Module 10 - Heart Disease and Cancer

Wow, both of these diseases sure hit home for me. On both sides of my family there is a significant prevelance of both diseases. On my fathers side, both he and his mother died of heart attacks, my dad was only 48. On my mothers side, her father died at 51 of a heart attack and my grandmother (who is almost 90...go Grandma!) has faught and won 3 bouts with cancer. Ueterine, lymphoma (non-hodgkins) and most recently breast. He sisters and her daughter (my moms sister) have also had breast cancer - some survived, others did not. The "option 1" assignment for this module that involved the health quiz was a good assignment for me. The feedback I received from a student was very kind and supportive and I think I needed that. I beat myself up a little over bad habits that I cannot kick, that I need to kick. After reading her feedback and realizing that I am not alone in making excuses, makes me want to change and stop making excuses. Not just for me, but also for her and others like us.

Eating Disorders

I am all too familiar with this issue. A very close friend, someone I
think of as a little sister has struggled with an eating disorder since
she was 15. It was the strangest thing to watch happen. I have known
her since she was 2 and she was always a very active child and was
always very small, height and weight. At about 11 or so (junior high)
she began putting on weight and by 13-14 was overweight (not obese but
"chubby" for her height). No one knows exactly what happened but there
was an incident (outside of the home) that broke her spirit and she
became a whole new person. Eating was limited at best and the food
choices were not a healthy variety. Rice cakes, water, celery, etc.
Sugar was out of the question. Exercise was the other new obsession.
There would be times when she would go for so long and so hard that she
fell off the treadmill. We all noticed these behaviors and tried to
talk to her but it only got worse. She reached a point where she was a
size 0 and it was an extremely proud time for her. It was an
excruciating time for her family. We could see her breast bones and
shoulders through her skin and her cheeks looked like they had been
scooped out. Several years have passed and there has been marked
improvement. She finally accepted a little bit of professional help and
also married a nice young man who loves her for what is on the inside.
There were many other issues involved such as promiscuity so it is my
thought that this was not only about control but also about "feeling"
loved or accepted (self esteem). This is the strangest part of the
whole thing because she has a very loving family who always told her
she was special and beautiful, no matter what. Through this experience
I have learned to understand thestrength and power of this disease. I
am glad that we all worked together to get her on a healthier track. I
am happy to report that in the beginning of this month she delivered
triplet boys who are all perfectly healthy! She has already begun to
talk about her exercise plans to "take off baby weight" but she intends
to do it in moderation. We will all be watching closely =)

Blog 8 - Midterm Review

At this point in the semester, I think that the module on Pregnancy, Childbirth and Breastfeeding has been the most interesting and insightful. My husband and I are at the beginning of the "having kids" process and we are both scared. The chapter in the text had a lot of information, many things that I did not know. This module was quite timely with my yearly female exam and the topics in the text helped me formulate questions to ask my ob/gyn. The information and assignment on breastfeeding was especially helpful. I have not had much exposure to breastfeeding. The idea of it always made me feel weird but after reading more about it, it is something I want to consider (where before it was not even a consideration.) My husband and I are excited about being parents but we are definately nervous. I was glad to have this module as part of the class, I feel a little more prepared for when we are blessed with a pregnancy.

STD Stigma

The stigma attached to those with STD's is courtesy of a judgemental society. I have been guilty of thinking someone is "dirty" or promiscuous when I learn that they have an STD. However, with education I have come to understand many of the common STD's and am now able to be less judgemental. Many people who get STD's are in serious relationships but their partner is either not aware or has not been honest about their health status so an "innocent" person becomes infected. HPV is an excellent example of an STD that exibits no symptoms (or hardly visible) in males so it is passed on without knowledge. It was only recently that this has become a hot topic and it is because over 80% of the 35 and under population have HPV. I do have to say that there are many people who do have an STD due to their risky behavior so the stigma is not entirely without merit. However, regardless of someones behavior, they should not be judged but rather, educated.