Hi my name is ________.
I am a _____ major.
I enjoy ______, ____________, and _______.
I have been involved in _______, __________, and ____________ in the past.
My dad is a _______.
My mom is a ___________.
I am __ feet ___ inches tall.
I weigh _____ pounds.
I am from ______________ and have lived there for ___ years.
My personality can be defined as ________, ______, and _____________.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I think you get the picture.
Knowing someone seems to start with this type of information. The sad part comes when knowing just this information is enough for a person to stop pursuing knowledge of another's life.
Why are we so quick to judge? Sure, not every person you meet will become your best friend, but when did we forget that every person is made in the image of God?
How about instead of defining someone by their past mistakes or things about them that irk us, let's accept every person for the beautiful creation God made them to be. Stop defining people by their appearances or downfalls. Our culture has us so caught up in these things that we forget who put us here and gave us our unique qualities.
Talk to her about her love of art. Talk to him about his interest in airplanes. Talk to that one friend about his thoughts on his future. Ask her how her family is doing. Ask about likes and dislikes and stories and habits, but don't forget to actually care about the person. Don't forget that they have a soul and a Creator who wants to see that soul in a new body in heaven someday.
Pray for that person. Pray for the friends, the third cousins, the enemies you may have.
Search for a way to better see people. Don't stop at the surface stuff. Humans are complex. Humans are deep. They have meaning. They have significance. Don't ever forget that.
We like to put people in little boxes and say "this is who you are to me," but what we far too often forget is what they are to God. Sometimes we even forget what we are to God!
Why do we do this?
Why do we let ourselves box people up? Why do we box God's creation?
Why do we box God?
Lately I've found myself defining people when really the only one who truly knows them is their Creator.
I've even attempted to define myself. But that's impossible. I don't know what changes are coming. I don't understand the most inner-workings of my brain. I don't know what I dream at night. I don't know where I'll end up. I don't know how to define myself, which, in turn, means I cannot successfully define other people.
The only thing I can do is look at a person and say "God, thank you for that life, that soul, that being that you made. You are awesome. You are wonderful and to be praised."
I can only look at myself and praise God for his love and protection. I can only look at myself and thank Him for saving me and making me His child.
Stop defining people. Stop shutting them out. Stop defining yourself. Stop defining God.
Thank Him for people. Thank Him for giving you life. Thank Him for being Himself and allowing us to get a glimpse of His love and power.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As always, I have no idea if any of that made any coherent sense, it is just my thoughts typed in a box on the internet.
Thanks for reading. And happy spring, folks!
Monday, April 13, 2015
Thursday, March 12, 2015
Shifting our focus
Everywhere we turn we see ads, billboards, magazines, commercials and other stimuli that tell us how we need to change ourselves.
Lose the weight fast!
Buy these over-priced but name-brand jeans!
Find the guy of your dreams on our one-of-a-kind dating site!
Come visit this place just to say you did!
Gamble here just because you can!
But who are these things going to please? You? Your friends?
Sometimes it's tough to clearly see the calling God has for you. I know I want to be a nurse, but can I make the grade in the program I'm trying to get into? Why is it so difficult to get along with my family sometimes? Why does this whole moving thing seem so rocky and foreboding?
And then there's these silly distractions that we face everyday. The media is in our faces with everything from what cool new stuff to buy to what trouble the crazy Hollywood stars are getting into today.
It's hard to shut this stuff out.
None of it matters! Are we so caught up in our day-to-day lives that we can't pause and simply be thankful for what the Good Lord has given us?
Yes, there are things to be done. Life can get hectic fast, we often don't know how to react. But I have one question: who are we trying to please?
Are we doing good things for others because that's what God calls us to do?
Am I studying hard to be a nurse for myself or because God has called me to do this, and I want to praise Him with my life?
Are we buying the things we need, or the stuff we think we need to fill some sort of void?
Are we idolizing our favorite artists and stars?
Are we grumbling about our work because we feel mistreated?
God wants us to feel fulfilled through Him.
Did you know that Bible Gateway shares a verse of the day each day? Neither did I until I visited the site to find a verse for a paper I'm writing. Today's verse said this: "Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." -2 Peter 1:4
I'd like to share that verse again, combined with the verse before: "His divine power has given us everything we need for a Godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." -2 Peter 1:3-4
Where are your desires today? Are you living your life as a sacrifice to God? Are you living for yourself or for your Saviour? Be thankful for what you have, enjoy His beautiful creation, thank Him, and ask yourself: who are you trying to please?
"I urge you to live a life worthy of you calling." -Ephesians 4:1
Who called you? God.
So who should we live for? God!
As my dad likes to say as we dash out the door, "Live for the Lord!"
Thanks for reading. Peace:)
Lose the weight fast!
Buy these over-priced but name-brand jeans!
Find the guy of your dreams on our one-of-a-kind dating site!
Come visit this place just to say you did!
Gamble here just because you can!
But who are these things going to please? You? Your friends?
Sometimes it's tough to clearly see the calling God has for you. I know I want to be a nurse, but can I make the grade in the program I'm trying to get into? Why is it so difficult to get along with my family sometimes? Why does this whole moving thing seem so rocky and foreboding?
And then there's these silly distractions that we face everyday. The media is in our faces with everything from what cool new stuff to buy to what trouble the crazy Hollywood stars are getting into today.
It's hard to shut this stuff out.
None of it matters! Are we so caught up in our day-to-day lives that we can't pause and simply be thankful for what the Good Lord has given us?
Yes, there are things to be done. Life can get hectic fast, we often don't know how to react. But I have one question: who are we trying to please?
Are we doing good things for others because that's what God calls us to do?
Am I studying hard to be a nurse for myself or because God has called me to do this, and I want to praise Him with my life?
Are we buying the things we need, or the stuff we think we need to fill some sort of void?
Are we idolizing our favorite artists and stars?
Are we grumbling about our work because we feel mistreated?
God wants us to feel fulfilled through Him.
Did you know that Bible Gateway shares a verse of the day each day? Neither did I until I visited the site to find a verse for a paper I'm writing. Today's verse said this: "Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." -2 Peter 1:4
I'd like to share that verse again, combined with the verse before: "His divine power has given us everything we need for a Godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." -2 Peter 1:3-4
Where are your desires today? Are you living your life as a sacrifice to God? Are you living for yourself or for your Saviour? Be thankful for what you have, enjoy His beautiful creation, thank Him, and ask yourself: who are you trying to please?
"I urge you to live a life worthy of you calling." -Ephesians 4:1
Who called you? God.
So who should we live for? God!
As my dad likes to say as we dash out the door, "Live for the Lord!"
Thanks for reading. Peace:)
Thursday, November 20, 2014
*title goes here*
Today I needed to be broken down to be built up.
Why?
I am a worrier.
I struggle with letting go of the little things.
I want to be in control.
Throughout my life I have gotten extremely good about worrying and then suppressing those worries and never sharing them.
But do you know what happens when your cup of worries gets full and you try to cram more in?
You guessed it: it spills over in a sudden rush of helplessness, loneliness, pain, and frustration.
Tonight I had one of these "holy-breakdown-tears-everywhere" kind of moments during Outcry.
All the songs seemed to point right at my situation. It was like God was grabbing me by the shoulders and saying "Hey. This is for you. Are you listening?"
I hate crying in public, but this experience was such a blessing. I felt the beauty of a simple hug, a rub on the back, or an encouraging gesture.
I felt the love of Trinity.
I felt the love of Christ.
And that is simply amazing.
"Cast all your cares on the Lord, and He will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken." -Psalm 55:22
This was the message I felt tonight. We can't let worries, no matter how large or important, get in the way of our simple life mission: to serve Christ with our lives and become the person He wants us to be with the purpose He wants us to fulfill.
Why?
I am a worrier.
I struggle with letting go of the little things.
I want to be in control.
Throughout my life I have gotten extremely good about worrying and then suppressing those worries and never sharing them.
But do you know what happens when your cup of worries gets full and you try to cram more in?
You guessed it: it spills over in a sudden rush of helplessness, loneliness, pain, and frustration.
Tonight I had one of these "holy-breakdown-tears-everywhere" kind of moments during Outcry.
All the songs seemed to point right at my situation. It was like God was grabbing me by the shoulders and saying "Hey. This is for you. Are you listening?"
I hate crying in public, but this experience was such a blessing. I felt the beauty of a simple hug, a rub on the back, or an encouraging gesture.
I felt the love of Trinity.
I felt the love of Christ.
And that is simply amazing.
"Cast all your cares on the Lord, and He will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken." -Psalm 55:22
This was the message I felt tonight. We can't let worries, no matter how large or important, get in the way of our simple life mission: to serve Christ with our lives and become the person He wants us to be with the purpose He wants us to fulfill.
Thursday, November 6, 2014
Conquerors
I like to consider myself a determined person, but man is it difficult to makes one's dreams come true!
I have wanted to be a nurse for so long. You know when you're a kid, and everyone asks you all the time what you want to be when you grow up? I always changed my answer: an artist, astronaut, writer, vet. My answer changed, but my true dream didn't. Being a nurse was always the goal.
You know what stinks about conquering a mountain? There are innumerable obstacles to get past. You beat yourself up, get frustrated, and think it would be better if you just quit.
And in life, we aren't conquering one mountain at a time, but many. Becoming a nurse is an obvious one in my life, but others exist as well. Tomorrow night (actually, tonight, seeing as how I'm writing this at 1:42am) our play Richard III opens. Our cast, crew, and director have all worked our butts off to pull off this monster of a production. I'm so proud of everyone and can't wait until we can prove what Trinity theatre can do.
Another mountain to conquer is work. Frankly, paying for Christian college is awful, and I'm struggling to get past this part of the hike. But, like all obstacles, future success depends on whether or not I conquer this.
There are some little mountains that occasionally pop up. Lack of sleep is a biggy, especially this week with dress-rehearsals every night. It's also hard for me to keep my tired, snappy mouth shut during a frustrating day of classes or a particular professor is getting on my nerves. I feel so defeated by feelings of guilt when I fail myself and give in to that rude comment or not being the kind, helpful person I should strive to be.
Mountains are tall, rocky, dangerous, and difficult. And they are for a reason.
Right now I'm running on adrenaline, pumping myself with fake joy. But inside I feel exhausted, distraught, helpless, and anxious. I started this post with one idea in mind, but of course it changed as my fingers tapped the keys. The words they typed led my brain to think of the beautiful passage we are given in Romans 8:
31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:
Rocks are hide to climb. Without good footing and consistent strength, it seems impossible to conquer the mountain. This passage is what's getting me through. I don't know God's will, but I'm praying He helps me conquer this mountain.
I have wanted to be a nurse for so long. You know when you're a kid, and everyone asks you all the time what you want to be when you grow up? I always changed my answer: an artist, astronaut, writer, vet. My answer changed, but my true dream didn't. Being a nurse was always the goal.
You know what stinks about conquering a mountain? There are innumerable obstacles to get past. You beat yourself up, get frustrated, and think it would be better if you just quit.
And in life, we aren't conquering one mountain at a time, but many. Becoming a nurse is an obvious one in my life, but others exist as well. Tomorrow night (actually, tonight, seeing as how I'm writing this at 1:42am) our play Richard III opens. Our cast, crew, and director have all worked our butts off to pull off this monster of a production. I'm so proud of everyone and can't wait until we can prove what Trinity theatre can do.
Another mountain to conquer is work. Frankly, paying for Christian college is awful, and I'm struggling to get past this part of the hike. But, like all obstacles, future success depends on whether or not I conquer this.
There are some little mountains that occasionally pop up. Lack of sleep is a biggy, especially this week with dress-rehearsals every night. It's also hard for me to keep my tired, snappy mouth shut during a frustrating day of classes or a particular professor is getting on my nerves. I feel so defeated by feelings of guilt when I fail myself and give in to that rude comment or not being the kind, helpful person I should strive to be.
Mountains are tall, rocky, dangerous, and difficult. And they are for a reason.
Right now I'm running on adrenaline, pumping myself with fake joy. But inside I feel exhausted, distraught, helpless, and anxious. I started this post with one idea in mind, but of course it changed as my fingers tapped the keys. The words they typed led my brain to think of the beautiful passage we are given in Romans 8:
31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[b] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Rocks are hide to climb. Without good footing and consistent strength, it seems impossible to conquer the mountain. This passage is what's getting me through. I don't know God's will, but I'm praying He helps me conquer this mountain.
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Coffee and anatomy and blogging and........
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.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.....
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Random post, but thanks for the read:)
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.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.....
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Random post, but thanks for the read:)
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."
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Praise be to God!
Thanks for reading:)
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