The Recent Grad

Television

2008-08-25T20:12:00.000-07:00

In this day and age, television is more important than ever. People care so much about what they need to TIVO each night. My parents have 500 channels and there is never anything exciting to watch. The world of television pretty much consists of news, sports, and movies. We live in a 30 second sound bite world. Back in the old days, everything happened on the radio. Franklin Roosevelt instituted the "fireside chats" where he would sit my a fire and chat about his life. I guess you could say that's where talk radio began. However, television makes everything so much better. You can see people's facial expressions, you can see how other people react, you can see how someone presents them self.

I know Monday is supposed to be about pop culture, but I consider this under that umbrella. As I just wanted day 1 of the Democratic Convention, all of these thoughts dawned on me. All of the speeches from tonight wouldn't have been the same if we were not able to watch it. Watching TV doesn't necessarily need to be a bad thing. For example, I watch the news every day. I watch game shows like Lingo, Jeopardy, and Cash Cab where I can exercise my mind. I also watch comedies so I can get in a laugh every once in a while. I've been watching TV ever since I was little and turned out fine. We live in an age where we receive information from television and that is probably how it will be for the years to come.

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

2008-08-22T16:01:00.002-07:00

What is the best way to travel? Each days, airlines continue to raise prices so people are going to start traveling by car. A recent report says that more people are going to be driving for Labor Day Weekend than flying. An article from the New York Daily News says there is going to be a 5.7% decline from last year. However, more people out on the road means more traffic and longer travel times to their destinations. In light of this, a CNN report states that travelers will start to use trains and buses to go on vacation.

To be honest, I have never been a fan of trains or buses. I, like every other person, prefer a car or an airplane. In Europe, the most sensible ways to get around are by trains or walking, and I did both of those when I was there. I enjoyed walking more, but there is something amazing about seeing the beautiful English countryside from a train. Also, taking a seven hour train ride from Madrid, Spain to Biarritz, France was a great experience. Maybe Americans should start to become more like Europeans and learn about the world of train travel.

I've done some research to find some great train trips that people would enjoy. A great website to go to for train trips is vacationsbyrail.com. Here, you can look into different trips in different parts of the world. After looking at the website, I picked my favorite trips from the U.S. and Canada that would be the most fun for me. Many people do not know about train trips and how much fun they can actually be. It's a good way to get out of a traffic and that stuffy airplane!

1. United States- National Parks of the West Tour. For nine days, you can experience all of the great National Parks of the West Coast. The trips start at $5,700 and most include meals. This trip includes stops at Jackson, WY, Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Salt Lake City, Zion or Bryce Canyon National Park, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Sedona, AZ, Santa Fe, NM and Albuquerque, NM. There is no better way to get to all of these place than from this trip. Flying to all of these places would cost a lot more.

2. Canada- The Canadian Rockies Experience. This is a six day tour that takes you around the beautiful parts of Canada that include sapphire river and lakes, the snow capped Rocky Mountains, and Yoho and Banff National Parks which allow you to see beautiful wildlife. The cost for this trips starts at $6,600 and you need to get to Calgary on your own.

**Photo courtesy of hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com**

The future jounalist

2008-08-20T22:19:00.001-07:00

I have a dream...that one day I will start my own magazine. This is a dream I've had for a long time and is something I hope will happen in the next five to ten years. Ambitious, I know, but I've always been told to shoot high and reach for the starts. How cliche. I know this will happen eventually, after I have magazine experience under my belt and when I am more financially stable. My one problem is that I don't know what I want to write about. People constantly ask me that question everyday. Tonight, my dad said "you need to have a specific topic." But that's the thing, I like to write about various topics and think it would be really fun to have an all-encompassing magazine that people can enjoy.

In an effort to start to figure out what I want to write about, I am going to start having different topics for my blog and then see what I like the best. Doing this will allow me to really get a vision of what I want my magazine to be about. So, I have put together a little schedule, if you will, of what I will talk about each day.

Monday- Pop Culture. This includes anything that happens in the entertainment world, perhaps a movie review, or a book review, or commentary about current entertainment news.

Tuesday- Politics. This is a very important time right now leading up to the election. I watch the news everyday about the latest polls and issues between Obama and McCain. I'm going to talk about anything I see that strikes me or anything I feel people will find interesting.

Wednesday- Sports. The Olympics are slowly coming to an end, but we are right in the heard of baseball season, and all of the other major sports will be starting soon as well.

Thursday- Health. I'll be going back to the beginning of m blog, talking about different health issues that are prevalent right now. I want to talk about various ways to stay healthy and great exercises to do on a daily basis.

Friday- Travel. Traveling is one of my passions. I want to talk about some of my personal travel experiences and discover new places to go.

Saturday and Sunday will be random posts- perhaps certain things that happen to me, something interesting I see, thoughts that are on my mind, or maybe a little glimpse of an ordinary day in my life.

I'm going to try this for a couple of weeks and see how it goes. I want to determine what I like writing about the most, and go from there. I don't know how it will turn out, or what I will decide, but what I do know is that I'm going to have fun doing it. I hope you enjoy learning!

What recession??

2008-08-19T22:12:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows what our economy is like right now. Gas prices are through the roof, the unemployment rate is high, and the costs of everyday essentials are rising. Yet, people don't stop driving, and even more surprising, people are shopping (more than I have ever noticed in the past).

For the past month and a half, I've been working at White House, Black Market, a high-end clothing store. People come in, usually looking for a great dress to wear for a party or a wedding. Some just want new clothes for that vacation they have been anxiously awaiting. Buying new clothes makes people happy. When I was a little girl, I always remember being so happy when I get new clothes or a new pair of shoes. It is that sense of having something new that makes you feel so good about yourself.

I think it is good that people are still going out and spending money. It makes me think there is some hope for our country in the future. You can go out to any restaurant in Irvine, California (my hometown since age 8) any night of the week, and you most likely have to wait. You have to wait in line to see The Dark Knight. You can walk around a mall and most stores seems to be crowded. This whole phenomenon is really fascinating to me. When athletes always say "it's not about the money" it usually is. Americans love money and everyday is living proof of that.

What we can do for now is keep enjoying ourselves even though times are tough. Go out and have fun. Enjoy life and live everyday to it's fullest.

Welcome Back

2008-08-18T15:35:00.000-07:00

Well...I'm back! I know, it's been a long time since I've posted and a lot has happened since November. I've graduated college, got in a serious relationship, and started to figure out what I want to do with my life. One of those things is doing this blog. At first, this was something I HAD to do for my class. I enjoyed it, but always found myself sitting in front of a black computer screen every Sunday night. Now, this is fun, yet informative, and something I want to do.

In May, I graduated college. At that time, I was so excited to be done with school and move on with my life. Now, as all of my friends go back to school, I miss college every day. College really is the best time of your life. It's a time of growth, maturity, independence, fun, and making friendships to last a lifetime. Now, I feel as though I am lost. I had a daily routine for the past four years that no longer exists.

In about a week in a half, I'm taking a big step and moving to Dallas. I was offered an internship with a magazine. It has always been a dream of mine to write for a magazine and one day, start my own. Also, my boyfriend is there, so it only makes sense. Everything is starting to fall into place and it is exciting and scary at the same time. This is a great time in my life...I'm free studying, taking tests, and stressing out about classes. Now, I have to stress out about being in the real world and being successful.

My hope for this blog is to give people a glimpse of my life and my daily experiences, whether they be funny or embarrassing. It also want this to be sort of a current events blog as I give insight on what is happening in the world.

Welcome to my life...I hope you enjoy it.

All good things come to an end.....

2007-11-25T09:47:00.000-08:00

Well, we've reached the end of the semester and my days of blogging for a while. These past three months have been a time of learning, self-reflection, and becoming a better person/journalist. Before this class, I have never done a blog before. I think it's a great way to provide insight into a specific topic. This has allowed me to explore different facets of the health world on the U.S.-Mexico border. I hope I did my job in showing people different aspects of the issue.

People need to realize how important border issues are, especially in places like California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. There are so many different websites that address the different issues. It's important to stay informed about what's going on, even if you don't live in the "border region." Health is especially important because it concerns everybody and determines their future. Knowing how to stay healthy in a foreign country is great knowledge to have.

I feel like I've learned so much reading other blogs from my classmates as well. If it wasn't for them, I would not know half of the things I know now. To be honest with everyone, I was very apprehensive going into this class. I thought it would be extremely difficult to run an online publication dealing with the border. Then came the blogs, and I was clueless. However, we were all able to rise to the occasion and produce and award-winning, online, student run newspaper. That alone will help each of us get jobs in the future. I think we are all better people for being in Borderbeat and know have some knowledge that many people lack and never will be able to acquire.

This class has made me a better journalist. I've had experiences that bettered my future. I never would have been able to go to St. Andrew's Clinic and show people what happens there. Online journalism is the future, and we, as journalists, are going to make the future great because of it. I thank everybody in the class--it was a team effort to get this paper together. I also thank Professor Rochlin for always being supportive and allowing our creative sides to show. Borderbeat is something everyone should be proud of!

To view some of the stories I've done this semester, click here.
To view our publication, click here.

Happy Thanksgiving....almost

2007-11-18T11:47:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and that means all of us get to eat our hearts out. However, some people do not have the means to have a nice, family, Thanksgiving dinner. So this week, I want to talk about the adopt-a-family program.

This program has been implemented at my synagogue in California for about ten years. In Santa Ana, there are many Mexican families who would never have a Thanksgiving dinner if it wasn't for this program. The same is true for families in other parts of California like Los Angeles, and San Diego, which is really close to the border. This program entails having families adopt those who are less fortunate. We provide all of the fixings for a great Thanksgiving dinner and allow families to enjoy their holiday that people around the country get to experience without even thinking twice.

Tu Nidito, the program I profiled in my blog from last week, also does something similar to this. During the weeks before Thanksgiving on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights, all of the families can come to the Tu Nidito house and enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner with families just like themselves. Many of these families do not have the time or energy to think about making a dinner like this while they are grieving the loss of a child or dealing with a sick child everyday. Tu Nidito also allows members of the Tucson community to donate gift cards to the families. Often times, this is a lot more meaningful than giving gifts because gift cards to places like Walgreens, Target, or Wal Mart are much more useful for families, as they can buy essentials.

Here is a list of my personal favorite items that make for a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner that any family would enjoy. This is what you should get to put together the perfect dinner for those who are less fortunate. It's important to realize that you get items that are easy to make.
-turkey, the main focus of the meal
-instant mashed potatoes
-stuffing mix
-canned vegetables
-canned cranberries
-a jar of gravy
-another other personal touches that would make a family feel as though they are eating a true Thanksgiving dinner.

As I was searching online for other adopt-a-family programs, I found this one in Los Angeles. Although this is somewhat of a different topic, it's still important to help people like this. The shelter allows families to have a Christmas they can always remember.

I hope this blog opens allows people to think of others during this holiday season. Have a great Thanksgiving!

Tu Nidito

2007-11-09T15:36:00.001-08:00

This week, I'm going to discuss the issue of mental health.

Welcome to Tu Nidito. Tu Nidito’s mission is to provide support for children and their families as they deal with terminal illness and death. This non-profit organization began in 1996 because there was a need for it in Tucson. Now, they help around 800 families per year.

Here are some of the services it provides: advocacy, social opportunities, consultations, family support groups, referral resources and assistance, children support groups, community outreach and education, grief support, lending library of books and videos, specialized volunteer training, intervention, camps, and one-on-one support.

One of their most important services is probably the grief support. This is a time when children are able to talk with one another about how they are feeling regarding the death of a loved one and is also a place where they can talk to kids who are terminally ill like themselves. I know if I were in a situation such as this, this would be an extremely helpful resource.

On Wednesday, I spoke with Becky Swivel, the Development Associate of Tu Nidito. She said one the things that's important to them is expanding more Spanish speaking group sessions. "We want that to grow because we know there is a need for it here," Swivel said. Since there is a large Spanish-speaking community in Tucson, this is a very important issue.

Something else that Tu Nidito prides itself on is how much of a community response it gets. Each year during the holidays, local Tucsonans donate gift cards to families so they can buy their children much needed medication. Different organizations always seek them out also, and Swivel said they are so grateful for that. “So many organizations seek us out,” Swivel said. “We’re fortunate that happens and that we can provide these opportunities."

This is a photo of the "imagination room." This is a place inside the Tu Nidito building where children can play with each other. It got its name from the fact that it's a place where all kids can use their imaginations. Their is a toy phone kids can use to call heaven and talk to loved ones who have died. According to Swivel, this is just a place for them to act out any emotions they may be feeling at the time. After coming here, I want to take the time and volunteer. They are always looking for volunteers and it is a great way to learn more about this program and help kids who really need you.

Common Health Ailments in Mexico

2007-11-04T13:19:00.000-08:00

This picture was taken by me last year on my trip to Cancun. It's a great place to visit, but you would not want to get sick there. Last week, I discussed all of the ways to try and stay healthy in Mexico. This week, I just want to touch on some common health ailments that people can get while traveling there. Some of them are unavoidable due to the climate or environment of some places, others are caused from bacteria in food.

-Altitude Sickness: A lot of the common vacation spots in Mexico are at a high altitude. When it is about 75-80 degrees outside and you're at an elevation of about 3,000 feet, you will be in an environment that most people are not accustomed to. Common symptoms of altitude sickness include headache, loss of appetite, and insomnia. It takes about a day or two to fully adjust to this type of climate, so be sure to rest a lot and take breaks while walking.

-Heat Exhaustion: Most places in Mexico are generally warm for a good part of the year. Many tourists are not used to the heat. To make sure heat exhaustion doesn't happen, be sure to bring a few bottles of water with you to drink throughout the day. Another tip is to add salt to some of the food you eat. Salt deficiency is a common problem because it can from sweating. Also, consider taking salt tablets. The people who are most prone to heat exhaustion are elderly people and those who have high blood pressure. When sightseeing, wear light weight clothing and be sure to take little breaks throughout the day.

-Heatstroke: This is not the same thing as heat exhaustion. Think of it as it's evil cousin. Heatstroke can be fatal. It is the result of long exposure to the sun where you don't sweat enough to lower body temperature. Dehydration plays a huge factor with this. When you are dehydrated, your internal body temperature can rise to extremely high levels, which in turn, leads to heatstroke. Some common symptoms of heatstroke are headache, dizziness, seizure, fatigue, and a high body temperature. To prevent this from happening, again, drink a lot of water. To treat someone with this problem, take them indoors immediately and put ice packs under their arms and on their foreheads.

-Jet Lag: This may be the most common health ailment among travelers. It happens when you travel across many time zones and your body your body clock has trouble getting on the correct time. Although Arizona to Mexico is only a one or two hour time difference, it can still affect some people. When you travel to Mexico, you lose and hour or two because it's later there. It poses an even bigger problem when you travel to some place like Europe, where the time difference is even greater. It's important not to sleep when you arrive at your destination, just wait until the time comes when you would actually go to bed and sleep then. If you follow that, your body clock should be normal in about 2-3 days of arriving. Jet Lagged travelers usually experience tired muscles, headaches, moodiness and altered appetites.

The following You Tube video provides tips on different exercises you should do to avoid jet lag on vacation. Enjoy!

Staying Healthy in Mexico

2007-10-28T15:16:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the Chichen-Itza ruins in Cancun, Mexico. These breath-taking Mayan ruins are considered to be one of the seven wonders of the world. Last December, my family and I went to Cancun for vacation and took an exhausting three hour bus ride just to see this. Mexico is a popular vacation destination for those of us who live in this part of the county. What's not to like about it? It's around 80 degrees all year round, the ocean water is warm, and there are a plethora of sites to see and activities to take part in. However, going to another country, especially Mexico, takes a lot of preparation. While in Mexico, it is important to stay healthy. Below are some of the things everyone should do to make sure they don't get sick there. I mean, it wouldn't be very fun to have to stay in bed all day when you could be out enjoying yourself...right?

Every time I go to Mexico, I get my doctor to prescribe an antibiotic just to prevent me from catching anything that might be in the air. Before you go to Mexico, it's always a good idea to get some vaccinations or medications to prevent diseases. Your doctor will provide you with the correct shots for where you are going. One of these in particular may be for Malaria. The Center for Disease Control website states that no malaria risks exists in major resorts along the Pacific and Gulf Coasts, but could be a problem in place bordering Guatemala or Belize. One drug to take that prevents malaria is Chloroquine (brand name Aralen). The adult dose is 500 mg chloroquine phosphate once a week. Here are the directions for this medication:

Take the first dose of chloroquine 1 week before arrival in the malaria-risk area.
Take your dose once a week, on the same day of the week, while in the risk area.
Take your dose once a week for 4 weeks after leaving the risk area.
Chloroquine should be taken on a full stomach to lessen the risk of nausea and stomach upset.

Gnathostomiasis is another disease found in Mexico. Humans become infected with this disease by eating uncooked fish or poultry, or by drinking contaminated water. Diarrhea is also common among travelers to Mexico and can be caused by bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Another disease, leptospirosis, is endemic worldwide, but is most commonly contracted in more tropical climates. Humans are infected with this through infected animals or through contact of contaminated water or soil.

So, now that I've pretty much scared you about going to Mexico, here are some ways to stay healthy so you don't happen to get any of these problems.
-Use incest repellent; many diseases are caused as a result of big bites.
-Be careful with all food and water you consume there. Diseases from food and water are the leading cause of illness among travelers to Mexico. Make sure to wash your hands frequently, drink only bottled water, and always avoid tap water, fountain drinks, and ice. Also, make sure all of your food is cooked and try to stay away from dairy products.
-To avoid animal bites and other serious diseases, don't pet any animals. If you do get bitten, wash the wound immediately and get medical help.
-Finally, to prevent fungal or parasitic infections, keep your feet clean and try to not walk barefoot, even on the beach. You never know what could be in the sand.

Hopefully, you've learned a lot today about staying safe and healthy in Mexico. Getting down there is an entire process in itself, so once you're there, it's nice to not have to deal with any more problems. Since I didn't get to cover everything, please go here to read more about anything you need to know about staying safe down there. Most of the information you read here today is from that website or from personal experiences of mine, but you'll learn a lot more by going to the page as well. Once you do that, you'll be even more educated and will be ready to embark on your adventure. Happy reading and enjoy your trip!

-photos were taken by Rachel Gross

Miracles

2007-10-21T10:56:00.000-07:00

So, I know my last couple of posts have been about St. Andrew's Clinic. I've done this to stress how important it is for so many patients and their families. This one is basically an overview of the Clinic, stating some facts about it and providing information for the future. I imagine this would have been better as an earlier post to set the table for the rest of them, but what's important is that I'm educating everybody on how the Clinic changes the lives of so many people each month. To be completely honest, some of the children I saw there broke my heart because of their medical needs, but it made me really happy to know they were getting treated and were on the road to living normal lives.

Here are some facts from the St. Andrew's Fact Sheet:
-around 200-300 patients come in on one Clinic day
-in 2005, 2,107 patients received care in the following areas:
-32 orthopedic surgeries
-31 cleft palate surgeries
-101 prostheses
-84 pairs of orthotic footwear
-54 hearing aids
-66 pairs of glasses
-11 eye surgeries

This proves how much of an impact St. Andrew's really has on people. The children receive medical care from world renown surgeons. However, often times, it is hard for them to get follow up care, so the only time they get treated is at the Clinic every month.

This is the Clinic's Executive Director, Bob Phillips. I had the privilege of talking to him for a short time while I was there. He is a quiet man, but has big plans for the future of the Clinic. One goal is for the Clinic to be held in it's own building instead of being in St. Andrew's Church. A grant was recently signed that would provide funding for a new building. Phillips said that with a new facility, "we would be able to provide lab work, x-rays, and privacy for the patients." Another thing Phillips wants to accomplish is allowing patients to receive care in Mexico. He said that can happen with the right kind of medical equipment and a fully trained staff. As I walked around the Clinic and ran into Phillips throughout the day, I was able to see the passion in his eyes. It's obvious he loves his job.

On a final note, I was doing some research about medical missions to Mexico and found a good website. I also found one about a medical clinic in Mexico. I urge everyone to read about both of these websites. I feel it's very important to people to know what the medical system is like in Mexico and ways to help people in need. Enjoy.

A Different Side of St. Andrew's Clinic

2007-10-14T13:55:00.001-07:00

Meet Allison Castro

Allison is a second year medical student at the University of Arizona. She has been volunteering at St. Andrew's Clinic for five years and now she is a coordinator. She and a number of other medical students try to go down every month to provide their knowledge and skills for patients. Allison loves patient interaction and that's the main reason why she continues to make time in her busy schedule to help those in need. It's her passion and drive that will eventually make her a successful doctor.

I had the privilege of talking to her last week about her life and her experiences at the Clinic. Here are some of the things we discussed.

Q: Tell me a little bit about your background.
A: I grew up in Tucson and attended USC for college. There, I majored in biological sciences and Spanish. I decided to come back to Tucson and attend U of A for medical school. I plan on graduating in 2010 and then will start my 3-4 years of residency, preferably staying in Tucson.

Q: Why did you decide to become a doctor?
A: I always want to help people. I have an interest in science and human biology. It's the aspect of working with people...I like individual interaction. I want to go into the field of family medicine, internal medicine, or pediatrics.

Q: What other volunteer activities are you part of?
A: I'm a coordinator for St. Andrew's. I am involved in the Sight Savers program at the medical school which offers glaucoma screenings free of charge. I am also part of the CUP program.

Q: How did you get started with the Clinic?
A: I started going down five years ago with my mom who is a nurse and volunteers there. I would always go when I came home during breaks from college. I usually translated and helped any way I could.

Q: What department do you usually help out in?
A: I usually translate in the ophthalmology department; I'm not really sure why but I just enjoy working there. I also help out in the pediatric department where I can listen to patients' hearts and lungs.

Q: What do you like about the Clinic?
A: I see it from two perspectives. From the patient perspective, it's a wonderful resource. It's a neat thing that people travel so far and cart so much on a bus and then receive top notch care that they wouldn't normally get. From the medical perspective, it provides the opportunity to work with a patient population that is very different from ones we serve here. I get to see a different side of medicine. It's also a great way to practice the skills and knowledge we get in medical school.

Q: What is the most fulfilling part of your experiences there?
A: Definitely the patients. Once you go often enough, you see the same patients. It's really cool to feel like you're forming a relationship with them and seeing them get the care they need.

Q: Where do you get your inspiration from?
A: It's easy to get bogged down in studying because the first two years of medical school are very academic. Volunteer work gives me balance. It makes me remember why I'm up late studying and makes you know that patients will really need you. It reminds you why you're there in the first place.

Allison and I talked for about an hour and there is so much more information. If you'd like to learn about about her, you can read my story on her at borderbeat.net, which will be up in the next few days.

Seeing is Believing

2007-10-07T13:48:00.000-07:00

Photo taken by Rachel Gross

The Medical Eye Unit at St. Andrew's Clinic is, in my opinion, one of the most important services it provides to patients. This is where children get eye exams that they cannot receive in Mexico. Sight is something we all seem to take for granted because we get our medical issues taken care of without having to worry about anything.

The $150,000 Medical Eye Unit was donated to the Lions Vision Center, Inc. It is also sponsored by the Arizona Op hthalmological Society. The unit is completely equipped with all of the machines needed to do a full eye exam, and a waiting room and two exams rooms. It's main job is to bring medical care to outlying areas of Arizona where care like this is not available. Ophthalmologists from various parts of the state, most of which are still practicing today, volunteer their time to this Unit for absolutely free. It's heartwarming to know that doctors care that much about what they do and provide medical care to people who need it, even if they have never seen them before.

Photo taken by Rachel Gross
Doctor Thomas Minas is the Ophthalmologist who was there on Thursday. Dr. Minas currently has a practice in Phoenix, AZ. Minas has been volunteering at the Clinic for six months, but has volunteered numerous times throughout his medical career. After talking to him, I got a glimpse of the type of person Dr. Minas is. He cares so much about what he does and feels that volunteering is an important part of being a doctor. He is so down to earth. There were a few patients waiting, and he still graciously took time out of his busy day to talk with me for a few minutes. One of the most amazing things Dr. Minas told me was "it's neat to see your talents as a physician really needed." It's not about the money for him-it's about treating patients who don't have care in there home in Mexico. He told me something else that really shows what type of person he is: "kids come in and would be blind without glasses if it wasn't for the Clinic. They wouldn't see. It's so simple, and is something you and I take for granted."

Photo taken by Rachel Gross
This is a picture of Dr. Minas and his nurse assistant, Reyna, doing an exam on a boy who needed some medical care. Reyna is bilingual, so she translates when necessary so there are no problems with language barriers. You can see the passion in their faces and the determination to treat this boy. Although we can't see his face in this photo, he was smiling the whole time and it was obvious that he was grateful for the care he was receiving. He was very cooperative when the doctor gave him drops. Patients like this are why Dr. Minas feels volunteering is so rewarding and exemplifies why he continues to come back each month.

For more information regarding issue of Ophthalmology, go the the American Academy of Ophthalmology website.

Here Comes the Sun

2007-09-30T19:45:00.000-07:00

Tucson has around 350 days of sunshine a year. Even when it's cold outside, the shine still manages to poke through the clouds. What people don't realize, however, is that the big ball of fire in the sky can actually cause many health problems. Sunburns occur all of the time, especially for fair-skinned people like myself. I cannot be out in the sun for a long period of time without getting burnt. Also, melanoma is one of the leading cancers in the United States. Amazingly, both of these things can be prevented.

Photo taken by Rachel Gross

A sunburn is really a burn to the living tissue of the skin produced by ultraviolet radiation. When the skin is exposed to lesser amounts of UV rays, the person will get a suntan. A suntan is still not good for the skin because it's still exposed to the sun. It seems pretty safe to assume that everyone has had a sunburn at least once in their lives. We all know how badly it hurts, so why do some people keep getting sunburns over and over again? A lot of us are just lazy and don't want to take the time to put on some sunscreen before we leave the house in the morning. However, taking the one extra step will be so much better in the long run.

Melanoma afflicts all kinds of people. Skin cancer can happen from a small mole on the skin, to a full blown sunburn. It can be treated, but depends on three factors including: age, how healthy the person is, and what stage the cancer is in. An important thing to realize is that this can be prevented. The main cause of melanoma is too much exposure to ultraviolet rays. The best way to prevent it is to limit the amount of time spent out in the sun. Childhood is also an important time to prevent sun damage. Protecting the skin during the first 18 years of life can reduce some types of skin cancer up to about 78%. Summer days in Tucson can reach past the 100 degree mark and when that happens, people are more likely to get cancer. It's always important to make sure you're protected when you're out in the sun no matter what time of the year it is. It's still possible to get a sunburn when it's snowing outside.

Tucson prides itself on having a lot of resorts where people can come and tan all year round. Tanning has become somewhat of an epidemic in this country, whether it be natural or not. Being in a pool is even more dangerous, especially when not wearing sunscreen. The sun reflects off of the water and causes people to get more of a sunburn. The same thing happens when it snows also; the sun bounces off of it.

Photo taken by Rachel Gross

This picture was taken last January during the freak snow storm that happened in Tucson. Everything around the U of A campus was covered in white, but it was still sunny outside. I clearly remember wearing my sunglasses that day, while at the same time being bundled up in a heavy jacket and warm clothes. Snow blindness is a common condition caused by the exposure of unprotected eyes to the UV rays in bright sunlight reflected from snow or ice. It's more common in polar regions and high altitudes, but it can still happen other times. Even when it's overcast, the UV rays can still come through the clouds and bounce off the snow.

The important thing is to always wear sunglasses to protect the eyes. When it's warm outside, put on sunscreen, especially when you know you're going to be out in the sun for a long time. Everyone always wants young, healthy skin and protecting it is the only way to guarantee it will stay that way.

St. Andrew's Preview

2007-09-23T21:23:00.001-07:00

St. Andrew's Clinic in Nogales, Az. provides medical treatment to disabled children of indigent parents in Mexico. On October 4th, I'm going to have the privilege to go there and report on what I see, but it's also so much more than that. I'm going to find stories that people can relate to and profile specific individuals at the clinic. On clinic days, the church itself is converted into a clinic and people wait in line to get cared for. After going to the clinic, I'll do a more in depth blog about my experience and provide my own insight and pictures. Right now, I just want to discuss some of the things I was reading about in the pamphlets.

Many children today are born with cleft palates and at St. Andrew's alone, there are about 35 children on the waiting list to get clef palate surgery. Cleft palate is a medical condition where two sides of the mouth are not able to fuse into one structure. This interferes with a baby's basic needs. If the surgery takes place early in life, many other problems can be prevented and the child can expect to live a normal life. In the U.S., this surgery can cost up to about $20,000. The doctors at this hospital donate their time for free so children that have this problem can have a normal life. Many of the surgeries here are going to take place next month.

Here are some pictures of what a cleft palate looks like.

This picture on the left is courtesy of google images. This is a minor cleft lip. Many of the cases are similar to this one. However, at the clinic, most of the children have more severe ones. You can see the difference after surgery. The face looks almost perfect, and there is virtually no evidence that something like this was done.

This (below) is a more severe case of the cleft palate and cases like this are similar to the ones seen at the clinic. Something like this needs to be taken care of early because by age two, normal speech usually begins. If a child learning to talk had a cleft palate, it would be very difficult and would have many problems like that in the future.

The clinic calls their "cure" for children afflicted with this the Cleft Palate Mission 2007. When I go there, I want to go deeper into this issue and talk to some doctors as well as family members about how they deal with this. One of the doctors quoted in a pamphlet about this said having surgery allows children to live normal lives and not be ostracized. He is happy to be a part of something like this because it's a huge pay off for the kids.

I found the following You Tube video about two student doctors at the University of Texas in San Antonio who help less fortunate children in need of surgery. It's comforting to know that something like this is happening in another part of the country and that people want to help these children.

Obesity Revisted

2007-09-16T17:24:00.000-07:00

So, my past couple of blogs have been about childhood obesity. This week, I want to talk about obesity as a whole, specifically dealing with health eating. It's hard to eat healthy these days, especially with so many restaurants around town that don't offer any healthy alternatives. In the recent days, I've become aware of the Student Union at the University of Arizona. Most of the food in the main part of the union are unhealthy. I want to talk about some of the places in the union.

Chick-fil-A
Photo taken by Rachel Gross

Chick-fil-A is a popular place for students. People may think this is actually a good place to eat because it's chicken, but think again. Their signature chicken sandwich has 410 calories and 16 grams of fat, which is 25% of the daily value. As an alternative, Chick-fil-A offers wraps. However, these aren't any better. A "Chicken Caesar Cool Wrap" has 480 calories and 16 grams of fat. The "Chick-fil-A Chick-n-Strips" Salad is even worse, with 400 calories and 20 grams of fat. Chick-fil-A is always crowded during the lunch hours. Read further if you want to learn more about their nutritional information.

Panda Express

Photo taken by Rachel Gross

This was the number of people at Panda on a Sunday afternoon. Jump ahead to Monday at 12 or 1, and there is a wrap-around line here. People seem to enjoy the greasy chicken and beef here. No matter what time it is, there are people here. When I went to the Panda Express website, it was colorful and cheery, and there is even something on the homepage that says " We sincerely hope your dining experience is pleasantly delicious. Enjoy!" They make Panda seem like a gourmet restaurant, when that's the last thing it is. The nutrition information for the food here is truly astounding. A basic Orange Chicken dish has 520 calories and 27 grams of fat per serving. Surprisingly, the Cream Cheese Ragoon has only 70 calories and 4 grams of fat. That's not too bad, but eating one of those is not going to fill someone up.

Two healthier options in the union are IQ fresh, which allows students to get wraps and smoothies, and On Deck Deli, a sandwich place where students can customize sandwiches. On at Sunday afternoon at the same time I was at Panda, there were virtually no people at either of these places.

Photos by Rachel Gross

Nobody seems interested in these places when they can go to Papa Johns or Burger King. Unlike IQ or On Deck, there were many hungry people waiting to get some food at Burger King.

Photo by Rachel Gross

The thing about most of this food is that it's affordable, and students are one a budget, so this is the easy thing to do. Burger King is the newest object in the union, replacing McDonalds when it's contract expired last July. People had mixed feelings about this replacement, and the Arizona Daily Wildcat wrote a story about it.

The purpose of this is basically just to make people aware of what they eat, especially at the University of Arizona. College is an important time to be healthy, so choosing the right food is important.

Here's a humorous, but somewhat disturbing commercial to leave you with.

Childhood Obesity

2007-09-09T12:44:00.000-07:00

Childhood obesity is a huge problem in America today, and it's growing rapidly. To curb this problem, schools are doing their part by providing healthier lunches to students and mandating P.E. so that every child has it. Here in Tucson, this is an especially important issue.

The other day, I did something I thought I would never do again-I went back to middle school. Middle school was a time of my life that I didn't enjoy very much, so I really never thought I would see the inside of one again. However, I was doing a story about childhood obesity, so I thought it would be fitting to go to Mansfeld Middle School and talk to one of the P.E. teachers about this growing epidemic. Mansfeld is located right across the street from the University of Arizona and the population of the school is about seventy-two percent Mexican American.

Last week, I provided some statistics about obesity in the Mexican-American community. Talking to the P.E. teacher, Lore Kalkwarf, I got some more perspective on the whole issue.

Here are some of the things she and I discussed:

Q: What activities do you do during P.E.?
A: Basketball, volleyball, hockey, ultimate Frisbee, soccer, flag football, kickball. We have a variety of events that we introduced them to.

Q: Is the P.E. program different at all now than it was a few years ago?
A: Not really. They're mandating P.E. more now. The difference with us is that we already had a ton; we are probably offering the most of all the schools. Schools that were offering less are now going to have to offer more.

Q: Do you think that ongoing child obesity problem makes this different?
A: Yes, that's why I believe the district is mandating it. A school like Tucson High, for example, introduced spin classes, and that's a lot more accurate for them because it's high school. We like to play and have them play so they can learn to work together as a team.

Q: Do you come across a lot of overweight students?
A: Yes, there are more than I would like to see. A really sad case years back was a kid who couldn't ties his own shoes. It's hard, and that's maybe why they need to introduce more physical education in elementary school. That's where I think the most impact could be made because by the time I get them as a sixth grader, they're big. We need to get them in the habit when the don't realize it's a habit.

Q: Do you think the kids go home and think about exercising at all?
A: I think the kids who work out when they get home are the ones on club teams. A kid that doesn't have something to go to that's organized probably won't do anything at home and just listen to their iPod's and play with their PSP's.

Q: How much of a problem do you think childhood obesity is today?
A: Well, if you consider that this generation of students is going to be the first not predicted to outlive their parents, that's huge. I tell that to the kids.

Q: Has this school gone to healthy lunches yet?
A: Yes, we were one of the first ones. Vending machines are now water; there are no candy bars.

Physical Education: Back in Action

2007-09-01T10:44:00.000-07:00

When I was in elementary and middle school, I always dreaded having to do P.E. I hated the fact that we had to put on different clothes, play some kind of game, and be put on teams with people I sometimes didn't care for. However, I know realize how grateful I am to have done this. Today, I like to exercise and be healthy, and I think it is because I was subject to this when I was younger. Today, P.E. is now more important than ever because obesity rates with children are skyrocketing. In Arizona, schools are doing what they can to bring back P.E. and teach children the right skills when it comes to exercising. I first want to start off with some national statistics about childhood obesity:

-Mexican American boys tend to have a higher prevalence of overweight than non-Hispanic black or non-Hispanic white boys. (Surgeon General)

-Behavioral and environmental factors are large contributors to overweight and obesity and provide the greatest opportunity for actions and interventions designed for prevention and treatment. (Surgeon General)

-Overweight adolescents have a 70% chance of becoming overweight or obese adults. This increases to 80% if one or more parent is overweight or obese. The most immediate consequence of overweight, as perceived by children themselves, is social discrimination. (Surgeon General)

-Physical activity declines dramatically over the course of adolescence, and girls are significantly less likely than boys to participate regularly in vigorous physical activity. (From US Department of Health and Human Services)

Some of these statistics are astonishing given everything Americans know today about health and fitness. Parents should teach their kids proper ways to be healthy, but the school should promote those values as well. I was curious to see what some schools did when it came to P.E. so I did some research.

I browsed You Tube to find some videos about P.E. and found something about a school in Phoenix. I found this and it intrigued me.

Desert Vista Elementary School is trying to this method called the "New" P.E. to get students more excited about doing physical activities. What basically happens is that they use technology and heart rate monitors and use video games like Dance Dance Revolution to get kids some physical activity during the day. I feel that doing things like this is very good for students. It gets them familiar with ways to get exercise and at the same time, makes it fun for them. If more schools did this, students may feel differently about being forced to do P.E.

Introduction, Part II

2007-08-26T13:07:00.000-07:00

Border health is an important issue, not just in Arizona, but also in other border states like California, New Mexico and Texas. I found a good website that gives an overview to the world of border health. Another very important aspect of this issue is childhood health, and more importantly childhood obesity for border communities. I want to really focus on children for this blog because I feel it's very important. There is an interesting article about vaccinations for border children, and how important that is as well.

I hope this blog educates people on this issue, while at the same time, is a fun read. Be prepared for a lot of facts, pictures, and interesting tidbits!

Introduction

2007-08-20T13:47:00.000-07:00

I've never done this before, so I'm a little unfamiliar with the entire procedure. However, just seeing how this whole thing works really helps. This blog doesn't have a specific topic, but I am thinking about it. The next one will be great, I promise! I love writing and know this is going to be really fun!