliever espeacially if you are shopping for yourself. I would like to get a massage once a month. I think that would also really help me in reducing stress. I do not smoke or drink and as far as safe sex practices go, my husband and I do practice safe sex. Three kids are enough for us!

Blog #2

I believe access to health care is a right not a privilege. Having assess to health care is so important today. I believe every individual should be able to receive adequate care in order to prevent health problems. So many Americans are without health insurance due to it being too costly or not offered through their employer. Even people who have health insurance still can't afford to see physicians or get their medicines due to the cost of co pays and deductibles, which in turn leads to many Americans not seeking care. I have 3 children and to have coverage for me and my children is very costly. It makes me wonder how people make it these days with health insurance premiums being so high. The economy is down right now and at this time it is so crucial to be able to give individuals the right to seek health care. I believe if everyone is given this opportunity we will see less hospitalizations and more people living a healthier life. It is hard to educate individuals on health issues when individuals can't seek health care, because I believe education starts in physician offices by doctors and nurses. It is imperative that all individuals are given this right.

Blog #1

The health issue that concerns me the most is child obesity. Child obesity is becoming more a problem now. Children are spending too much time in front of the t.v, playing video games or sleeping and not enough time engaging in physical activities. Children that are obese are at greater risks for diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. I feel that parents play an important part in their children lives. They are role models. They must set good examples for their children . I feel that families need to educate themselves on the importance of healthy eating habits so that they can better help their children fight this disease. I look forward to becoming a health educator so that I can focus on this health issue and help families who are facing this devastating disease.

I interviewed a 42 year old white female. She expressed to me her biggest health issue was lack of insurance available to low income families. She states that Medicaid only covers people who are really poor and that it is not fair that there is not any help for the people that are just above that. Her concern is that lack of insurance means lack of health care for individuals which leads to illness and hospitalization.

I interviewed a 26 year old black female. Her major health concern is diabetes. She worries about this health issue because both her parents have diabetes and have had many health problems due to this. She is afraid she will get it. She is attending college now and wants to become a nurse so that she can educate herself and others on Diabetes.

Even though we all have different health concerns, I think our goal is to educate ourselves and others. Education is the key.