hoping for a scholarship to come through...I should find out this week. It would be incredibly helpful and release me from some obligations that need to be let go of.
say a prayer for me!
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
sex ed
I taught a sex ed class at a Catholic church last weekend. In the sanctuary. To a group of adults in a premarital class at the church...all immigrants I think, not sure. And the priest asked us to teach on contraceptives and reproductive health. We passed around condoms, and showed them what different forms of birth control were available. We told them of clinics where they could get affordable reproductive care.
They asked questions about orgasms, periods, hormones and the like...and listened comfortably, all while a statue of Jesus and Mary stood behind us at the altar.
I'm impressed with the progress this church has made. We need a church that views sex as part of life, instead of only as taboo. We need proper education and equality to be promoted in the church, if we expect people across the world to progress, especially when so many around the world still rely on the church for their guidance. We need population control, we are on our way to 10 billion people, a # so large that our Earth will have difficulties sustaining us, and wars over water, food and land are inevitable...we need people to be responsible about having children, especially when they are barely affording to feed themselves. Not to imply at all that people of any socioeconomic status have less rights than others to reproduction. But, we are no longer in the age where you have 10 kids in hopes that 5 survive, at least not in the US. Let's stop acting like we are and start being responsible with the science and medicine available to us.
They asked questions about orgasms, periods, hormones and the like...and listened comfortably, all while a statue of Jesus and Mary stood behind us at the altar.
I'm impressed with the progress this church has made. We need a church that views sex as part of life, instead of only as taboo. We need proper education and equality to be promoted in the church, if we expect people across the world to progress, especially when so many around the world still rely on the church for their guidance. We need population control, we are on our way to 10 billion people, a # so large that our Earth will have difficulties sustaining us, and wars over water, food and land are inevitable...we need people to be responsible about having children, especially when they are barely affording to feed themselves. Not to imply at all that people of any socioeconomic status have less rights than others to reproduction. But, we are no longer in the age where you have 10 kids in hopes that 5 survive, at least not in the US. Let's stop acting like we are and start being responsible with the science and medicine available to us.
Friday, March 12, 2010
why health reform matters
Last night I volunteered at the clinic I am a coordinator of in South Philadelphia, one that primarily serves Mexican immigrants. It was a good time. Besides getting to work side by side with bright and interesting students from all over Philly, I got to talk with patients and practice my Spanish.
What struck me most was how great of a relationship the doctors and nurses of this clinic have with the members of this community. The patients are treated for free, and many walk in without appointments and are unsure of how good they will be treated, weary of past experiences at other free clinics. But, they have no choice as they work in restaurants in Philly, without insurance, and barely make ends meet. Greeted with a warm smile, they are welcomed in for a thorough checkup, no strings attached. There is always detailed care given to every patient, with ample time taken and all concerns addressed.
In the regular health care world, doctors have to see patients every 7 minutes or less in order to make enough money to support their practices. Insurance companies pay only a portion of what the initial invoices list, though they make millions off of people to ensure that they are treated properly. Why is this a problem? Because doctors have to worry more about costs and time than they do about their patient's well being. They have to rush through appointments, missing important clues in patient cases, and above all, they have very little time for establishing great relationships. In my opinion, health care is a field where relationships are required for the comprehensive care of a sick person.
Why do I say all of this? Because our country is in need of change. Health insurance companies should not hold the power to the treatment of patients. Health care providers should. The doctors and nurses who I know didn't get into the field to keep insurance companies booming...they got into it to make a difference in peoples lives. Making an easy buck is the last thing the students eagerly learning in this clinic are thinking of.
Consider it: supporting health care reform
Unlearn it: that people only deserve the health care they can afford...what if you didn't have money or a job with insurance?
What struck me most was how great of a relationship the doctors and nurses of this clinic have with the members of this community. The patients are treated for free, and many walk in without appointments and are unsure of how good they will be treated, weary of past experiences at other free clinics. But, they have no choice as they work in restaurants in Philly, without insurance, and barely make ends meet. Greeted with a warm smile, they are welcomed in for a thorough checkup, no strings attached. There is always detailed care given to every patient, with ample time taken and all concerns addressed.
In the regular health care world, doctors have to see patients every 7 minutes or less in order to make enough money to support their practices. Insurance companies pay only a portion of what the initial invoices list, though they make millions off of people to ensure that they are treated properly. Why is this a problem? Because doctors have to worry more about costs and time than they do about their patient's well being. They have to rush through appointments, missing important clues in patient cases, and above all, they have very little time for establishing great relationships. In my opinion, health care is a field where relationships are required for the comprehensive care of a sick person.
Why do I say all of this? Because our country is in need of change. Health insurance companies should not hold the power to the treatment of patients. Health care providers should. The doctors and nurses who I know didn't get into the field to keep insurance companies booming...they got into it to make a difference in peoples lives. Making an easy buck is the last thing the students eagerly learning in this clinic are thinking of.
Consider it: supporting health care reform
Unlearn it: that people only deserve the health care they can afford...what if you didn't have money or a job with insurance?
Friday, February 26, 2010
Engineering a future in sustainable health
I am almost at my half way point in the spring semester, and on my way to class last night, I surprised myself with motivation I would've never imagined having. I'm taking an engineering of sustainable water and sanitation resources course...a sort of glorious meshing of theory pertinent to my public health studies and frightening three-page-long math equations.
As a psychology undergrad student at Drexel, a very strong engineering school, I have years of ridicule under my belt for going to a technical school to earn a liberal arts degree. Never did I have an interest in even taking a peek at what engineers learned, nor would I have had the courage. Not to downplay the hard work that is put into earning a Bachelors of Science in Psychology...I definitely did my share of work. Drexel actually has quite a decent program. But I successfully avoided all things engineer related during my time there.
Now, here I am, a few years later, a bit more brave and curious, and I decided to take this ESE course at the masters level. At UPenn no less. My auto response is oh my goodness what was I thinking. But last night, having 3 pages of math written out for homework, none of which actually arrived at a correct answer, and on the brink of another snow storm, I still did not even hesitate to go to this class. I looked at the topics for the lecture on the syllabus, and was so excited to learn what they were teaching that my motivation completely overshadowed my dread of more hours of math and driving home late in a snowstorm.
Needless to say it was worth showing up to class. I've been learning about gravitational factors in water catchment, velocity and flow of water sources, calculation of head loss and diameters for the selection of proper piping for a safe water system, finding hydraulic grade lines, and how all of this has a real world impact on the health of the people I wish to serve. Who would have ever imagined I would be the most eager student in an all engineers course? I really hope this knowledge I gain will compliment my work in public health, and keep me up to speed on the necessary technical aspects of this field.
A thought to preface a future blogpost: we discussed which should be priority when only one option is feasible...providing a community with access to sufficient amounts of fairly clean water (which may still have some contaminants) and emphasizing hygiene methods for prevention (i.e. hand washing) or providing a completely pure water source, even if it does not yield enough water to meet the needs for high hygienic standards. Which do you think is more effective in public health prevention?
Consider it: giving a completely different discipline a bit of your attention...to find how it can compliment your knowledge and broaden your capabilities and creativity in your field.
Unlearn it: mentally disposing of all the math in your head once you are out of freshman level undergrad because you "will not need it" in your field (trust me, not the best approach...)
As a psychology undergrad student at Drexel, a very strong engineering school, I have years of ridicule under my belt for going to a technical school to earn a liberal arts degree. Never did I have an interest in even taking a peek at what engineers learned, nor would I have had the courage. Not to downplay the hard work that is put into earning a Bachelors of Science in Psychology...I definitely did my share of work. Drexel actually has quite a decent program. But I successfully avoided all things engineer related during my time there.
Now, here I am, a few years later, a bit more brave and curious, and I decided to take this ESE course at the masters level. At UPenn no less. My auto response is oh my goodness what was I thinking. But last night, having 3 pages of math written out for homework, none of which actually arrived at a correct answer, and on the brink of another snow storm, I still did not even hesitate to go to this class. I looked at the topics for the lecture on the syllabus, and was so excited to learn what they were teaching that my motivation completely overshadowed my dread of more hours of math and driving home late in a snowstorm.
Needless to say it was worth showing up to class. I've been learning about gravitational factors in water catchment, velocity and flow of water sources, calculation of head loss and diameters for the selection of proper piping for a safe water system, finding hydraulic grade lines, and how all of this has a real world impact on the health of the people I wish to serve. Who would have ever imagined I would be the most eager student in an all engineers course? I really hope this knowledge I gain will compliment my work in public health, and keep me up to speed on the necessary technical aspects of this field.
A thought to preface a future blogpost: we discussed which should be priority when only one option is feasible...providing a community with access to sufficient amounts of fairly clean water (which may still have some contaminants) and emphasizing hygiene methods for prevention (i.e. hand washing) or providing a completely pure water source, even if it does not yield enough water to meet the needs for high hygienic standards. Which do you think is more effective in public health prevention?
Consider it: giving a completely different discipline a bit of your attention...to find how it can compliment your knowledge and broaden your capabilities and creativity in your field.
Unlearn it: mentally disposing of all the math in your head once you are out of freshman level undergrad because you "will not need it" in your field (trust me, not the best approach...)
Monday, February 22, 2010
birthday wishes
looking forward to good health and lots of learning, love and growth in my 25th year.
:)
:)
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Cafe Harvest
One of my favorite experiences while I was in Nicaragua was touring a coffee farm, picking the berries with the workers and learning all about the process of prepping coffee for sale. I learned the entire process, from the tree all the way to your cup. I think that Mike's blog sums it up best, so with permission...I'm sending you there, because I couldn't do a better job at explaining. He's got some great photos too.
Cafe Journey, from the tree to the cup
I really enjoyed learning about it, and it gave me insight into the inequality of what we value. A coffee harvester in Nicaragua may make $10 on a good, 8 hour day. He or she usually does not have steady work outside of the coffee harvest season, meaning that $10 a day for four months has to sustain them for an entire year. Unfortunately, it seems many Nicaraguans do not have the education to know how to properly budget, so that money does not end up lasting them an entire year, which contributes to their extreme poverty. What struck me the most was reflecting on coffee culture there versus in the US. There, it is their livelihood, and people wait and rely on coffee to ensure they will have money to feed their children. Here it is to some what keeps them moving, but it is the livelihood of very few. Few who are paid well, even Starbuck's employees get health benefits if they are part time, and I'm sure no one makes under $7 an hour. So, we as the coffee drinkers spend on average $4 a cup for this delicious product, and then we throw out the paper and plastic is packaged in and forget all about it. In Nicaragua, they are paid about $1 per 5 gallon bucket of coffee they pick. When I picked, Mike and I shared a basket and in over an hour we only picked half of a bucket. Granted, we are not skilled at this sort of thing, but it was still a timely process. Then, the farmer who does all the work of fermenting, washing, depulping and prepping the coffee still does not make anything in comparison to the coffee shops who sell it.
Perhaps we as the consumer value the coffee we are drinking, and are willing to pay fairly for what it is worth. But the companies who are paying for the product to serve are not sharing the profit fairly. It does not make sense to me that one of the most profitable markets in the US would still leave those producing the product in poverty. I'm no economist, but I'd venture to say that we are not acknowledging the true cost of coffee. Someone always has to pay, like I learned in Economics back in high school, there's no such thing as a free lunch.
Consider it: buying only fair trade coffee products
Unlearn it: that the coffee you are consuming has no consequences to those on the other side of the planet.
Cafe Journey, from the tree to the cup
I really enjoyed learning about it, and it gave me insight into the inequality of what we value. A coffee harvester in Nicaragua may make $10 on a good, 8 hour day. He or she usually does not have steady work outside of the coffee harvest season, meaning that $10 a day for four months has to sustain them for an entire year. Unfortunately, it seems many Nicaraguans do not have the education to know how to properly budget, so that money does not end up lasting them an entire year, which contributes to their extreme poverty. What struck me the most was reflecting on coffee culture there versus in the US. There, it is their livelihood, and people wait and rely on coffee to ensure they will have money to feed their children. Here it is to some what keeps them moving, but it is the livelihood of very few. Few who are paid well, even Starbuck's employees get health benefits if they are part time, and I'm sure no one makes under $7 an hour. So, we as the coffee drinkers spend on average $4 a cup for this delicious product, and then we throw out the paper and plastic is packaged in and forget all about it. In Nicaragua, they are paid about $1 per 5 gallon bucket of coffee they pick. When I picked, Mike and I shared a basket and in over an hour we only picked half of a bucket. Granted, we are not skilled at this sort of thing, but it was still a timely process. Then, the farmer who does all the work of fermenting, washing, depulping and prepping the coffee still does not make anything in comparison to the coffee shops who sell it.
Perhaps we as the consumer value the coffee we are drinking, and are willing to pay fairly for what it is worth. But the companies who are paying for the product to serve are not sharing the profit fairly. It does not make sense to me that one of the most profitable markets in the US would still leave those producing the product in poverty. I'm no economist, but I'd venture to say that we are not acknowledging the true cost of coffee. Someone always has to pay, like I learned in Economics back in high school, there's no such thing as a free lunch.
Consider it: buying only fair trade coffee products
Unlearn it: that the coffee you are consuming has no consequences to those on the other side of the planet.
Friday, January 29, 2010
what's in the water?
Sorry its been a long break between posts. I have had so many observations in public health this month that I can't wait to share.
My adventures in Panama and Nicaragua were quite enjoyable. I was able to travel a great deal, and to spend time at Michele's site in the mountains of Jinotega. I learned how to milk a cow, make cheese, produce coffee from tree to cup, and to surf. Michele and I went surfing on one of our last days and we were both able to stand up on our boards a couple of times, which we were quite proud of. I have so many fun and wonderful experiences to share. The interaction with the children was one of my favorite parts...but that is for another blog post.
As for now, I'm quite reflective on why my energy and interest has been consumed with learning about safe water management. Up until this trip, I understood the importance of water from a spoiled American's perspective, with most of my passion based on what I have learned in text books and class. I've traveled a bit, I know not to use the tap water and what the consequences are when you forget and rinse your toothbrush in the tap water. Or so I'd thought.
The last few days of my trip, I started having spells of stomach sickness (to put it nicely), and figured it would go away on its own. Now, 3 weeks later, I believe I may have a visitor who has made a cozy home in my intestines. Naturally, as a public health student specializing in safe water and sanitation, it irks me to think that I was not careful enough with my water consumption. How could a parasite or any form of contamination enter my body?
Then, I reflected on what I ate, drank and was exposed to, and I realized how extremely difficult it is to avoid exposure to protozoa and other pathogens when the water of a community is not safe. The only things I can come up with were coffee in a local's home (which I assumed was boiled) and juice at a restaurant (who uses bottled water, but perhaps the ice cubes were from the tap???) Imagine what it must be like for those who live with such conditions. I'm sure their bodies adapt and for many, immunity builds and they are not always this sick. I know you can build tolerance to certain bacteria, which is why that's what I thought this was (as Michele did not get sick and has been there 8 months now). But I tested negative for a bacterial infection, and was given antibiotics just to be safe...which do not seem to be working.
I'm not certain of the immunity one can build for parasites. Perhaps its more of an adaptation to the lifestyle of constant exposure, where you always have symptoms. There is only so much any digestive system can tolerate before its too much and unfortunately, survival of the fittest often dictates the outcome. Most of the time, children are the ones in a community who suffer the most, with severe illness and death. I now understand why so many children -- between 1.5 & 2 million a year -- die from diarrhea related illness. When someone spoiled, like myself, who is educated on the consequences of dehydration, and who has access to a flush toilet and adequate safe water and sanitation...and warm showers for that matter...has difficulty staying well with this, one can only imagine how a child in an underdeveloped context, with parents who are not educated on the consequences of dehydration, can so easily die.
The bittersweet part about this experience for me is that even though I am miserable, and shamefully have been throwing myself a pity party, I now have first hand experience on why it is soooo incredibly important to teach people about safe water, and to bring it to as many as possible. A great life truth really, that I had to get ill myself in order to really see what I'm investing in this education for. And for now, I have self diagnosed with having Giardia, which is a parasite with quite a few unpleasant symptoms, all of which I have. Nothing has shown up in my lab results yet though, and I've been told by several (including doctors) that Giardia seems to be one of the most difficult to diagnose, as it easily sneaks by undetected in labs. Many are warning me of the long road ahead on the path to feeling better...which I am refusing to believe. Perhaps they'll find something and treat it. Perhaps there really is nothing there, and I'm just a hypochondriac who is self diagnosing.
Or perhaps I'll get tough and tolerant in the meantime.
Consider it: being grateful for clean, safe water that is easily accessible.
Unlearn it: that nice solid, healthy looking poop is what everyone in the world must see everyday, because you do. Or for that matter, that some people ever see it or get that satisfaction.
My adventures in Panama and Nicaragua were quite enjoyable. I was able to travel a great deal, and to spend time at Michele's site in the mountains of Jinotega. I learned how to milk a cow, make cheese, produce coffee from tree to cup, and to surf. Michele and I went surfing on one of our last days and we were both able to stand up on our boards a couple of times, which we were quite proud of. I have so many fun and wonderful experiences to share. The interaction with the children was one of my favorite parts...but that is for another blog post.
As for now, I'm quite reflective on why my energy and interest has been consumed with learning about safe water management. Up until this trip, I understood the importance of water from a spoiled American's perspective, with most of my passion based on what I have learned in text books and class. I've traveled a bit, I know not to use the tap water and what the consequences are when you forget and rinse your toothbrush in the tap water. Or so I'd thought.
The last few days of my trip, I started having spells of stomach sickness (to put it nicely), and figured it would go away on its own. Now, 3 weeks later, I believe I may have a visitor who has made a cozy home in my intestines. Naturally, as a public health student specializing in safe water and sanitation, it irks me to think that I was not careful enough with my water consumption. How could a parasite or any form of contamination enter my body?
Then, I reflected on what I ate, drank and was exposed to, and I realized how extremely difficult it is to avoid exposure to protozoa and other pathogens when the water of a community is not safe. The only things I can come up with were coffee in a local's home (which I assumed was boiled) and juice at a restaurant (who uses bottled water, but perhaps the ice cubes were from the tap???) Imagine what it must be like for those who live with such conditions. I'm sure their bodies adapt and for many, immunity builds and they are not always this sick. I know you can build tolerance to certain bacteria, which is why that's what I thought this was (as Michele did not get sick and has been there 8 months now). But I tested negative for a bacterial infection, and was given antibiotics just to be safe...which do not seem to be working.
I'm not certain of the immunity one can build for parasites. Perhaps its more of an adaptation to the lifestyle of constant exposure, where you always have symptoms. There is only so much any digestive system can tolerate before its too much and unfortunately, survival of the fittest often dictates the outcome. Most of the time, children are the ones in a community who suffer the most, with severe illness and death. I now understand why so many children -- between 1.5 & 2 million a year -- die from diarrhea related illness. When someone spoiled, like myself, who is educated on the consequences of dehydration, and who has access to a flush toilet and adequate safe water and sanitation...and warm showers for that matter...has difficulty staying well with this, one can only imagine how a child in an underdeveloped context, with parents who are not educated on the consequences of dehydration, can so easily die.
The bittersweet part about this experience for me is that even though I am miserable, and shamefully have been throwing myself a pity party, I now have first hand experience on why it is soooo incredibly important to teach people about safe water, and to bring it to as many as possible. A great life truth really, that I had to get ill myself in order to really see what I'm investing in this education for. And for now, I have self diagnosed with having Giardia, which is a parasite with quite a few unpleasant symptoms, all of which I have. Nothing has shown up in my lab results yet though, and I've been told by several (including doctors) that Giardia seems to be one of the most difficult to diagnose, as it easily sneaks by undetected in labs. Many are warning me of the long road ahead on the path to feeling better...which I am refusing to believe. Perhaps they'll find something and treat it. Perhaps there really is nothing there, and I'm just a hypochondriac who is self diagnosing.
Or perhaps I'll get tough and tolerant in the meantime.
Consider it: being grateful for clean, safe water that is easily accessible.
Unlearn it: that nice solid, healthy looking poop is what everyone in the world must see everyday, because you do. Or for that matter, that some people ever see it or get that satisfaction.
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