Blog 15

I can't believe it is already the end of the semester! This has probably been one of the best courses I have taken thus far in college. I was able to learn so many things about myself as well growing older and hearing many touching stories from all of you. The subject that I can look back on and say I enjoyed the most even though each and every chapter had interesting aspects of their own was the chapter over menopause. Just like many other women that is a stage in their life they may dread getting to and after reading more information about it and also hearing a story from a woman I know who went through it recently has given me a different outlook on it and maybe I can dread it a little less now. I am thankful to have learned as much as I did this semster and really enjoyed all of the material covered.

Blog 14

Assult is something that no women would like to face and fortunately there are ways in which we are able to help prevent assult from happening. It is always best to know your surroundings and stay alert if you are venturing into and area you may be unfamiliar with. Also when you go out to a bar or even a restaurant make sure that you keep and eye on your beverage and do not leave your drink unattended. Trust your instincts and if something does not feel right to you then you should probably get yourself out of the situation to avoid an issue in case something could arise. One other thing is always keep your phone charged and handy so that you are able to call someone for help or even call someone to come if you feel uncomfortable.

Blog 13 Substance Abuse

I personally feel that it is a strenght when a woman admits she has a problem with drugs. I have had a very very close family member use drugs and it caused a lot of heartache for many years. Karen had many downs before she had started using drugs starting with losing her father, brother, and then husband to lung cancer. It was over a span of 3 years so losing someone close to you three years in a row can really take a toll on some people and unfortunately for Karen she turned to drugs. She thought that it eased the pain because she did not have to feel things because she felt numb. It really ruined our relationship for years but once she had admitted she had a problem and was willing to get help she began her road to recovery and now has been clean for almost 4 years. Those 3-4 years that she was using was probably the scariest years but I think she is a brave woman for admitting her problem and overcoming her addiction.

Blog 12 Mental illness

I have a really good girlfriend that suffers from mental illness. She is very derpessive and also suffers from panic attacks. She has been on medication for many years but it got worse once she had her first child. She went through severe post partum where she wouldn't even want to get up off of the couch. Thankfully her mom was able to be there for her a lot because she went through a short period of not wanting to be near her little one. I have a daughter and I thankfully never went through that but it must be pretty severe for you to not want to be around your child. She has since then stayed on her medication and also had a second child but did not suffer from post partum like she did with her first. She did have a brief depression period but nothing like the first child where she did not want to be near her child. Having children is most certainly overwhelming at times but also wonderful and after taking classes such as this one and a few other courses I have learned so much about our bodies and women in general and I guess it is more common to get the "babie blues" but for most women it goes away. I know that the first week after I had my little girl I cried almost at anything and everything and I was thinking what on earth is wrong with me. I was glad that period did not last long because I am not normally someone who cries all of the time. Children definitely change things for us all around but the are the joys of our lives! :)

Blog 11 Chronic Disease

Just last year my aunt started suffering from diabetes and so many things has changed for her. She was ill for quite some time and after many test from the doctors was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. She lost an extreme amount of weight as well as suffered from fatigue often. She had to totally change her diet and that is not always something that is easy to do but she had no other options. I remember growing up she always had diet soda in the fridge and not being able to drink her diet coke is sometimes a pain but for her health she does what she has to do. She also has to give herself a daily shot of insulin in her thigh and after time she says it is not big deal but in the begining thinking of having to give yourself a shot everyday for the rest of your like can be dreadful. She is doing well and keeping her diabetes under control.

Blog 10 Heart disease men vs women

When it comes to men and women there are many differences as all of us know but did we really think that heart disease could affect men and women differently? Heart disease remains to be the number one killer throughout the world but is more prevalent among women. Symptoms for men and women can also be different. Both men and women experience chest pain, shortness of breath, cold sweats, nausea, or dizziness, but women normally experience abdominal pain, vomiting as well as pain in their necks and backs. Women who smoke and suffer from depression also tend to have more of a serious effects on heart health than in men.  It is not entirely know as to why there are such differences when it comes to women and men and heart disease but some factors that may contribute could be that women are generally older at the time. There are many risk factors that can be controlled and help reduce your risk of having CVD  for both men and women and some of those include staying active, eating a healthy diet so that your blood pressure as well as your cholesterol can stay under control, and not smoking.

Decrease Cholesterol. (n.d.)Heart Disease Men vs Women. Retrieved on November, 3 2010 from
http://www.decreasecholesterol.com/heartdisease/heart-disease-men-vs-women.html

  Alexander, L.L., LaRosa, J.H., Bader, H. Garfield, S.  (2010). Dimensions in women's health. (5^th Ed.).  Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett.

Blog 9

When it comes to physical exercise and eating healthy there are many barriers that people can face. I myself am a stay at home mom of a beautiful two year old little girl and she does have me going all day every day but I know that it is probably not quite the physical exercise I should be getting. We do go out for walks around the neigborhood at least 3 days a week but if I am tired or do not feel like it I simply opt out of going. That is definitely one of the biggest challanges when it comes to physical exercise because if I simply do not feel like it I am not going to do it. Most of the time when she is down for a nap or in bed for the night I try and do homework or spend time with my husband so physical exercise kind of gets pushed off to the side. As for eating healthy there are many challanges to face. There are so many options available for families such as going out to eat or running out and picking something up that the nutrition factor isn't probably as high as what it was when I was growing up. I do fairly well at cooking dinner at home most nights of the week especially since going out to eat has gotten so expensive but I do admit that I should incorporate more vegetables and fruits into our daily meals. I have one of the pickiest two year old eaters ever and fortunately she does eat her veggies and her fruit. I will give her fruit and veggies as much as possible as well as her daily vitamins to try and get in the habit feeding her healthy! Many excuses are used when it comes to these aspects of life but if we could only get into a routine maybe it might not seem like such a pain. :)
Melissa V.

Blog 8

I interviewed a women who had gone through menopause early at age 25 due to having a total hysterectomy from complications after her second child being born. She is now 54 and if she had not gone through early menopause she would be experiencing some of the symptoms she had at the of 25. As she looks back on the situation she is glad to have gone though the symptoms of menopause then rather than now. She was also glad for the fact that she no longer had a menstural cycle after the age of 25. I could only imagine not having to deal with a menstural cycle especially if you are done having children, It would be wonderful! Susan did take HRT in order to help her with some of the side effects that came along with having the hysterectomy/menopause symptoms ans she said that if she did not have her HRT she would be extremely moody and irritable throughout the day. Susan said she also experienced hot flashes as well as a few other side effects but her HRT did help minimize the effects. She no longer uses HRT but did for many years, approximately 15 she thinks. I found it to be very interesting listening to Susan's story and hearing about the different symptoms she had as well as how she felt with HRT and now not needed the HRT and feeling fine. It is good to know that all women go through the same things so you can always have a fellow friend that you may able to talk to about your feelings and symptoms and she may be right in the same boat with you.

Blog 7

I read the article A Grndered Epidemic. Women and the Risks and Burdens of HIV. I found this article to be not only sad but also a shock. I did a paper on HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe in a previous class and this article related a lot to the information I had found while completing my paper. Women and children are becoming more and more at risk and contracting HIV than the men and boys of our world. Like the article had stated women especially young girls are able to contract the disease easier than men due to their immature genital tracks making them more susceptible to the infection. Sub-Saharah African women suffer a great deal from HIV due to their culture and style of living. Many of the young girsl are with older men who may participate in homosexual acts and then come home to their wives and pass the disease they might not know they even have. Drug use is also a cause of HIV cases but does not account for near as many as sexual intercourse. There has many techniques made available for mothers who do have HIV to not transmit the disease to their newborn that are cost effective but for mothers that are in Africa or under developed countries they do not always get the proper care needed nor do they have the money to provide nuttrient rich food to their child so they will breastfeed and spread  HIV to their child. Helping inform adolescents about the risks involved with HIV can help reduce the amount of women who are carrying this deadly disease. Having the female condom accessabile to women has made a major difference to women in developing countries because they are now having the ability to protect themselves from getting HIV. A response to global AIDS needs to be a priority and until more can be done to help our women and children in developing countries the prevelance rate of HIV/AIDS is going to remain the same.

Piot, P. (2001). A Gendered Epidemic. Women and the Risks and Burdens of HIV. Retrieved from http://twupilot.blackboard.com/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_16839_1%26url%3D

Blog 6 Top 10 Questions Pregnant Women Have

When a woman is pregnant with their first child there are so many questions that you may have. There are many books that you can go buy and read that can help you answer some of your questions but I always wanted to ask my doctor my specific questions. I would write down my questions that I had in between visits so that I would not forget what I was going to ask by the time my appointment came around. According to WebMd some of the questions pregnant women ask include:

1.What should I do before I get pregnant to ensure a healthy pregnancy for me and the baby?
A: See a doctor for a prepregnancy checkup, eat a healthy diet, stop smoking if you are a current smoker, get any health problems udner control, and get checked for std's

2. What should and shouldn't you eat while pregnant?
A:It is good to get all of your essential vitamins and nutrients while eating for two. Eating plenty of fruits, veggies, grains, lean meats, calcium rich foods, and low-fat milk and yogurt products. Foods that you should stay away from would be any food with a high level of mercury, raw fish, uncooked eggs, caffine and of course alcohol.

3. Are there activities I should do more of or steer clear of while pregnant?
A: DO's- Exercise, Have sex, wash your hands often, clean house, travel by plane, See the dentist. DONT's-Change the kitty litter box, use saunas, paint, use an x-ray machine, ride roller coasters.

4. How can I safely exercise while pregnant?
A: Some good examples would be walking, swimming, stationary cycling or yoga.

5.What can I do to help avoid pregnancy symptoms like nauseas, heartburn, vomiting, leg cramps, and hemorrhoids?
A: Get up slowly in the morning to help prevent nauseas, exercise frequently to help reduce leg cramps, avoid greasy foods to help reduce heartburn, and drink plenty of to fluids to help against hemorrhoids.

6. How much weight should I gain during pregnancy?
A:Depending on your weight when you become pregnant is how you determine the amount of weight you should gain when pregnant.  If you are at a normal weight when becoming pregnant 25-35 pounds is about the amount to gain, If you are overweight before pregnancy 15-25 is what you should gain, if you are underweight you should gain 28-40 pounds. The average woman gains approximately 2 to 4 pounds during the first three months and then a pound a week the remainder of the pregnancy

7.When should I call my docotor in between regular prenatal visits
A: unusual or sever cramping, difficult breathing or shortness of breath, lack of movement of the baby after 28 weeks, any bleeding in 2nd or 3rd trimester, fever over a 100, faintin spells or dizziness, blurred vision, swelling of hands fingers and face.

8. How can I make a birth plan for labor and delivery?
A: Talk to your Dr. or midwife about your birthing plan and then ask yourself some questions. who do you want present at the birth, what type of pain relief would you like, what position do you want to be in, do you want an episiotomy, what do you want for the babies care after birth. Just remember that this is a plan and is not mandatory that it is followed.

9. How can I prepare for breastfeeding after cihildbirht?
A:Call the National Womans Health Centers Breastfeeding Hotline for questions about breastfeeding pumping and many other things, Find a lactation consultant near you, find a LeLeche consultant, or visit gotmom.org/

10. What should I know about postpartum depression?
A:many mothers experience the baby blues after delivering and these mild symptoms such as mood swings, crying spells, or irritability go away withing a few days to few weeks but if they seem to linger or become severe it is important to contact your doctor and get help for postpartum depression.

These 10 questions are probably just 10 of the many that you will have but try not to worry about to much.

WebMD. (2009). Frequently asked questions about pregnancy. Retrieved from
 http://www.webmd.com/baby/frequently-asked-questions-about-pregnancy

Blog #5 "to have children or be childless"

I interviewed a really good friend of mine that recently got married and I asked her what her view was on if they were going to have children or not. She had said that yes she did in fact want children but she wanted to wait a while longer. Her husband is ready to start having them now because he would like a big family. They talk about it quite frequently and so far have decided to hold off for now. They had a long distance relationship for a while so her main point of waiting to have chilren is so they are able to spend time together before bringing a child into the mix. I myself agree with her on that note. I have a little girl that just turned 2 and she is so wonderful but also a handful at the same time. Making the decision to have a chiild is definitely a big one because  you and your family will go through a lot of changes. I am always telling her stories of little stunts that my little one has done and she laughs and then comments and says that is how she knows she isn't quite ready for children right now but in time she will be.

Melissa V.

Blog #4

I decided to respond to the question whether or not sex ed should be taught in the nations public schools. I personally feel that yes it should. I know that some parents may disagree and would like to be the ones to inform their children about abstinence but by the time they feel their children should be informed about sex it may possibly be too late. Children are growing up much faster than our generation and are exposed to way more stuff than I myself and an older generation were exposed to. I feel that sex ed needs to be about abstinence-plus becasue not only will they be learning about the importance of abstinence but there is definitely going to be the group who chooses not to follow the path of abstinence and so therefore if  abstienece plus is taught they could possibly prevent the chances of either getting pregnant or contracting and std.

Blog #3

I decided to rate my preventitive practices. After answering the ten questions I had yes on 7 out of 10.. The one's that I need to work on would be eating a healthful diet consisting of the appropriate servings of fruits and veggies ect, participate in moderate-intense physical activity, and relax/ maintain an overall sense of wellness. I do my best to follow a fairly healthy diet especially because I have children and I like them to have a well balanced meal but sometimes days are hectic and that does not always happen. As fo exercise I enjoy going outside and walking and I pull my little one around in her wagon but when it is so extremely hot it is almost impossible. Since it has cooled down a bit the past few weeks I have gotten out and walked about 1 mile twice a week and ocassionally three times a week. Some is better than none but I do realize I need to do more. Then my last fault is not taking time out for myself. Some days I feel like I might go insane being a stay at home mom and a full time student but keeping up with it all doesn't give me an extreme amount of time to relax. I guess my relaxing is sleep because most nights once my little one is down for the night I am too! :) Getting enough sleep is something I must have. Sleep is something I can not do well without and at times having a two year old you for sure need your sleep in order to laugh off some of the crazy things they pull. :) I also am very good about recieving routine preventive care. Luckily for me I do that since I had caught the basal cell skin spot on my nose before it had gotten very bad. Since I also have a passion for the dental field I regulalry make my routine dental checks as well.

Melissa Van Der Maaten

Blog #2

I believe that healthcare should be a privilege, and personally I feel the health care reform is a bad idea. I think that if it does happen then the level of care is going to tremendously go down. There are going to be anyone and everyone going to doctors for things that maybe prior to the health care reform they would not have gone for. Getting into a doctor’s office is going to be more difficult. I do not foresee that it is a good thing for the health care field. If health care was made more affordable then more people would be able to have it. With healthcare reform that puts us tax payers in the position where we are going to have to pay for those who do not hold a job but still will receive health insurance provided by the government. According to cnnmoney.com you will lose the five important freedoms that many of us enjoy the opportunity to have. For instance being able to choose what specialist you are able to go to or what premium you are going to decide to go with for that particular calendar year. I think that we should have left things how they were and not have had the health care reform pass.






References

Tully, S. (2009) 5 freedoms you’d lose in health care reform. Retrieved on February 16th 2010 from

http://money.cnn.com/2009/07/24/news/economy/health_care_reform_obama.fortune/index.htm

Women's Health -Blog #1

When I think of a health issue that I am most concerned about I think about cancer. Lung cancer as well as skin cancer runs in my family. I know that you are not always able to prevent cancer but there are definately things that can be done to reduce your risk. I myself just recently found out that I had a basal cell carinoma spot on my nose and had to have it removed and surgically repaired. I will definately be taking precautions in the future to help prevent having any more lesions appear. When I would go in the sun I never used sunscreen and that is why I am in the position I am in because of my lack of protection. Yes it does run in my family but I could have protected myself better. I am fortunate that it was not melanoma and the Dr. did catch it in good time but I am definately at risk of having it come back. I have seen many reports on the news lately about similar cases and happened to see a Dr. Phil show about the same thing so it is becoming more common because more people are exposing themselves to the sun. I think that people need to be more aware of skin cancer and take the proper steps to protect themselves. Get regular checks at the dermatologist and wear sunscreen when out in the sun.


When I asked one of my friends about her health concern she said that she thinks of cervical cancer.  She herself has not recieved the HPV vaccine nor have I but she will for sure vaccinate her daughter and I will do the same when she is at the age for it. Cervical cancer is a scary thing and just the thought of it terrifies her. I myself am concerned about this health issue as well but it is not my number one concern.

My other friend I asked said she was most concerned about cancer as well. Breast cancer runs in her family and she has also had irregular pap smears. The results have alwasys come out ok but it is still a concern for her.

Melissa