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."

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Praise be to God!

Thanks for reading:)

I'm just existing

It just gets so lonely in here.

I'm not allowed to go anywhere, see anyone.

I don't even know where I am anymore.

How long have I been here?

Does anyone visit?

I hate being such a bother to you.

I wish I could just help myself.

Is there anything to do besides sit around or look out the window?

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This, folks, is stuff I hear far too often from my elderly residents. One of them even said to me: "It's not like I'm living anymore. I'm just existing." That hit me hard.

This is sad, people! I hate to rant, but sometimes this just gets me so frustrated. If you have a mom, dad, grandpa, grandma, or even great grandparents in a nursing home or assisted living, GO VISIT THEM.

It's not such a difficult thing to do, so why do so many family members forget it? I can list too many people who I love to help and talk to on a daily basis that never get visitors, and it's crushing them. And most people who do get visitors, sometimes only visit with them for 10 minutes, and then they're gone.

I'm living at school, trying to be productive, when sometimes all I can think about is how my residents are doing. I'm too scared to ask if anyone has passed away, even though I'll find out when I go in to work next anyway.

So far I've only met two residents who say they actually enjoy getting older. The rest either complain about it lightly or flat out hate getting old, wrinkly, and hard of hearing.

I think it would be great if we were a people with deeper respect and love for our aging relatives. Remember learning in 3rd grade that a whole Indian family, spanning up to four or five generations, would live in the same home? Wouldn't that be awesome if that's how our culture worked? I'm not saying move your grandparents in with you, but think about it.

I learn so much from my residents. Imagine what you could learn if you put a little more time or effort into relationships with the elderly.

Think about it. We're all just existing (until Jesus comes again!). So why not exist together?

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I know this was super random, but hey, sometimes that's how the human brain works.

Thanks for reading:)

*vague title using words to do with clouds and mountains*.........?

How are you today?

Fine.

What are you up to?

Oh, nothing. Just homework.

How are you feeling?

Fine.

Anything cool going on in your life right now?

Not really.

I try to be a cheery person, but sometimes I fall into the sad pattern of giving vague, worthless answers to simple questions.

What's the source?

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My head is cloudy. That's all I can say.

I wake up, go to class, work, talk with friends, do homework. They call it the "daily grind."

And I've tripped right into a huge puddle of it.

I'm in God's word, I'm exercising, I'm practicing time-management.

I should feel like the mountain climber that finally reached the top!

And yet my head is cloudy.

Do I know why?

Maybe. But maybe not.

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Maybe I do know.

Have you ever discovered something or were told something, and it occupied your thoughts for days on end?

That's what I'm experiencing right now.

And I'm trying really hard not to believe this, but I think this is why my head is cloudy.

Yeah, that must be it.

That's why my head is cloudy.

I guess there are clouds even at the top of the mountain.

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And now to find a solution.....

Needing some new air

Sometimes it's the simple things. A beautiful pink sunset, airplanes taking flight, homemade Indian food, making a friend's dad laugh, sitting on comfortable chairs in Best Buy, watching airplanes soar right above us on the highway, being exposed to Chinese flute music, and singing worship songs on the way home. This is what I call a retreat. Often it's not the planned retreats that give us the most benefit. Spontaneity is often what brings us back to where we need to be. Not necessarily in the present, but back to where we need to be. In appreciation of where God has placed us. Sometimes we need some new air.

This week has been a stressful one, and, upon examining my rather colorful schedule, it's only going to get more insane. It's moments like these, when I seem to be sinking into the quicksand of day-to-day life, that I unknowingly need to get away.

The most current installment of "I'm drowning, get me out of here" was solved by my beautiful roommate Alice. It took some convincing, but soon Alice, Anneliese, and I were on our way to Alice's house for some divine homemade Indian food and good old roommate conversation. It was nothing grand, yet it was the highlight of my week. Why? I think the answer is simply that we needed a break, and God provided a simple opportunity for us to get away and enjoy each other's company.

The best of times are always spent with the best of friends. I don't know what you think, but I feel that that's a quote floating around the internet said by some semi-famous person. No matter where it came from, I believe that it's true. An hour drive to and from a destination may at first seem annoying, especially since it wasn't a trip I needed to take. However, just because I was with friends I love, the drive was a blast, and I was actually sad when it ended.

It's amazing how the simplest, most spontaneous excursions are the most refreshing. It's like getting fresh air after being stuck inside all day.

But this trip was better than that.

It was better than fresh air.

It was like completely new air.

Which is I think what God wanted me to find.

New perspective.

New thoughts.

Completely new air.

Thanks, Dad

People's reactions to my job often include a comment about all the death I see. Working in a nursing home, death does occur, but that doesn't mean it's a negative job. Actually, I love it!

One of the worst parts of my job is not death, it's the fact that people suffer and would prefer death over life. But what I am impressed with about suffering is seeing the strength that families of some of my residents exhibit when their strength is in the Lord.

These thoughts about death and faith were resurfaced as my dad was preaching this past Sunday. Almost every Christian has probably memorized Psalm 23 at some point in their life. But isn't it amazing when you read a familiar passage and something new jumps out at you?


¹ The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
²     He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
³     he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
    for his name’s sake.
⁴ Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,^[a]
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
⁶ Surely your goodness and love will follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.

 

This passage is truly incredible! But here's what my dad showed the congregation on Sunday. At first, David is talking about God in the third person, which is how you speak when that person isn't around.

 

But notice what happens in verse four: "I will fear no evil, for you are will me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." Another translation says: "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil". In verse four, David is now talking as if he is in the presence of God. It's as if, as David is passing through death, he now comes into the presence of God.

 

Looking at this passage in this new light makes me feel less sad about the death I see in my job. I can now imagine a passing resident, instead of being swallowed by death, simply lifted by God, right into His arms. Death is a scary place, but for Christians it also means that God is nearest to you than ever before.

 

I never really though of Psalm 23 as a psalm about death, but now that I understand, I see the beauty of it.

 

So thanks, Dad, for showing me a way to connect this passage to my life and even my work!

 

I guess parents really can be helpful sometimes;)

 

 

 

Thanks for reading!

Dedication

One more shift at work to get through.

A few more errands to run.

A lot more clothes to pack.

Soon a fresh school year shall commence.

I'm not usually one for New Year's resolutions because, as a student, I feel that the year begins at the end of August.

Therefore, I must now declare my "New Year's" (more like "school year's) resolutions.

This task is quite a simple one for me because it all falls under one word: dedication.

Classes this semester are no longer the simple blow-off gen-ed classes of freshmen year. It's time to get down to business. (*singing* Let's get down to business! To defeat....the Hunsssss)

I have two Biology classes and my first Nursing class to conquer, which in no way will be simple.

I also have a job on campus this summer, although it's not your typical on-campus job. It will require my CNA skills more than anything, which I love to use. It'll be time consuming, yet rewarding. I just need to keep reminding myself of the benefit and that I need to keep at it!

An area of my life that could definitely use some help in the dedication department is my physical health. I have been overweight since as long as I can remember, and did I ever like it? Absolutely not! And despite my efforts, it seems that my problem comes down to the fact that I am for some reason not displaying enough dedication to losing weight and becoming a more healthy human being. Last school year, I did well at working out often and eating healthier. I am proud to say that I lost the freshmen fifteen as opposed to gaining it! However, this summer, I have fallen back into old patterns and habits, which is simply no good. Time to hop on the band wagon and try again!

Another problem area is my faith. Well, not my faith exactly, my faith isn't what is faltering. Rather my devotional life is lacking in a steady rhythm. I mean, am I the only one who forgets to read the Bible everyday? Or is this a common struggle? If so, how in the world do I fix this problem? I know God is forgiving, but He has to get sick of forgiving me over and over for forgetting to read His word! I like reading my Bible, it's just that I forget! Simple as that. Something I've got to work on.

This year, I just want to be more dedicated to being a more well-rounded student. I want to exceed in my classes, but also be involved in social activities on campus. I want to reserve time for myself and my improvement, while also having an open door to friends and peers in need. I want to give time for my health: mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual. Overall, I want to be dedicated to maintaining the balance required in any person's life. I'm told that's what college is all about! Finding your balance, how you run things, and being able to maintain it.

Thanks for the read! :)

2 am thoughts

2 am. Upstairs. Assisted living. She's over 100 and still walking. 8 hours of being a lump on her couch. Bathroom trips for both when needed.

A ticking clock. Bible on the desk. A man praying on the wall.

What does one do while sitting up all night watching an elderly woman rest peacefully?

Poetry, based on my surroundings of course.



I am a fickle being; you are the sturdy vine

I am ever unfaithful; you love the runaway bride

I say the sun is mighty, while you are in control

I claim to be a saint, while mold spawns in my soul

Life seems so full, yet I feel empty inside

That's when you reach down, and I have nothing to hide

Before a thought has been birthed in my brain,

You know it completely, you feel all my pain

Because you know what we've been through, you've felt it before

You've seen how life beats us down and makes us so sore

I love you for that, only not every day

For I may be your child, but I tend to run away

So forgive me Father, please pull me back

For I need you here when I'm under attack

For the lion is lurking, and I am the prey

Protect me Father, under your wings I will stay

But don't ever forget me, for I could possibly stray

I am not proud of this, but that's simply the way

Christians sometimes are, which isn't right

So give us your strength as we fight the good fight



I'm not the greatest poet, but hey, when the Spirit moves you, you just have to write.

Thanks for reading, God bless:)