Growing up just plains stinks sometimes.
Suddenly we're hit with more responsibilities, to-do lists, and thoughts concerning the future.
We learned how to play nice when we were young, but now we have to respect people who might have characteristics we do not consider respectable.
We have to think about what we actually need because we don't receive a weekly allowance from mommy and daddy anymore. (which was never something I experienced anyway)
There are places to be, people to converse with, and many things, oh so many things, to learn!
Mom doesn't do the dishes anymore.
That shower full of four girls' hair? Yeah, that's all yours!
Conflict? Confrontation? Chaos? Yup, you have to be all over that.
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Can I just go back to coloring? Sometimes this just drives me nuts!
What if I just want to binge on Netflix all evening? Technically there's no one to stop me.
But that's where the adult side of me lashes out and turns my conscience against me.
"What do you think you're doing? You need to study! How the heck are you going to be a nurse with a lazy attitude like that?!?"
This is where I'm at right now. It's 10:20pm. I have an Anatomy and Physiology exam tomorrow.
I also just made the mistake of drinking a very large coffee beverage. Caffeinated. Whoops.
There's drama here, dishes there, and so many distractions everywhere!
Soooo, that's why I'm blogging right now. I'm in my prime studying time, and I'm simply piddling around on my laptop.
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It's amazing how much a simple conflict can fill your mind.
I just love when I can't focus at the moments when focus is most necessary.
Hmm, maybe it's time for some yoga and devotions.....
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Random post, but thanks for the read:)
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Jumping in
16 years.
16 years have been spent here.
Growing.
Learning.
Exploring.
Living.
16 years in the DeMotte/Roselawn area.
That's a long time, people!
And now God is calling us elsewhere.
I guess it's time for an adventure.
------------------------------------------------------
Sure St. John isn't all that far from here, but still. To uproot ourselves from the place we've called home for so long is a pretty scary thing, and lots of prayers are needed.
First, I know I'll be praying for Community Church, which has been our home for so long. I pray that our leaving may not be seen as a stumbling block to them, but a chance to continue on the growth path they appear to going down. The church is a team. Losing one part of that team can't be the end of progress.
Second, I'm asking for prayers for Pathway Church, which we'll be joining in a few months. Pray that this church that has been wanting to sprout can finally have the leadership it needs to make that happen. I know it's intimidating to take on a new leadership role, but I hope that through the work of the congregation, in partnership with my dad, we can make something truly awesome happen.
Third, I would really appreciate prayers for my family. I was three when we moved to Roselawn, so my brothers and I have no idea what it's like to move. Pray that our family can work together well to be able to smoothly pull off this transition. Right now, I have no clue what's going to happen. Where will we live? Where are my mom and I going to work now? Can Caleb and Dylan still be as involved at school as they are now? Are we waiting to move until summer?
At this point, I have to remind myself to stop letting questions bog me down. With so much going on, so many thoughts to struggle with, it's difficult to be thankful for the opportunity my dad has in going to Pathway.
So I'm simply asking for prayer. For Community, for Pathway, and for our family.
It's time for some change. It's scary, but we might as well jump in!
Thanks for reading:)
16 years have been spent here.
Growing.
Learning.
Exploring.
Living.
16 years in the DeMotte/Roselawn area.
That's a long time, people!
And now God is calling us elsewhere.
I guess it's time for an adventure.
------------------------------------------------------
Sure St. John isn't all that far from here, but still. To uproot ourselves from the place we've called home for so long is a pretty scary thing, and lots of prayers are needed.
First, I know I'll be praying for Community Church, which has been our home for so long. I pray that our leaving may not be seen as a stumbling block to them, but a chance to continue on the growth path they appear to going down. The church is a team. Losing one part of that team can't be the end of progress.
Second, I'm asking for prayers for Pathway Church, which we'll be joining in a few months. Pray that this church that has been wanting to sprout can finally have the leadership it needs to make that happen. I know it's intimidating to take on a new leadership role, but I hope that through the work of the congregation, in partnership with my dad, we can make something truly awesome happen.
Third, I would really appreciate prayers for my family. I was three when we moved to Roselawn, so my brothers and I have no idea what it's like to move. Pray that our family can work together well to be able to smoothly pull off this transition. Right now, I have no clue what's going to happen. Where will we live? Where are my mom and I going to work now? Can Caleb and Dylan still be as involved at school as they are now? Are we waiting to move until summer?
At this point, I have to remind myself to stop letting questions bog me down. With so much going on, so many thoughts to struggle with, it's difficult to be thankful for the opportunity my dad has in going to Pathway.
So I'm simply asking for prayer. For Community, for Pathway, and for our family.
It's time for some change. It's scary, but we might as well jump in!
Thanks for reading:)
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Oh, micro...the things we can learn!
I feel that this is how school sometimes works: the classes that are the most interesting to you, also happen to be the most difficult.
Anyone else experience this?
Sciences are extremely fascinating to me, but are also the classes that require the most work. Today, I am studying for my third microbiology exam of the semester and also an anatomy and physiology lab practical over all the bones of the body. (Welcome to the life of a nursing major!)
It seems as though when my brain is feeling swollen, I am struck the with the sheer awe and power of the material. For instance, one chapter covered on our micro exam is on HIV and AIDS. You think you know a good bit about HIV and other diseases...that is, until you cover them in microbiology.
Some of this information is just so crazy, I had to share. If you don't feel like being depressed and bogged down by some shocking and scary scientific information that applies to so much of our population, feel free to browse the web elsewhere. If you feel brave enough to continue reading, go you:)
(By the way, I'm not taking credit for digging up this information. It's material we discussed in class.)
I hate to say of a virus that it is impressive, but when thinking about HIV, it really is! It's odd to start at the end of the equation, but I will anyway. To kill the HIV virus, it takes a specific cocktail of drugs. And these drugs are super complex and expensive. This is because, to kill HIV, it's not enough to just damage one part. You have to kill every part of HIV to kill it. This drug cocktail is referred to as HAART, Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy. These drugs include reverse transcriptase inhibitors, protease inhibitors, integrase inhibitors, and fusion inhibitors. With these drugs, HIV will not be able to fuse with our cells, make copies of its RNA, combine its genome into ours, or make functional proteins. Hitting HIV with one drug is nothing. HIV will simply evolve around it. That's amazing! Scary, but amazing.
Now that you see what we're dealing with, lets check out the order of symptoms and phases of infection.
Phase 1 lasts from the time of infection to 3 years (approximately). During this time, one can be asymptomatic (showing no symptoms) or experience what is called ARS, which is Acute Retroviral Syndrome. The symptoms of this can vary between flu-like symptoms, confusion, up to seizures. The scary thing about this phase is the fact that you can show no symptoms or experience symptoms that disappear after awhile before you hit phase two.
In phase 2, years 3-8, the amount of cells that work to kill viruses are steadily declining. The virus is reproducing aggressively, but can barely be traced in the blood, so it goes almost undetected, except through possible symptoms. The symptoms are termed LAS, which stands for Lymphadenopathy Syndrome. This is basically persistent enlargement of the lymph nodes.
Phase 3 lasts from year 8 until the death of the victim. The cells that kill viruses are basically wiped out. This is when the person acquires AIDS and AIDS Related Complex. The person is more prone to opportunistic infections because their immune system is so compromised. They may experience fever, weight loss, fatigue, diarrhea, even dementia before one of the infections takes their life.
Why am I sharing this? Sure it helps me study to talk through everything, but I also feel like people should know what an insanely devastating disease this is and how much of our world it affects.
According to the World Health Organization, there were over 7000 new HIV infections per day in 2010. About 97% of those infected were from low to middle income countries. About 1000 were children under 15 years of age. A good majority of the rest are young people between the ages of 15 and 24.
The main methods of transmission of HIV are through accidental needle sticks and blood transfusions. Some simple ways to prevent the transmission of this awful virus include safe sex (abstinence is even better!), not using IV drugs, using Anti-Retroviral Therapy on expectant mothers, and of course: not sharing needles.And while prices for the necessary drug cocktail have gone down some, it is still extremely expensive for people in areas most affected by HIV and AIDS, like Sub-Sahara Africa and India.
A modeling study from 2011 estimated that through a combination of HIV prevention methods and Anti-Retroviral therapy coverage for 80% of patients could reduce the number of people acquiring HIV from more than 3 million per year to 1.2 million by 2025. Read that sentence again. Isn't it astounding?
So what's our biggest obstacle? Cost and the fact that most infected people are in poor, underdeveloped countries with no possible access to the drugs necessary to kill HIV.
And there's the sad truth of it all.
We have ways of at least slowing down this disease, but the people who need to most help can't get it.
So is anyone doing anything? We can't stop there!
Thankfully the World Health Organization is moving us forward. According to them, since 2001, there has been a 24% reduction in the number of HIV infections in infants. That's so huge! However, 10 million people who are eligible for treatment still do not have access to it. And that's the driving factor here.
I greatly appreciate this quote from WHO (World Health Organization) Director, Dr. Margaret Chan:
"We know what needs to be done, and we have a new strategy to do it more efficiently......The vision for a new generation free from HIV/AIDS is within our reach. We must work together to enhance our response to HIVand achieve universal access to HIV services for all who need them."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Praise be to God!
Thanks for reading:)
Anyone else experience this?
Sciences are extremely fascinating to me, but are also the classes that require the most work. Today, I am studying for my third microbiology exam of the semester and also an anatomy and physiology lab practical over all the bones of the body. (Welcome to the life of a nursing major!)
It seems as though when my brain is feeling swollen, I am struck the with the sheer awe and power of the material. For instance, one chapter covered on our micro exam is on HIV and AIDS. You think you know a good bit about HIV and other diseases...that is, until you cover them in microbiology.
Some of this information is just so crazy, I had to share. If you don't feel like being depressed and bogged down by some shocking and scary scientific information that applies to so much of our population, feel free to browse the web elsewhere. If you feel brave enough to continue reading, go you:)
(By the way, I'm not taking credit for digging up this information. It's material we discussed in class.)
I hate to say of a virus that it is impressive, but when thinking about HIV, it really is! It's odd to start at the end of the equation, but I will anyway. To kill the HIV virus, it takes a specific cocktail of drugs. And these drugs are super complex and expensive. This is because, to kill HIV, it's not enough to just damage one part. You have to kill every part of HIV to kill it. This drug cocktail is referred to as HAART, Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy. These drugs include reverse transcriptase inhibitors, protease inhibitors, integrase inhibitors, and fusion inhibitors. With these drugs, HIV will not be able to fuse with our cells, make copies of its RNA, combine its genome into ours, or make functional proteins. Hitting HIV with one drug is nothing. HIV will simply evolve around it. That's amazing! Scary, but amazing.
Now that you see what we're dealing with, lets check out the order of symptoms and phases of infection.
Phase 1 lasts from the time of infection to 3 years (approximately). During this time, one can be asymptomatic (showing no symptoms) or experience what is called ARS, which is Acute Retroviral Syndrome. The symptoms of this can vary between flu-like symptoms, confusion, up to seizures. The scary thing about this phase is the fact that you can show no symptoms or experience symptoms that disappear after awhile before you hit phase two.
In phase 2, years 3-8, the amount of cells that work to kill viruses are steadily declining. The virus is reproducing aggressively, but can barely be traced in the blood, so it goes almost undetected, except through possible symptoms. The symptoms are termed LAS, which stands for Lymphadenopathy Syndrome. This is basically persistent enlargement of the lymph nodes.
Phase 3 lasts from year 8 until the death of the victim. The cells that kill viruses are basically wiped out. This is when the person acquires AIDS and AIDS Related Complex. The person is more prone to opportunistic infections because their immune system is so compromised. They may experience fever, weight loss, fatigue, diarrhea, even dementia before one of the infections takes their life.
Why am I sharing this? Sure it helps me study to talk through everything, but I also feel like people should know what an insanely devastating disease this is and how much of our world it affects.
According to the World Health Organization, there were over 7000 new HIV infections per day in 2010. About 97% of those infected were from low to middle income countries. About 1000 were children under 15 years of age. A good majority of the rest are young people between the ages of 15 and 24.
The main methods of transmission of HIV are through accidental needle sticks and blood transfusions. Some simple ways to prevent the transmission of this awful virus include safe sex (abstinence is even better!), not using IV drugs, using Anti-Retroviral Therapy on expectant mothers, and of course: not sharing needles.And while prices for the necessary drug cocktail have gone down some, it is still extremely expensive for people in areas most affected by HIV and AIDS, like Sub-Sahara Africa and India.
A modeling study from 2011 estimated that through a combination of HIV prevention methods and Anti-Retroviral therapy coverage for 80% of patients could reduce the number of people acquiring HIV from more than 3 million per year to 1.2 million by 2025. Read that sentence again. Isn't it astounding?
So what's our biggest obstacle? Cost and the fact that most infected people are in poor, underdeveloped countries with no possible access to the drugs necessary to kill HIV.
And there's the sad truth of it all.
We have ways of at least slowing down this disease, but the people who need to most help can't get it.
So is anyone doing anything? We can't stop there!
Thankfully the World Health Organization is moving us forward. According to them, since 2001, there has been a 24% reduction in the number of HIV infections in infants. That's so huge! However, 10 million people who are eligible for treatment still do not have access to it. And that's the driving factor here.
I greatly appreciate this quote from WHO (World Health Organization) Director, Dr. Margaret Chan:
"We know what needs to be done, and we have a new strategy to do it more efficiently......The vision for a new generation free from HIV/AIDS is within our reach. We must work together to enhance our response to HIVand achieve universal access to HIV services for all who need them."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Praise be to God!
Thanks for reading:)
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