Blog 10: End of the Road

My favorite part of this course wasn't any one particular topic, but rather, getting to hear (or, read) the opinions of my classmates. It really was a privilege! I feel like my opinions were just neatly thought out and wrapped in a bow, so it was totally refreshing to see a different aspect. I really enjoyed reading everyone's posts and I look forward to topics in the future if anyone else decides to continue their blog! :)

Blog 9: The New Frontier

I remember when I first started using a computer at home. I was so excited to get to use the machine to do other things than play "The Oregon Trail" like we did at school. Being the 90's, we set up our AOL accounts (mine was some annoyingly long name with "cutie88" at the end of it... tacky, I know). Mostly all I did on the internet was check my email (mostly from my mom) and look up pictures of my favorite *NSYNC member. One late night, I discovered instant messaging. My whole world changed.

I thought it was the best thing in the world to talk to my best friend through the computer! It wasn't long until we were pros and were using all the cool lingo, like "brb, g2g c u 2morrow! lylas! ttyl!". My parents never really monitored my computer usage, of course we had parental blocks and all of that, but otherwise they weren't really worried about what might happen.

I remember one night my best friend said that we should join a chatroom and be annoying prepubescent girls and mess with whoever we could. Well in the midst of our online escapade, I got an IM from a name I didn't recognize. I didn't think it was dangerous, so we talked for a bit. Nothing serious. The conversation with my new online friend was going swimmingly, until he asked me a question. I can't remember exactly what it was, but I definitely remember his response: "I'll kill you anyway."
I immediately shut the computer off and ran to my sister's room in total hysterics. I told her what happened and she reassured me that I was gonna be okay and calmed me down. I obviously haven't forgotten about it. Thankfully, I have been surrounded by people who protect me and taught me how to protect myself while using the internet. Unfortunately, hundreds of people have experienced far worse than what I have.

Blog 8: Smoke-Free is the Way to Be

I absolutely believe that TWU should be a smoke-free campus. In fact, if I were "Queen of the World" as one of my professors puts it, I would make it a smoke-free UNIVERSE! I personally have never smoked or used any kind of tobacco product, so I realized that it doesn't necessarily apply to my daily life. And I can even understand how TWU smokers must feel, they technically should be allowed to smoke when and where ever they feel like it. But I just really cannot stand smoking. It is definitely one of my biggest pet peeves! I won't get on my soapbox and preach to you all the evils of smoking.. Your health and your body are your own, and you can make whatever decisions you'd like about smoking. But my biggest problem with smoking is that other people's smoking affects my health too!

I honestly can't understand why people smoke. All of my grandparents smoked (at some time or another) and they all had health complications because of it. I just think that if society keeps making it unacceptable to smoke in public, whether its on campus or in a restaurant, maybe finally we'll be rid of this awful habit! That's what I'll hope for, anyways! :)

Blog 7: The power is YOURS!

How would we live if we had our future in mind? I can guarantee it would be much different than the way we live now! Sometimes I think about my bad habits and I am SO disgusted with myself! I would rather drink a Dr. Pepper than a glass of water. I would rather drive myself than ride my bike or take the bus. I would rather eat something greasy and fried instead of something fresh and healthy. I would rather watch a TV show about rich housewives instead of read a book. Really? How will this play out in the end if I keep this up?

The biggest issue we have ("we" as in society, specifically Americans) is that we would rather do what makes us happy NOW instead of what is going to help us be healthy in the FUTURE. Instant gratification is everything. And no one can honestly say that they don't know that these things are bad for us. So what if we all started living for tomorrow instead of today? For starters, I would hope obesity in the US would drop significantly. I would also hope that people would start to realize the toll we are taking on the environment. I would hope that recycling would increase and that we found greener ways to commute. After watching "Born Into Brothels" I would hope that we would take a stand against sex trafficking and would fight for the children who are left to live in poverty.

These don't even scratch the surface. There are probably a million other things that I would hope would change if we started living with the future in mind. The bottom line is we have spent so long living for today, we have got a lot to deal with tomorrow!

p.s- by the way, who can guess what the title of this blog is from?? ;)

Blog 6: Eating Disorders

Dealing with eating disorders is never an easy or simple task. I have known several beautiful women throughout my lifetime (which is relatively short, mind you!) that have struggled with an eating disorder or body image issues. I doubt that there is a good way to deal with this issue that is easy for both parties to handle, but I can say what I have done in the past.

If you suspect a friend of having an eating disorder, my advice would be to confront her directly. I do not mean to call her out in front of everyone she knows, or have an "intervention" type scenario. While that may be effective in some cases, I don't think it would be respectful of your friend. When I say confront directly, I mean go to her, privately and ask her what is going on. Don't analyze the situation behind her back with your other friends, go directly to the source and ask her if she is okay.

Women dealing with eating disorders often use them as a coping mechanism for other things that are going on in their life; eating disorders are almost never about weight. Whether it be a husband, boyfriend/girlfriend, best friend, or relative, there could be a hundred different things going on that you don't know about, so never assume that you know why she is doing it.

If you want to help her, it is important that you can show her that she can trust you. This means backing off if she doesn't want to talk about it when you ask. Persistence is the key! Keep asking her, back off when she tells you to, but always go back and try again so that she can see that you are there for her and you want to help.

Blog 5: Aging Gracefully

I decided to talk about this topic because it is something that my mother has been dealing with recently. Menopause is something that inevitably happens to all women at some point in their lives. However the arrival of this particular life stage can seem more like a death sentence than the opening of a new chapter. I have known several women who have gone through menopause rather gracefully, just like nothing was going on. With my mother it was slightly different. I would say it is probably because she's my mom and not just a friend that I got to hear all of the details of what she was experiencing that made it seem like her experience was slightly different.

I think the biggest issue women have with menopause is that feels sort of like a biological clock saying "Hey lady, you're old now!". This OBVIOUSLY is not the case, but I know that it can be especially hard for some women to accept that they are reaching the other end of their life cycle. I think women should be able to feel empowered that they are at this stage of life! Because really the only reason women don't age gracefully is because we have this silly notion that there is nothing to be had in our older years. Quite the opposite! Older women can do just as many things as younger women can, so there is no reason that your post-menopause years shouldn't be your best!

Blog 4: The Choice To Parent

So, for this blog, we were either supposed to interview someone on their views on parenting, or talk about our own views. For most of the women I know, their views on parenting are the same because they have all had children! And my friends who don't have children aren't ready to talk about it just yet :) SO, I've decided to share my views on the choice to parent.

I am not a parent, and at this current stage of my life, I do not have any aspirations to become one! In my opinion, becoming a parent is one of the most important and profound decisions a person can make. I admire the women I see in my community and in my classes who have put aside their personal interests in order to raise their children and still have the courage to come back and finish what they started.

It seems almost cliche to say, but children are a gift from God and the decision to parent should never be taken lightly. That being said, I know that not all of God's gifts are planned, or given to us at a time of our liking! Nevertheless, I think having children is a blessing and being a parent is a serious responsibility, because to become a parent is to become truly selfless. It was hard to comprehend the sacrifices my parents made for me until I experienced becoming an aunt. I realized that I would do absolutely anything for my two darling nieces, and they aren't even mine! I can only imagine the immense love that is between them and my sister.

As I said earlier, I am not wanting to become a parent right now, but I do want to in the future. I can't describe this desire of mine, because I have known women in the past who wished to remain "childless" who all think I'm crazy! I just know that even though I will not be a perfect mother, that I will love my children unconditionally and they will be a blessing in my life!

Blog 3: Let's Talk About Sex...

First and foremost, I would like to apologize for the cheesy title.. I couldn't resist!!

Secondly, I would like to clarify that the following is completely my opinion and should be regarded as such. :)

I believe that sex education should be taught in schools. Honestly, its really quite ridiculous that this topic is passed up because of fears of stepping on toes or offending anyone. I understand that it is a huge responsibility that schools would be taking on; this isn't quite on the same level as social studies!

In my personal opinion, I think that sex is sacred and designed exclusively for the marriage relationship. However, that probably wouldn't go over too well in a classroom discussion! Although I understand my beliefs to be truth, I also understand that in our country everyone holds different values and I believe those values should be respected. I would say that teaching abstinence-only sex education would only fall on deaf ears and be a waste of educational resources.

My opinions aside, I think it is more important to teach students how to keep themselves safe and protected if they decide to become sexually active. I believe that the benefits of abstinence should be emphasized and the dangers of contraceptives should be discussed, but if anything I think safe practices need to be taught. I think teenagers often are mislead to believe that between the pill and abortion, that sex isn't a big deal. I think that sex education should be taught in a holistic approach and all of the options should be weighed and discussed.

Blog 2: Personal Health

The following are the results of my self-assessment on page 84 of the text:

1. Yes; I have a fairly balanced diet, I eat lots of fruits and veggies and I take daily vitamins. The only problem is I also consume a lot of fat!

2. Yes; I work out 3 times a week and my job requires me to help people with exercise and I'm up moving a lot.

3. No; I never get enough sleep! Even though I'm tired, I always find something to do instead of sleep.

4. Yes; I do not smoke or use tobacco and I NEVER intend to!

5. Yes; I JUST turned 21! However, it doesn't change much for me, I hardly ever drink, except maybe for a special occasion.

6. N/A; I am not sexually active.

7. No; I do spend time relaxing with friends, but I don't think that's quite enough to reduce my stress level!!

8. Yes; I use all safety procedures from seat belts to designated drivers.

9. Yes; I am completely non-confrontational, and I would never engage in any sort of violence.

10. Yes; I do preventative health check-ups regularly.

Overall, it would appear that I am doing almost everything to prevent illness. The things I need to work on the most are, getting enough sleep and not procrastinating to lower my stress level! I also need to watch what I eat. I usually have a good evening meal, but around lunchtime tend to eat on-the-go a lot. This means eating fast and eating high fat foods, neither of which are good for my health. I could also stand to drink a lot more water instead of so many Dr. Peppers! The preventative practices I already implement are things such as regular dental cleanings, pap smears, self breast exams, eye exams and etc. The only thing I could improve in this category would be to get a regular physical from my primary care physician.

Blog 1: Health Concerns

As a young woman, I am concerned about my health and ways that I can be healthier so that I can enjoy life to the fullest extent. I would say I am most concerned about my weight. Most women obsess about their weight (especially this time of year.. it is bikini season!). And all too often society associates beauty and worth with being thin. Sure, I'd love to be skinny so that I could fit into all the cute clothes, but I am more concerned about how my weight affects my health and livelihood. Being overweight is a main cause of a multitude of other health issues, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. These are things I hope to avoid! To prevent this from happening, I have started to exercise three times a week. Diet is another thing that I struggle with, but recently I have tried to monitor my portions and cut out excess calories by avoiding things like sodas and sweets.I want to be able to have a healthy adulthood. I want to get married and have children (and healthy pregnancies!) and not be burdened by health issues which could have been avoided.

I interviewed two women to see what they worry about:

Interview 1: Karen, 50

Tristan: What is your biggest health concern?

Karen: My biggest concerns are mental illnesses, like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

T: Why are these your biggest concerns?

K: Because my mother's side of the family has a history of mental illness. Several of her family members had some form of dementia, so I know first hand how difficult it is for the family to deal with.

T: So what are you doing to prevent these health issues?

K: The last doctor I saw told me I was just as likely to be hit by a bus than to have one of these illnesses, which wasn't helpful. I guess the only thing I do that is preventative is keep up with my hobbies, like arts and crafts, to keep my mind sharp.

Interview 2: Liane, 29

Tristan: What are your biggest health concerns?

Liane: Alzheimer's, obesity, arthritis, senility, reproductive health issues, like endometrial cancer... I have a lot of worries.

T: So why are these your biggest concerns?

L: Because I am at risk for all of them. Mental illness and obesity run on my mother's side. My father's side has a history of arthritis. And since I had my children I have discovered that I am at a higher risk for endometrial cancer. I'm afraid to get any of these diseases because I've seen my family members endure them and it's not pleasant. Plus, I know that doctor and hospital bills are expensive.

T: So what are you doing to prevent these from occurring?

L: Basically nothing. I have never heard of any preventative measures for any of them.

I had similar concerns as the two women I interviewed. As I stated previously, most women worry about their weight. It is a real issue that can cause so many problems later in life, so I believe the best way to deal with it is to be proactive now. Aside from obesity, I am also worried about mental illness. I have some family history of it and I know that it is extremely difficult for both the patient and the family. I know there really isn't much to be done about dementia, but I like to exercise my brain by doing crossword puzzles.

Lastly, I was concerned that neither of the women I spoke with were doing anything preventative for their health concerns. This was especially discouraging because both women stated that their doctor's hadn't discussed it with them. Prevention is the key to avoiding disease! I have found some resources that talk about prevention for some of the aforementioned health issues:

Alzheimer's Research & Prevention Foundation: 4 Pillars of Alzheimer's Prevention

http://www.alzheimersprevention.org/intro_4_pillars.htm

National Cancer Institute - Endometrial Cancer: Prevention, Genetics, Causes

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/prevention-genetics-causes/endometrial

-Tristan Thompson