Blog 15 Review out of all the topics we have covered what has made the biggest impact?

I have truly enjoyed this class. I needed some electives and picked an exceptional class to be involved in. The topics we have covered have given me the opportunity to learn and share with my classmates. I enjoyed sharing my experiences with Breasst Cancer with other women, hopefully educating them on how important self breast exams, and mammograms are to good health for women. The topic that has hit me the most is the domestic violence. I had no idea how many forms domestic violence there are. Physical, emotional, and verbal violence. I have know people who have dealt with physical abuse, but Irealize now that emotional and verbal abuse are just as damaging to the individual. I also have enjoyed doing our blogs. It has been a different experrience at first, but I truly enjoyed sharing ideas with each other on their blogs. THANKS!

Blog 14 What are some possible strategies for women to use in finding balance in their professional, educational, and personal lives?

I chose this question this week because its a big part of my life right now. I work a full time 36 hour a week job, substitute 3 - 4 days a week, carry 18 hours my last semester, and be mom and wife. I have no idea how women with young children go back to school. My son is a senior in high school and that keeps me very busy. The things that have helped me and my family is organization, planning, precooked dinners, and sharing the household chores. I have a daytimer that keeps me going in the right direction on all days. Make a list everyday and mark things off as they are completed helps me to know everything is done.

Blog 13 Is it a sign of weakness or strength for a woman to admit that she has a problem with druds or alcohol?

Women are strong as oxes. We have jobs outside the home, take care of the laundry and housekeeping, and take care of the childrens needs. I think a lot of us do not want to admit that we are not perfect. It is definietly a strength for a woman to admit she has a problem and to seek treatment. We all tend to worry about everyone else until we hit rock bottom, then we notice we need to help ourselves.

Blog 12 What can be done to reduce the stigma and shame that still surrounds mental illness?

Medical record confidentiality is the first step. A person's records are their business and should not be seen at all unless that person is a threat to someone else or themself. I deal with many children and do not know specific diagnosis, however, the families share the information needed for me to provide and protect the child. Also, education is a vital part of reducing the stigma an shame from mental illness. Most people hear the word, mental illness, and make the decision that the person is dangerous. If people would learn more about different mental illnesses I think there would be much less stigma around mental illness.

Blog 11 If everyone lived "with our future in mind" do you think that we would live different?

In our teenage years we are not thinking about living the right way for our future. These times are probably some of the hardest on our bodies. Drinking and smoking are big things in high school and college. At this age, we chose not to realize the damage these two products do on our body. I think individual who have grown up in a home with a parent who has been ill understands the great reasons to start taking care of themselves when they are young. I definitely think if we changed our behaviors at an early age the drinking and driving, drugs, smoking would not get the opportunity to due such harm to our body.

None of us know what is in store for us in the future. I had no idea that I would face cancer before I was thirty-five years old. However, if we live life better with health and exercise it lowers the risk for major illness. It gives us the opportunity for longevity in our life. Many of us are blessed with longevity in our genes and to enjoy it taking better care of yourself in younger years is a must.

Blog 10 What factors can influence women to adopt healthier lifestyles and engage in preventive behaviors so as to reduce their risks of CD and Cancer

Women live their lives for their husbands and children. They tend to forget to take care of their selves while taking care of the family. Risk factors for cardiovascular disease include age, genetics, race, obesity, smoking, hypertension, elevated cholesterol, sedentary lifestyle, diabetes, and menopause. Women need to change their behaviors in obesity, smoking, and a sedentary lifestyle. These are items in which we have control over by using diet and exercise, stop smoking, and continual exercise. Race and genetics is something we do not have control over. Racial differences include Blacks having a higher rate of high blood pressure with more complications. You can look at it as it is predetermined in your hereditary. Mexican American are predestined to be more obese. Lifestyle changes in diet and exercise are the best steps to a healthier lifestyle for women. Make sure you take time for yourself. I am definitely one of those individuals who forget to put myself first sometimes.

Blog 9 What are the biggest challenges to do regular exercise and a healthy diet that you face? How are these challenges going to change for you over

The biggest challenges that I face everyday with exercise and diet is the schedule I live in my home. I work at a before and after daycare, my workday starts at 6:30 am to 8:30 am, then study until 2:30 , return to work and finish at 6:30pm. Dinner normally happens about 7:00pm or later.I have an eighteen year old son that plays baseball who keeps an extremely busy schedule. My current exercise consists of playing with the kids at the daycare and caring clothes up the steps of my home six or seven times a day. As you guys know, I am a breast cancer survivor, eight years I was very thin and fit. Eight years of cancer treatment has put about 45 pounds on me. It has been a constant battle do the medication that I must take to prevent cancer from coming back.

The next five years brings a lot of excitement for me. The ten year cancer free mark will help me get off almost all my medications. Not having these medications I will be able to lose much quicker. Also, upon graduation I will be teaching school and I will not be working late hours any longer. I have taken the right steps already. I joined Fit After 50 where I go work out every other day. I am not fifty yet, however, I do not have to go watch all these skinny young girls working out wishing I could be there again. I know that I will probably never get back to that, however, I can lose the weight that cancer added and firm it all up.

Blog 8 What bother's you most about getting old? What makes you feel good about ageing?

Getting old is a natural part of life. I have never had a problem getting old. My health changed eight years ago on March 23, 1999 when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I was always a very healthy person. Dancing was my exercised and I did a lot of it and kept very fit. The challenge I was dealt with cancer interrupted my great life and began to break down my good health. I knew that I would beat breast cancer but had no ideas of the side effects of the treatments and the disease. The fatigue that started during chemo continue for quite a long time. The middle-age weight gain started after beginning to take tamoxifen and continued to increase for over five years. My ageing processed was altered due to the treatments. I went through medical induced menopause at 35 years old. The thinning of the bone increased dramatically after taking tamoxifen for five years. At 43 years old my bones are as thin as an 80 year old woman's. I look at all of this and think it is better than being dead. I knew that this was part of ageing, however, I never thought I would go through menopause at such an early age.

What makes me feel good about ageing? Ageing has given me the maturity to accomplish goals in my life. After getting to my five year cancer free mark I decided I needed to live my life to the fullest. I decided to go back and finish my college education. In three years I have completed an Associates in Child Development and a Bachelors in General Studies in May. It is pretty cool my son graduates from high school in May also. In my life plan there was never cancer on the menu. I beat it!! Ageing has never been a problem for me and it has given me opportunities I never thought about when I was young.

Blog 7 What would you tell a friend or loved one who suspected that he/she might have a STD but was afraid to get tested?

I would tell this individual that they need to be tested. It is a matter of good health. There would be given options on where they could go. If you do not want your regular doctor to know, Planned Parenthood, a place to get tested. While there they would be given information on the risks of STD's and the damage they can do to someone. If it was my husband of twenty years , he would be tested first, then counseling to determine where he got the STD.

Should prenatal testing be routine for all pregant women?

Prenatal testing , I believe, is important to all pregnant women but not mandatory. Eighteen years ago, my husband and I lived in Los Angeles, California. When I became pregnant we decided to go to University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) for all prenatal care and delivery. On my first visit, I was instructed that we would be involved in a medical program dealing with the Alpha-Fetal Protein Test. In 1988, California required all pregnant women to have HIV and Alpha-Fetal Proetin before delivery. My test came back very high so there was major concern that there was something wrong with our son. The level my test was for a thirty year old and I was twenty-three when I was tested. The blood test show that I had a 1 in 340 chance of a down-syndrome baby. UCLA gave me two options, do nothing or have an aminocentesis done to confirm the findings. We made the decision to do the aminocentesis knowing that there was a chance of miscarriage. It came back normal and we had a bouncing 10lb 4oz 24 inches long bouncing boy.

I tell you my story because every person has to make their own decision. Some of my friends thought I was crazy because I made the decision to get the amino done. The question they asked ,"what will you do if it comes back positive for down syndrome". I knew what we would do if it was positive and my husband and I were fine with our decision. Everyone has different beliefs and would respond differently to results in prenatal tests. Those individuals that want the tests done should have the choice to get it done. Some parents can deal with anything, however, there are other parents that cannot deal with a seriously ill child. Prenatal testing are options for those parents.

Some women choose not to have children !

I interviewed one of my dearest friends from grade school who made the choice years ago not to have children. Amy and I met in six grade, me with big glasses and she was born with her left arm developed only to the elbow. We were so good togetherbecause of the teasing we had gone through during gradeschool.

Amy's disability never stopped her. We were cheerleaders on sixth grade and there was nothing we would not do. The years past and we all get to high school and then off to college. Amy and Jeff have been married now almost 15 years. Children is something neither of them every wanted. Amy says, "we enjoy traveling and living life to the fullest". I have had many talks with Amy about children. She is wonderful with other friends children. Her big sister has never had children either. As we talked, our childhoods were filled with many joys and sorrows. I asked, did anything happen as a child to make you not want children? She simply stated to me, "I never had the longing to be a mother and have never regretted my choice."

Amy knows my son, Bryant, who is the light of my life. Amy and her husband love him a lot. They have taken on the roll of aunt and uncle to us and all of our friends kids. This is their calling in life. I am a woman that always wanted to be a mom. Now I have never wanted three of four children that many people want. All I wanted was a boy and I got that bundle of joy eighteen years ago. I just cannot imagine my life without my child.

HOMERUN

I just have to share. My son started his final varsity baseball season at Central High School in Keller last night. He hit a out of the park homerun.

Menarche

I am an only child and spent many hours with my grandmother . My childhood was filled with excitement all the time. I am very close to my grandmother and travel with her a lot throughout my teenage years. We always went to see my Great Grand-mother in Smith Grove, Kentucky. I must admit it had one traffic light in town . It is about thirty-five mile from Bowling Green, Kentucky. My first period arrived at age twelve in Smith Grove, Kentucky. I had my grandmother, great-grandmother, and great aunt to explain every detail of the situation. The one thing I must share is my shock when they gave me one of those huge sanitary napkins that you get in the hospital. Grandma could see that I was upset, since there was no close grocery store she drove to Bowling Green to get me thin maxi pads. I must say my experience was very easy.

My Preventive Practices. How am I doing?

My preventive practices changed eight years ago. I always ate good and exercised a lot, however, my plans changed once I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. I realized eight years ago that life can be taken away so quickly. A diagnosis of cancer changes anyone and how you look at your life. I follow up with every doctor appointment that is required, including surgeon, radiologists, and oncologist. In our rate your preventive practices all answers were yes. As I answered all these questions I realized that i have done a good job so far on preventive care. In recent years, my father has been diagnosed with kidney and colon cancer that adds more care for me. To me, being happy in life is taking care of yourself.

Is access to healthcare a right or a priviledge?

I am one individual who feels that everyone should have the right to health care. Illness, disease, and death will keep our society from prospering. Individuals that cannot afford insurance for health care are normally those people who work the hardest in the factories and plants. These workers are the lowest on the totem pole and they hardly ever miss a day of work for anything. I feel that some of us who have great insurance and can run to the doctor when we have a little abuse our right to health care. We run to the doctor a lot of times for viral infections and demand the miracle cure. Instead we should let the infection run its course.

The main thing is to get health care affordable for everyone. After reading some of the extra readings for this module and listening to the State of the Union address I feel that Health care reform is needed. His new plan is to get more cash to the American people, prompt people to buy their own insurance, and get tax credits for purchasing insurance. It is confusing to me so I will share an example;

• 4 insured people in a family with an annual income of $60,000 who have employer provided insurance will save $424 on their taxes.
• 4 uninsured people in a family with an annual income of $60,000 will receive a $4,545 tax break if they chose to purchase their own health policy. Their tax break would reduce their cost of coverage from $6,100 to $1,555.

My concern is the ability to pay that $6,100. Would the consumer have to pay that amount and receive the tax refund after taxes. It is a program they are just beginning to research. Secretary of Health & Human Services Michael Levitt will be traveling the United States for the next three months get responses from Americans on President Bush's Health care reform.

Is access to healthcare a right or a priviledge?

I am one individual who feels that everyone should have the right to health care. Illness, disease, and death will keep our society from prospering. Individuals that cannot afford insurance for health care are normally those people who work the hardest in the factories and plants. These workers are the lowest on the totem pole and they hardly ever miss a day of work for anything. I feel that some of us who have great insurance and can run to the doctor when we have a little abuse our right to health care. We run to the doctor a lot of times for viral infections and demand the miracle cure. Instead we should let the infection run its course.

The main thing is to get health care affordable for everyone. After reading some of the extra readings for this module and listening to the State of the Union address I feel that Health care reform is needed. His new plan is to get more cash to the American people, prompt people to buy their own insurance, and get tax credits for purchasing insurance. It is confusing to me so I will share an example;

• 4 insured people in a family with an annual income of $60,000 who have employer provided insurance will save $424 on their taxes.
• 4 uninsured people in a family with an annual income of $60,000 will receive a $4,545 tax break if they chose to purchase their own health policy. Their tax break would reduce their cost of coverage from $6,100 to $1,555.

My concern is the ability to pay that $6,100. Would the consumer have to pay that amount and receive the tax refund after taxes. It is a program they are just beginning to research. Secretary of Health & Human Services Michael Levitt will be traveling the United States for the next three months get responses from Americans on President Bush's Health care reform.

Health Issues that concern me!

As a survivor myself, Breast Cancer, is at the top of my list when looking at women's health issues. Many women in society feel they are to young to develop Breast Cancer. It is an "old women's disease" young women state. I never knew how many women under the age of 35 are diagnosed with Breast Cancer until my treatment started. Women have a tendency to put their own medical care off due to cost or having time available to get to the doctors appointments. Many of the women I spoke with admit they put their children and husband a priority before themselves.
Lung Cancer is another concern on my list. I always thought that Breast Cancer is the leading cause of death to women,however, it is Lung Cancer. I work with a lot of women in all ages, ethnicity, and cultures that believe these are two major concerns for women.