health trekker

I want it so bad i can taste it

noreply@blogger.com (heniii) — Sun, 03 May 2009 09:27:00 +0000

have you ever wished for something so hard and soo bad?
Have you ever hated your wall calendar before because it makes you feel like it's a silent bomb, ticking away your precious days?

welcome to the club.

This june 6th and 7th i would be sitting through an anxiety-ladden, mind-boggling major examinations that would determine my career as an RN. it's a big step in my life--my Nurse Licensure Exams.
Honestly I am sOooo not prepared for it. i have, like 34 days to go, and here i am, STARING at my nursing books, waiting some divine intervention. How on earth am i supposed to read, memorize, master all the crazy nursing subjects that we have?

and hey, to think that the exams do have lucrative questions like:
What is the secret of a woman who ages gracefully?
and the choices are like: healthy lifestyle, supportive family, etc.

geez.reaally.

i guess i just have to pray hard huh?
and start browsing through my books. wahai.
wish me luck.
wish me ALL the luck.

noreply@blogger.com (heniii) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 05:55:00 +0000

me in my scrubs! all-smiles eventhough i was bone-weary.=D

of the grandma i would never see again, of twilight fever and the board exam fright

noreply@blogger.com (heniii) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 05:31:00 +0000

I've been way too busy these past few months, so i hope you would forgive me for not updating.

with all the subjects I'm taking and the nursing audit classes putting a toll on my too-human energy, i just couldn't ask my brain cells to work way overtime and write anything for me to post.

much happened to me these past four months:

first, my maternal grandmother, the one who has lung cancer, passed away last November 24. She died due to peritonitis, a complication. (remember she just had her chemotherapy, and her WBCs are down, so she was really in a very delicate state). I cried so much for a few days and even up to now, there's still this gnawing pain i feel whenever i remember her. My aunt consoled me at the wake and told me that "at least she's no longer in pain now." i know she's right. but still i'm selfish enough to wish that she's still here with us. I guess it's because i never really had the chance to tell her that I love her. Because all the time she was having her therapy, i kept on telling myself she would survive and in the end i really believed she really would, that i didn't see the need to tell her goodbye and that i loved her.

anyway,
twilight fever had become a pandemic. And i'm one of those inflicted with it. haha. But hey i think the ones who portrayed the Cullens in the movie really did well. The twilight books are evaporating so fast from ALL the bookstores, i was even surprised to see that the little bookstore near our house was jampacked with people buying twilight series, when in all of its existence, its customers never did exceeded five at a time. hmm.
and anywhere i go, there are people carrying, buying or reading the books: malls, trains, even on the bus and on the playground!

so what am i doing right now?
i'm watching the days flew by waiting. tick-tock-tick-tock.
waiting for me to graduate, get my nursing pin, start my review classes (im really confused where i should take my review for the board exam. there are like hundreds of review centers and they all seem the same to me), take and TOP the board exam (that's the spirit, right?).

and then, what? I-REALLY-REALLY-DONT-KNOW.
i guess i'll handle things one day at a time huh?=D

Protecting and Preserving the Nursing Profession

noreply@blogger.com (heniii) — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 06:19:00 +0000

Since the dawn of yore nurses are thought of as mortal angels--- always with a lamp, caring, giving, and not thinking of one’s own ambitious gain. It is a service that has learned to endure various mockery and ridicules associated with it. Centuries have passed and science has evolved hundredfold, unravelling new ideas and innovative ways of preserving human life. And yet nurses remain a profession different from all others mainly due to a single entity commonly tagged as the mark of each and every nurse, the calling and the essence of being a nurse: compassion.

In the country alone, we have millions of licensed nurses. It has been a popular and sought after profession as of today. Some would think that the ballooning population must have been due to dire hopes of landing on a greener pasture; but for nurses like us who have come to love the profession despite of being forced by our parents, it is a calling. A calling so loud and clear it pervades through our very bones and is absorbed by our very soul.

The sad reality is that, in a country filled with world-renowned nurses, our very hospitals stink with its dark secrets. Secrets so dark they would have been thought of as absurd and fictional.

Tough luck for poor and pregnant moms.

"It's you again? Every year you give birth! After this you should have a ligation!" one health worker recalled hearing a male doctor scold a mother in the delivery room.

Getting no reply from the helpless woman, the doctor allegedly was heard mumbling to his assistants: "I hope the baby is dead."

"He got even more angry when he saw that the baby was alive."

The same doctor, graduate from a top medical school in the country, had also performed total abdominal hysterectomy on an unsuspecting mother after she delivered her sixth baby by cesarian section.

He had removed her uterus.

When the mother woke up, the doctor told her he had to perform hysterectomy because she was bleeding profusely.

"But she was never bleeding."

After reading the news article entitled “Dark Secrets Born in Delivery Rooms” published a several years back, I was speechless. Hundreds of emotions transpired in my Amygdala, ranging from rage to the health care professionals involved, then sympathy to the patients, and finally, disappointment to the current health care system. Flocks of nursing schools evolved in the past ten years. And it seemed as though only few of them has inculcated into their students the importance of being a conscientious and compassionate nurse far above the importance of passing the board exams and their NCLEX. Maybe, just maybe, if their Bioethics classes have somehow infiltrated their souls, these dark stories would never have been born at all.

In the pledge of the American Nurses Association, this is clearly stated: “The nurse’s primary commitment is the health, welfare and safety of the client.” Nurses should foresee the needs of the patient in order to restore their optimum level of functioning by eliminating all the expected and present stressors that can inflict harm to the patient health condition. As a health care practitioner, we also have an imposed obligation to promote health and welfare of the patient above other considerations. According to one of the Universal Principle of Biomedical Ethics which is Beneficence, nurses ought to prevent or remove evil or harm and promote good.

"I was shocked." he said. "It wasn't what we were taught in school about patient care. It was completely the opposite."
He recalled one instance when a mother delivered her eighth baby on a stretcher before she could be transferred to the delivery table. "The nurses got mad and said, Why didn't you tell us the baby was about to come out?"
To punish the woman, the nurses allegedly told her to move to the delivery table by herself.

Imagine the pain. You've just delivered [a baby] and you're asked to move with no assistance whatsoever.

In this case the patient is a multigravida, a mother in labour for the 8th time. Being a knowledgeable nurse, we learned that this condition of the mother, being a multiparrous, brought about several physiologic changes to the mother already. To enumerate some, a history of multiple deliveries may bring about weakening of the perineal muscles, a wider pelvic inlet and a shorter time for the dilatation and effacement to occur. Bearing these things in mind, the nurse should expect a faster rate of delivery. As what our clinical instructors once told us, we have to be faster than the fetus, because the fetus would not wait for us to get ready. He/She will come out when he/she wants to.

In the presented above factors, the patient has neither any account nor any liabilities in delivering the baby while she is still on the stretcher. No one has any control about that. Not even the nurse. So the nurse has no right to punish the mother for having a “fast and unwarned” delivery. To punish the mother by scolding, humiliating and telling her to transfer from the stretcher to the delivery table by herself after a spontaneous vaginal delivery is a perfect example of contradicting the Nightingale Pledge. It is a clear mockery to the nursing profession. The act is considered to be irrational and totally, irrevocably unjustifiable.

I am not an idealistic person, I am well aware of the flaws of the country's Health Care System. True, we lack technologies and the problem of medical supply shortage is something we have learned to deal with every day. But being a despicable and lousy excuse for a nurse is tantamount and even worse compared to all the aforementioned problems. I was not expecting a perfect world when I entered this profession. So did my batchmates. But we were all geared up with optimism: we can make a difference.

In nursing schools we are taught how to master our skills and memorize the theories. But far beyond this tangible things we have learned from our great mentors and life experiences during our clinical rotations to various hospitals that instead of finding for the setbacks, flaws and short comings, we should realize that as nurses we are privileged to touch every person’s life and help preserve the greatest gift of God which is life.

***the article cited above was from the PDI entitled, Dark Stories Born in Delivery Rooms published in May 30, 2005***

Freaky Nurse

noreply@blogger.com (heniii) — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 08:42:00 +0000

Have you ever had a friend, who was your friend not becasue you really jive together, but because you had no choice? Like you work and study in the same places and at the same shifts?

Well, i'll tell you about this friend of mine.
One night during our boring night shifts (there were only 5 patients in the hospital, all are stable and sleeping), this friend of mine left his bag lying open in one of the tables in the Nurse's Station. My gay friend, in the act of putting his bag to another table, accidentally saw a medical certificate and a box of Dapsone on my friend's bag. The medical certificate says that he has Leprosy, a mild form of Leprosy.

Boy, when he told me and a couple of friends about this, we were all speechless. You see, contrary to popular belief, leprosy is not highly contagious--yes that's true.. but anyhow, being a mycobacterium as well, it is transmitted via droplet infection.

And what really freaks me out is that he REFUSES to open up to us, so that means that if my gay friend had never accidentally found his supply of dapsone, we would never know about his condition.

You see, it's not about the disease. We don't really care that he has leprosy, because he would always be our friend, and nothing would change with the way we interact with him. Actually, it's about honesty and sense of care for your colleagues. If you know that you have a disease, which is communicable, don't you think that those people around you (CLOSE people around you) have the right to know?

It pisses me off because he would often use our utensils, and would even take a bite off our sandwich or drink from our bottled drinks all the time. Its like he wanted us to acquire the disease too.

Is that what you call a conscientious nurse?
I think not.

all in a nurse's day

noreply@blogger.com (heniii) — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 08:14:00 +0000

boy, it is really tough to be a nurse. Especially when you get to handle 10 patients in a shift, two of which are in acute biologic crisis.

this morning I handled this patient who was diagnosed of Pulmonary Tuberculosis, Community-Acquired Pneumonia, and Cerebro Vascular Accident (CVA).

clearly, he isn't in good condition.

He doesn't respond well to verbal stimulus and it takes a lot of pain to elicit response from him.
I had to suction his secretions every 2 hours or so (his secretions are so damn tenacious) , give him his IV meds, feed him thru NGT, administer mannitol and watch his BP carefully, turning every two hours, vital signs every hour, intake and output every hour, as well as other nursing care every hour or so. and that's for just one patient.

It was a bone-weary shift.Indeed.

Anyway, my brother (22 years old) was confined to the hospital just last night. He has fever for two weeks now and a non resolving cough. During those two weeks he consulted with a doctor in a nearby private clinic who doesn't seem to know what he's doing. To tell you the truth he doesn't even believe my brother when he said that he has fever for almost two weeks now. Geez. I often wonder if he's really a doctor, or just the janitor of the clinic wearing a white blazer?

So my brother sought medical attention in a private hospital. He underwent series of X-rays (twice in just one week) and sputum test. His X-ray suggests pneumonia, but since his X-rays are vague, he was advised to undergo CT Scan (Computerized Tomography).

I don't' know his condition right now because sadly, i haven't the time to visit him yet, and I'm really worried.

Prayers would be greatly appreciated.

Genital Warts

noreply@blogger.com (heniii) — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 07:01:00 +0000

Infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV) is usually asymptomatic (does not cause any symptoms) and does not always produce visible genital warts.

When symptoms do develop, they usually occur 2 to 3 months after infection. However, symptoms have been known to develop from 3 weeks to many years after infection.

Symptoms that may occur with genital warts include:
Irritation.
Itching.
Bleeding.
Genital warts
Genital warts can be different sizes and shapes.
They may be large, or they may be too small to be seen with the naked eye. They may appear individually or in groups.
Warts may look like tiny bunches of cauliflower or like flat, white areas that are very difficult to see.
In women and men, warts may appear in the groin, on and around the genitals, in the urethra, or in the rectum or anus.

In women:
Genital warts may appear on the vulva, vagina, or cervix.
Women are often unaware of warts inside the vagina or on the cervix until a health professional finds them.

In men:
Genital warts may occur on the outside of the penis and scrotum.
Men are often unaware they have genital warts, even when they can be seen, until the warts are identified by a health professional.
Symptoms of genital warts may be similar to those of other conditions.

source: health.yahoo.com

Symptoms of HIV/AIDS

noreply@blogger.com (heniii) — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 13:12:00 +0000

Top Ten Symptoms of HIV/AIDS
1. Depression
2. Diarrhea
3. Thrush- yeast-like fungi commonly found in the normal flora of the mouth, skin, intestinal tract, and vagina, which can become clinically infectious in immune-compromised persons
4. Weight Loss
5. Lipodystrophy (Fat redistribution syndrome)
6. Sinus infection
7. Fatigue
8. Nausea and Vomiting
9. Lactic Acidosis- lactic acid builds up in the body due to the destruction of mitochondria, the powerhouse of the cell.
10. Peripheral Neuropathy- burning and tingling of the feet and hands

First, please do not to rely on the HIV symptoms as stated in this post to establish whether or not you are infected with the HIV virus, because these symptoms are similar to symptoms of many other diseases. The primary symptoms are actually flu-like symptoms. The best way to know whether you are positive or not is to have an HIV test done.

Primary HIV Infection
fever
headache
pain in the limbs
sore throat
swollen lymph nodes
fatigue
loss of appetite
diarrhea
skin rash

Asymptomatic HIV Infection
In this phase, which can last 8 to 9 years, there are no symptoms at all. Nevertheless, in this period of time the HIV virus is reproducing itself and keeps destroying the immune cells.

Symptomatic HIV Infection
long-lasting swollen lymph nodes
permanent night sweat
long-lasting diarrhea
persistent fever
severe weight loss
fungal diseases
dermatitis
dry cough and breathlessness
chronic fatigue

Are you HIV positive?

noreply@blogger.com (heniii) — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 12:58:00 +0000

HIV or human immunodeficiency virus is a retrovirus which causes AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome). It actually belongs to lentivirus which is sometimes called as "slow virus" due to the long incubation period. It can take 7 to 12 years .

HIV is transmitted by:
-unprotected sex
-use of contaminated needles or syringe
-needle pricks for health care workers
-blood transfusion of an infected blood or blood products.
-perinatal or vertical transmission (pregnant woman to her fetus during pregnancy, delivery)
-organ donation from patients infected with HIV
-There are no documented cases of HIV being transmitted by tears or saliva, but it is said that it may be possible to be infected with HIV through oral sex or in rare cases through deep kissing, especially if you have open sores in your mouth or bleeding gums

What are the Ways to Diagnose Whether I'm Positive or Not?
When HIV infection takes place, anti-HIV bodies are produced but they are not detected immediately. This is called the "window" effect.
Basically, two most common ways of screening and confirming for HIV are:

1. ELISA- Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (screening)
2. Western Blot --confirmatory test

Gratitude is Attitude

noreply@blogger.com (heniii) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 12:10:00 +0000

Oftentimes, a familiar storyline on a drama show would be this: children who grew up in a poverty-stricken life. They would work hard, and in the end they would become somebody they aspire for. And they would forget their parents. I told myself, their parents do not deserve gratitude from their child, because what the child has become was due to his own doing alone, and parents are not part of their success. Hence such child does not owe his parents anything. They are unworthy of receiving any appreciation.

I told my father about this while we were driving on our way home from visiting my grandmother last week. He told me that, “A good child would say thank you to parents who has provided him a good life. But a loving child would show his gratitude even though their life was not a bed of roses.”

My father then told me his life as a child. He told me that when he was 11 years old, his father died suddenly due to heart attack. My grandmother was left with 10 children, none of whom has even finished their studies.

So my father and his siblings had to work their way in high school and college. My father would tell us that during his college days, he would study during the day and work at night. What he earns, he gives it to his mother, who would add it to their food budget. My father told us he owns just one pair of slacks and polo for uniform. He wears slippers at school, his baon would be dried fish, and his bag was just a plastic bag.

Now, he is a successful businessman. His siblings are also all affluent. Some of them became doctors, while most of them are now lawyers. And yet, despite the hardship, they do not blame their father for dying early, nor their mother for not being able to provide for them a good life. Instead, my father and all his siblings would humbly say “thank you” to my grandmother for the virtues that she has instilled unto them, and for the loving support she has continuously provided them throughout her life.

Now my grandmother is in the hospital, she is currently comatose for more than a month now. And yet, her children, all living from different places and some are even well-known in their profession, would take turns to personally care for her, showing their gratitude to a mother who have devoted her life loving the children that was left for her care. And this, I realized, is the highest form of gratitude: respect for a person who took care of you with the best of her abilities, and humility to that person even after you have reached your dream in life.

the SWEETEST cure for egg allergy

noreply@blogger.com (heniii) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 07:50:00 +0000

Greek physicians say that the best way to desentize kids with allergy to eggs is to let them eat cakes.

Heat modifies certain egg allergens and, in turn, allows some children with egg allergies to be "treated" by feeding them ever increasing amounts of egg baked in a cake, Dr. George N. Konstantinou and colleagues, at the University of Athens report.

This approach was used among 94 young children with food allergy. The kids underwent 6 months of desensitization and showed that 90% of the subjects were able to tolerate eggs baked in the cake.

Each of the child started with 0.1 gram of cake containing 0.63 mg egg protein. The following doses were tripled from the previous amount until they were able to consume one and a half gram of egg protein.

However, this approach is still under study. If you have any children at home with a known food allergy, they should be treated under the supervision of their physicians.

During the 6-months study, only 7 children still had itching, eczema, or more severe reactions to the baked egg challenge.

The investigators then gave a whole egg to the 87 children who did not react to baked eggs and only 4 reacted with itching or eczema.

These findings suggest that consuming small quantities of baked egg antigen might alter the natural course of egg allergy.

souce: Reuters Health

Babies, unlimited

noreply@blogger.com (heniii) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 10:09:00 +0000

A 27-year old Egyptian woman, on her 36th AOG, gave birth to septuplets last Saturday in Al-Shatbi hospital in Egypt's coastal city of Alexandria.

The newborns, four boys and three girls, weigh between 3.2 pounds and 6.17 pounds and are in stable condition. They have been placed in incubators in four hospitals that have special premature baby units.

Meanwhile, the mother of the septuplets, Ghazala Khamis, was also in a stable condition following a Caesarean section and was transfused with blood thereafter due to bleeding.

The septuplets is said to be a product of fertility drugs which Khamis took in the hopes of having a son. Aside from the septuplets, Khamis is already a mother of three girls.

Initial check-up done by the doctor reveals no deformities or incomplete organs.

Furthermore, the septuplets will receive free milk and diapers until the age of two, according to Egypt Health Minister.

Nostalgia

noreply@blogger.com (heniii) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 12:43:00 +0000

I regularly check other medical and nursing blogs for ideas, inspiration, and sometimes, out of plain curiosity.

I stumbled upon this blog: About A Nurse, and as i was browsing, a certain post caught my eyes. By the way, the blog writer is a Kababayan of mine, and i was deeply moved by her experiences in a foreign country. Geez. it was really illuminating. I even cried while reading her post, mainly for two reasons: one, i feel her pain and frustrations and all the hardships she had to endure (and will endure) just for the sake of keeping her job and providing a good life for her two kids. two, because i know that i would be experiencing the same horrors of living half the world away from family and friends who accept me as i am.

Don't get me wrong, i would rather stay here surrounded by all the people who adore me. But really, $160 salary/month is not really worth all the 16 hours shift per day and the 1:30 nurse-patient ratio. No matter how much i work my ass off, it wont give my parents a better life. and my younger sibling would not be able to finish college.
They are all expecting that i would land a job in a greener pasture so that everything will be better. I want it too, for my future. However, after reading the post, i asked myself if i'm prepared for all this. and i just can't give a concrete answer that soothes my soul.

to stay, and live a poverty-stricken life.
or not to stay, but have a lonely life.

why the world has bestowed upon me life's cruelest joke is beyond my ken.

Graviola: a therapeutic myth

noreply@blogger.com (heniii) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 11:23:00 +0000

As what i have said in my previous post, my maternal grandmother was diagnosed of lung cancer several weeks ago. It was already in its fourth stage. She is currently undergoing chemotherapy. However, she said that she is growing "tired" of her treatment. Recently, a friend of hers offered her graviola supplements, which she said would "cure" her. Not really trusting her friend (she does not look trustworthy, anyway), i made my own research for graviola and here's what i found out:

Graviola (Annona reticulata) comes from the deep rainforest jungles along the Amazon. Its various parts, including the leaves, roots, fruit, fruit seeds, and bark, have been used for centuries by medicine men and women and natives of South America to treat several health problems such as dysentery, fever, diarrhea.

It has been well-publicized in the internet that graviola is a thousand-times potent anti-cancer herb. It was even said that it is even stronger than chemo drugs. However, recent post by Dr. Andrew Weil says that all of this a big MYTH.

I totally agree with his recommendation of not taking graviola supplements. Indeed, there is no direct human study of graviola among actual cancer patients. The tests done were only in vitro-- test tubes containing cancer cells. Not actual patients. Also, the ones used in the said study was from a related tree (annona glabra).

Better inform my grandma about this.

Rhytidectomy: is Face Lift for me?

noreply@blogger.com (heniii) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 10:23:00 +0000

Artificial Beauty.
That is the new term for those individuals whose "beauty" was achieved under the operating table. With so many people trying to regain the beauty of their youth, Face Lifts became as popular as ever. But, is it worth the risk? is it really for you?

Please note that the following are just information gathered about Face Lift or Rhytidectomy.
Do not rely solely on this article if you plan to have a face lift done. Every individual is unique, hence the effect of this procedure on you may vary. It is always best to consult your Physician personally before doing any medical decisions.

Why Face Lift?
Face-lifts attempts to eliminate wrinkles and tightens sagging skin to make an older face look younger.

What is a Rhytidectomy?
Rhytidectomy is the medical term which is commonly called a Face Lift. This procedure is said to be the most extensive means of achieving a younger looking skin by reducing the appearance of wrinkles and the most hated sagging facial skin.
Literally speaking, the skin is lifted off the face in order to tighten and reposition the facial skin smoothly.

No Pains, No Gains?
I have not undergone a rhytidectomy, so i cannot personally say how much pain you will experience. However, during Rhytidectomy, you will be given either a sedative or a general anesthesia, and a local anesthesia. The surgeon will then make an incision from your temple and around the ear. Your skin will be raised, muscle and tissue is tightened. Then it will be redraped and sutured.

Surgery Scars?
the incision made by the surgeon is usually on the hairline or in a place that tends to naturally crease so it won't be obvious that you have had your surgery.

Will I be confined in the hospital?
The surgery usually takes several hours. You may be able to go home that day, but people sometimes spend one night in the hospital.

After Surgery: What Now?
You will have a bandaged face which you will have to bear for a couple of days (more or less). The stitches will be removed in a week or so. You may experience pain after surgery, so you may expect that your doctor will prescribe pain killers (analgesics) for you.
You may experince some swelling and bruising of your facial area, in which case a cold compress may be helpful. Do not apply cold compresses directly on your skin for a prolonged time! (rebound phenomenon may occur). Keep your head elevated and avoid too much activities which involves head movements. Your face will feel and appear a bit strange to you, which is normal, and you should be prepared for this in the first place.

What to Avoid Post-Operatively
Do not smoke! Do not expose yourself to tobacco smoke after surgery up to a month or so. Otherwise, there is an increased risk for skin tissue death, hence a delay in the healing process and the scarring would be worse. Most people can return to their normal activities 2 to 3 weeks after a face-lift.

Is it Really Effective?
It cannot remove all facial wrinkles around the eyes, below the nose, and around the lips.
The effectiveness and safety of your face-lift surgery depends heavily upon the skill of your surgeon. So make sure you pick a good and qualified surgeon for the job. you have just one face, so better take care of it.

The Risks
Like in any other surgical procedure, make sure that you know fully well all the risks involved before subjecting yourself to any procedure. Problems that may be caused by having a face-lift include:

Reactions to the anesthesia.
Bleeding under the skin.
Infection.
Damage to the nerves that supply the muscles of the face. This can cause paralysis or spasm in the face, but the effects are usually temporary.
Hair loss
Tissue loss.
Scarring.
Blood clots in large veins traveling up to the heart and lungs. However,this is not common.
As with all cosmetic procedures, there is also the risk that the results will not be what you expected.

Have a comprehensive talk with your physician first before signing any consents for surgery. Also, make sure your surgeon is well-skilled and well- qualified. Otherwise, you are doomed.

Psychopathology of Schizophrenia

noreply@blogger.com (heniii) — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 14:33:00 +0000

Schizophrenia, as an inorganic mental disorder, is an idiopathic disorder whose etiology has been challenged for many years. Its psychopathology, like other mental disorders, is based on cases that have been studied by professional psychiatrists to describe the prognosis of the disease process. Presently, there are theories that have gained such reputation to the people involved in schizophrenia. These theories are the Genetic Predisposition Theory, Neurochemical Theory, Organic Theory, Environmental Theory, Perinatal Theory and Psychological Theory. However, in the realm of psychopathology, a symptomatologic approach is used to study the course of the disease.

The Genetic Predisposition Theory suggests that the risk of inheriting schizophrenia is 10% to 20% in those who have one immediate family member with the disease, and approximately 40% if the disease affects both parents or an identical twin (Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing 7th Edition by Shives).

The Neurochemical Theory is a group of theories that are based on the activity of the chemicals being produced in the brain. Several theories are nuerochemical in nature but two are the most relied by many professionals: the Dopamine and Serotonin theory. These theories suggest an increase in the respective chemicals involved.

The organic theory suggests that schizophrenia is a functional deficit occurring in the brain caused by stressors occurring in the brain such as viral infection, toxins, and trauma or abnormal substances.

Environmental theory states that there is a dysfunctional reaction towards a social stimulus. This is better reflected in the ecologic model of this study.

The Perinatal theory suggests that the disorder might have been rooted from oxygen and nutrition deprivation of the fetus during the first trimester.

The Psychological theory states that the prefrontal lobe of the brain responds to stress intensively that is caused by different factors including familial relationships and social relationships. Generally, it overlaps the neurochemical and environmental theory.

mesothelioma: a health trek

noreply@blogger.com (heniii) — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 14:19:00 +0000

History

In 1960s, Wagner published an article about a certain disease that is strongly linked to asbestos exposure.

Mesothelium:

The mesothelium is a membrane that forms the lining of several body cavities: the pleura (thoracal cavity), peritoneum (abdominal cavity including the mesentery) and pericardium (heart sac). Mesothelial tissue also surrounds the male internal reproductive organs (the tunica vaginalis testis) and covers the internal reproductive organs of women (the tunica serosa uteri). Mesothelium that covers the internal organs is called visceral mesothelium, while the layer that covers the body walls is called the parietal mesothelium.

Mesothelioma defined

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer in which cancer cells are found in the sac lining the chest, the lining of the abdominal cavity or the lining around the heart

is a disease in which cells of the mesothelium become abnormal and divide without control or order. They can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs. Cancer cells can also metastasize (spread) from their original site to other parts of the body. Most cases of mesothelioma begin in the pleura or peritoneum. More than 90% of mesothelioma cases are linked to asbestos exposure.

Asbestos defined

Asbestos refers to a group of minerals that occur naturally as masses of strong, flexible fibers that can be separated into thin threads and woven. Asbestos fibers, including Chrysotile asbestos, are not affected by heat or chemicals, do not conduct electricity, and therefore has been widely used in many industries. However, asbestos fiber masses tend to break easily into a dust composed of tiny particles that can float in the air and stick to clothes. The fibers may be easily inhaled or swallowed and exposure to asbestos has been shown to cause serious health problems including pleural mesothelioma.

AIDS vaccine: is there still hope?

noreply@blogger.com (heniii) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:26:00 +0000

AIDS may not be curable, but at least it’s preventable.

Safe sex practices, monogamous relationships, universal precautions for health care providers, and avoid sharing unsterilized needles/syringes for IV injections, and such are safety precautions in order to avoid acquiring this dreadful malady.

However, recent studies have led to a promising vaccine---the AIDS vaccine.
This AIDS vaccine is a two-shot injection designed to fight against HIV infection a different way – it triggers the body’s cell-mediated immune responses rather than relying solely on HIV antibodies.

I've watched from one of the health news in our school about this AIDS vaccine, and I've thought that if this vaccine would proved to be successful, 27 years of struggling against AIDS would at last come to an end.

The irony is, researchers still fail to understand how exactly our body defends against HIV. And the absence of this vital information may perchance suggest that any vaccines or medications aiming to trigger immune responses may actually be based on blind hypotheses.
It’s a complicated puzzle that even 33 million current cases of AIDS worldwide still can’t give us the missing pieces.

Meanwhile large-scale trial for AIDS vaccine was dropped recently. Dr Anthony Fauci, NIAID director, cancelled the test phase of the Partnership for AIDS Vaccine Evaluation or Pave after Merck’s previous trial proved to be unsuccessful.

If one can remember, last September, the Merck (pharmaceutical company) suspended its trials of the Ad5 vaccine, which aimed to lower the viral load in the bloodstream. The results of the trial suggested that the vaccine may have unintentionally increased HIV risk among subjects who were exposed to blood or semen infected with HIV.

So far, it was said that the best way to test whether the vaccine is indeed helpful or not is by first trying it out on a smaller, more focused study rather than going on large-scale.

Slowly, but surely right?=D

welcome to the world

noreply@blogger.com (heniii) — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 13:50:00 +0000

my sister just gave birth to a baby girl.

she's SoooO cute.

great wonders what a baby can do.

Nurse-cisstic

noreply@blogger.com (heniii) — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 13:39:00 +0000

geez. we have a film project on Nursing Care Management about Cluster B personality disorders.
it was very toxic what with the homeworks, casepresentations and examinations coming up as well.

we filmed it for two weeks. guess what?
ive watched all the video clips today and was really pissed off because one of my groupmates kept on coughing and sneezing behind the cameraman, so basically all that could be heard from the film is a series of coughs and sneezes.

talk about wasting two precious weeks.

now we have to retake the entire film.

great job.

saying adieu

noreply@blogger.com (heniii) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:26:00 +0000

why fate has bestowed upon me life's cruelest joke is beyond my ken.
***
i am a student nurse. i aspire to be an ICU nurse. because, like what they said, i could accept anything and everything including death. i see patients who expire right before my eyes. i emphatize with their loved ones, but i also tell myself that death is inevitable. we have no choice but to succumb to that final slumber. for me, what is important is that i have cared for my patients the best that i could, so that whether they live or die, i would not feel my conscience nagging me for being the lousiest excuse for a nurse.

***
the sad reality is that, not all health care providers have conscience. a few of them just own the title (nurse, doctor, etc) , but they don't deserve to be part of a health care team.
***
last week, my paternal grandmother slipped while inside the bathroom and sustained several fractures. she immediately underwent surgery, which was successful. she was transferred out from the recovery room to a regular room. she is ambulatory, she can even go to the bathroom with minimal assistance.

her physical therapist scheduled her therapy to start last saturday, the day that she supposedly would be discharged according to her attending physician.

2 days prior to being discharged, she was given an anesthetic drug through IV. her blood pressure dropped and she experienced numbing sensation on the arm where the anesthetic solution was pushed. my uncle, who was then present, told the nurse not to give the said medication again because of the effects aforementioned.

the following night, a Resident on Duty injected the same medication. this time it was a younger cousin who was attending to my grandmother's needs, so my cousin doesn't know about the said medication.

my grandmother said she couldn't feel her arm, and she fell asleep.

my cousin approached the nurses' station and inform them about my grandma's condition.

you know what the heck the nurse said? she said, "Oh, that's normal."

my cousin went back to my grandmother's room and still anxious, she checked my grandmother, who have lost her consciousness already.

panicking, she shouted for a nurse.

my grandmother had a cardiac arrest.

they were able to revive her (using defibrillator and epi). and end up comatosed in the ICU.

the ROD who pushed the anesthesia was nowhere to be found.

the next day, my father visited her (as he usually does everyday)

he told me that he could not bear to look at his mother (my grandma) because she was having seizure episodes.

our family demanded for an explanation. her ortho surgeon said that he does not know what happened because "it is not my forte." we called her attending physician, who just said that she also don't know what happened, and that she is still investigating the circumstances which lead to the cardiac arrest of my grandmother.

i looked up at my drug handbook for the adverse effect of the said medication. know what? it says it can cause seizure, arrythmia, respiratory arrest, and CARDIAC ARREST.

it's a CNS depressant.

the ROD cannot be contacted for her side of events.

she still hasn't shown herself to us.

i am writing this because right now, my grandmother is comatosed. the doctors said that they'll "give" my mother until thursday to regain her consciousness.and then what? make us sign DNR's?!

i cried all night because i was really close to my grandmother. she practically raised me as a child.

all my memories with her was happy. i am also full of anguish because i am a nurse, i see death lurking on shadows all the time. but i don't want her to give up, even if others say that her body is already tired and longed to give in to that 'eternal peace'.

but i just can't let her go.

i guess love really is selfish.

***

to my grandmother, i will always be your little princess. i am so sorry for the times i was unable to visit you because i was too busy studying. i really regret not having spent time with you these past few months. you know i love you dearly because you have cared for me even if you are already feeble and old.please, please don't give up. not this time. And not like this.

cancer of the society stage IV

noreply@blogger.com (heniii) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 15:28:00 +0000

hmm. lets just say that i am idealistic. or probably it's the fault of "commercialized" media that we have nowadays. i grew up watching movies about psychotic people and the impression they left on me was that these people are either very very quiet (deafeningly silent) or very very aggressive, incompetent, unmanageable, even HARMFUL.

last Tuesday i was first exposed to a (public) mental institution for my clinical rotation as a senior student nurse. i thought i was well-prepared for everything. I dutifully read my psychiatric books (shives, videbeck, sia) for tips about what to say and what not to say. being a perfectionist that i was, everything i have to say was written on a script at the back of my mind.

my clinical instructor was very strict. we had to wear smock gowns/ laboratory gowns to make us look more professional (since we were only wearing shirts and jeans); also for protection for us girls.

you see, we were assigned to a male pavilion. the male court cases pavilion.
this pavilion caters those male patients who are mentally ill and have pleaded insanity as defense for their crimes.

now that's really scary. especially to a petite, skinny, fragile-looking girl that i am.

i was really nervous, my palms were all sweaty and i couldn't think of anything but scary thoughts. (looking back, i guess i was just plain paranoid.=D')

i was so distracted i couldn't even answer the long exam our dear CI gave us.

(SHEES, really! even if i am not distracted, i still wouldn't be able to answer the questions! it was all about,
"what pavilion has infirmary?
what pavilion has pay ward?
what pavilion receives male?
what pavilion has OPS?
who is the assistant of the assistant of the assistant chief nurse in pavilion blah blah?"
and even: "what is the land area of this pavilion?"

take note: there are about 40+ pavilions? and i haven't even seen 5 of them! how should i know??? would knowing all those things make me an OUTSTANDING psychiatric nurse? sigh!)

anyway, back to my patient.

my patient is a 50+ year-old schizophrenic (undifferentiated, chronic) who committed frustrated homicide back in late 1980s. i really gulped hard when i heard him say this. but my feelings shifted as our conversation progressed. he said that he really liked having student nurses because nobody visits him anymore (he's been there for 22 years now)and that the student nurses are friendly and gives him soap, slippers and toothbrush,which is a scarcity in the pavilion. i kept my professional mask but deep inside i was really moved.

when i looked at his "room" i thought i was visiting someone in jail. because there is no bed or anything personal. the patients sleep on the floor, and they don't get to have any privacy at all because of their large population and primarily because our government has got no funds to help out public hospitals/institutions.

this is a sad reality especially if one lives in a third world country where everyday survival is the main concern of the people. the government cannot allocate funds for the health care system because it is suffering from fiscal crisis. inside the mental institution, our patients are basically deprived. they content themselves with meagre food and facilities while outside, corrupt politicians are sooo busy corrupting money that came from my countrymen's hard labour. i guess this "cancer" has metastasized too far no doctor or nurse can cure it anymore.

cancer genes, anyone?

noreply@blogger.com (heniii) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 12:18:00 +0000

my maternal grandmother, in her early 60s, suddenly developed fever and cough.
she was brought to a provincial hospital.
Routine examinations reveal atelectasis and a "very white/cloudy" upper lungs.
more diagnostic exams reveal lung CA stage 4.
it has invaded her kidneys too. she was never a smoker.
she does not even visit the city where air pollution is at its peak.
she does mountain climbing almost everyday for the last 2 decades.
she was as strong as a bull.
now she's as fragile as a thread.

her sister died of breast CA.
her nephew of leukemia.
cancer is running wildly in her blood.
IN MY BLOOD.
bloody hell.