Thankful for Medicine

Today I'm especially thankful for the medical field and all the advancements that have come along with that. Without it, I would be almost completely blind and have to have someone care for me. I would have been disabled at age 16! I'm also thankful for people like Jordan who devote their careers to helping people.

A Healthier America

This is a trend I want to change for future generations of Americans. I hope you'll join me and watch the American Public Health Association's video "A Healthier America" and share it with people you care about.

Health Insurance

I know I have been putting up a lot of posts lately on the medical profession and health in general, but I believe it is important. In the constitution for our great country, it states that every individual has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I would like to focus on the first right of LIFE. In order to live, people need to be healthy, and in order to be healthy, people need to have access to affordable healthcare. As a nurse, I see patients at my hospital all the time who cannot afford their medications, let alone their surgeries and treatments! It is extremely difficult to see people who want that LIFE that they are rightly entitled to, but they are bogged down by the problems of either not having insurance or not having enough insurance. I have decided that it all comes down to money - if you have money, you will most likely get better because you can afford your treatments and you can afford your surgery and you can afford your medications and you can afford to have a nurse come visit you in your home. The wealthy patients I see generally do better than the poor ones. It is a fact. So, my question is, what do we do to fix this problem of inequality in our country? I heard recently that Orrin Hatch stated that healthcare is not a right for every American. Excuse me? As I stated earlier, every American has the right to health, which is brought about by healthcare. I am obviously not an expert on healthcare reform, but I believe that as a healthcare provider, I know what I am talking about. Every individual deserves to be healthy. I will complain about some individuals that I know though. Some people believe that if they are overweight, smoke, eat fast food, candy bars, and drink pop every day, watch television non-stop, and teach their kids to do the same, that they should be entitled to receive cheap healthcare when they get arthritis because they are too overweight. I am sorry, but you do not take care of yourself. Educate yourself people! Be knowledgeable about HOW to take care of your body - eat a balanced meal (mypyramid.gov), exercise most days of the week, drink LOTS of water, get some sunshine, take your vitamins, go get a book on staying healthy and actually read it, go get a massage every once in a while, use relaxation techniques to decrease your anxiety, get regular checkups for your body according to your age, VACCINATE YOUR CHILDREN...I could go on and on. If you do these things, the chances of you getting sick due to something preventable is unlikely. Thank goodness Jordan and I are healthy. We have private insurance, yet I am scared to death of getting sick because we have a high deductible. I am probably ranting now, but as you may be able to tell, this is a hot button for me. I am very, very serious about people staying healthy. Please take care of yourself. The link for this title is for a series on people who didn't have health insurance and their journeys through the healthcare system.

Check out Healthiest Nation in One Generation

Let’s face it – as a nation we’re not nearly as healthy as we should be. Compared to other developed nations, we’re lagging far behind.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. With your help, we can make America the healthiest nation in just one generation.

Want to know more? Watch the Healthiest Nation in One Generation viral video today. Share the video with your friends and family and encourage them to get involved.

America can make this the healthiest nation in one generation. We all have to do our part. What will you do?

Abuse

Recently, my Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing class had a discussion on abuse and its implications for human beings everywhere. I wanted to put some facts out there for people as well as some resources to help those suffering from abuse of all types: physical, emotional, neglect, and sexual.

1. Abuse crosses all barriers - gender, race, religion, socio-economic status, education. Men get abused too.

2. There is a cycle of violence. It begins with tension building, moves to the actual abuse, and then the "honeymoon" phase, where the victimizer apologizes and is extremely tender and loving toward the victim. These cycles always repeat themselves, and they always get shorter. LOVING THE VICTIMIZER IS NOT ENOUGH TO STOP THE VIOLENCE.

3. Emotional abuse is the attempt to isolate, threaten, or intimidate a person.

4. Neglect is a breach in duty of care which causes harm to others.

5. Sexual abuse is ANY unwanted sexual contact. This is regardless of whether two people are strangers, acquaintances, dating couples, OR married couples. Rape is a crime related to domination, not passion.

6. Every 15 seconds, someone is battered. Every 6.4 minutes, a sexual assault takes place. Every year, 60,000 Utah women are assaulted by their intimate partner. 28% end of these assaults end in homicide. 1 in 3 people will be abused at some point in their life. 6 million American women are beaten each year. Violence occurs on a regular basis in 10% of marriages.

7. It is estimated that over half of all violence is not reported.

8. Abuse is not the victims fault - ever. No one deserves to be treated in such a manner.

If you or someone you know is suffering from any type of abuse, please know that there is help. Your life does not have to be like this. Things can improve. Please, please, please give yourself a chance. Call a national abuse hotline at either 1.800.897.LINK or 1.800.656.HOPE