The Ending of Something Wonderful

I guess it is time to say goodbye to this program and the amazing people that are in it. It is truly bittersweet. Here is the last HMP assignment that I will ever do:

Pica..Pica..Pica-CHU!

The more I learn about Pica and its mysterious origin, the more interesting it is to me. Recently, I read an article that explains the nature of this disease in full details. Some interesting facts that I discovered is that although no specific data exist regarding the racial predilection of pica, the practice is reported to be more common among certain cultural and geographic populations. For example, geophagia is accepted culturally among some families of African lineage and is reported to be problematic in 70% of the provinces in Turkey. Also, pica is observed more commonly during the second and third years of life and is considered developmentally inappropriate in children older than 18-24 months. Research suggests that pica occurs in 25%-33% of young children and 20% of children seen in mental health clinics. Overall, this article was another helpful source!

"Eating Disorder, Pica." Emedicine. Medscape, 4 June 2009. Web. 24

Mar. 2011. < http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/914765-

overview >.

Q and A

1. What part of the newspaper do you read first?

When I read a newspaper, I usually go straight for the world news section first because I simply find it most important in a newspaper. Being aware of world news makes me appreciate what we have. Also, I like to be informed and be more globally connected to other nations.

2. What are three books you’ve read in the past year?

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath (This has to be one of my favorites. I highly recommend this!)

Family Ties by Clarice Lispector

The Golden Apples by E. Welty

3. As a child, what did you do in your free time?

When I was younger, I liked to be outside and do spontaneous things such as go on “adventures to the unknown forest” with my friends and ride my bike around the neighborhood. Also, being the little child that I was, television was my addiction—shows such as The Rugrats, Hey Arnold, Powderpuff Girls, Spongebob Squarepants, and Power Rangers were some of my favorites. I also had a diary back in the days…maybe that is the reason why I blog so much nowadays. I remembered eating a lot and chasing after ice cream trucks… (good memories). I guess I was a hyperactive little kid. I also remembered a lot of dress-up moments, water fights, jumping on piles of leaves shenanigans, chasing after fireflies, and etc. Just reminiscing about my childhood makes me want to be five again.

4. What’s a goal that has been on your list for a few years?

I think the one goal that I’ve always wanted to achieve is to own a motorcycle and know how to ride it well. I guess you could say that I like to live life on the edge. I don’t know why I’m such a junkie for an adrenaline rush but there is something about riding a motorcycle that is so...out of my comfort zone. I know the dangerousness of motorcycles but I couldn’t help it!

5. What do you actually do with your free time?

This is a funny question…what free time? Haha. Being in the International Baccalaureate program consumes most of my time, especially when I have a very intensive volunteering schedule. But, when I do have some free time, I like to do what relaxes me such as reading, blogging, jogging, walk around the park, and hanging out with some awesome friends.

6. What types of activities energize you?

Any activities that make me move my body and enjoy nature such as hiking. I like to be out-door and anything that involves enjoying nature, then I get really excited!

7. What famous people intrigue you?

Gandhi, Oprah Winfrey, Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, and the list goes on…

Look Between the Lines...

One of my favorite quotes has to be this one:

"The world is never just black and white, right or wrong, one way or another. Try and see things from as many points of view as possible."

I believe life is not definite--it is quite complex and ambiguous. By limiting yourself to only two options, you won't see the beauty of life itself. I am a very open-minded person, and I believe that everything is that much more fascinating if everyone tries to look at situations, ideas, and etc. from different perspectives!

A Picture is worth a thousand words...

Johnson students with the First Lady

The entire group!

It was a very cool experience to say the least! I felt like I was going through a tour in a museum--everything was so antiqued and polished that I was afraid of ruining its beauty by a simple stroke of the hand. The mansion's architecture was so historical and mesmerizing--ever piece was so detailed and symbolic. Moreover, the First Lady's hospitality also complemented the overall experience because she made it very comfortable and at ease.

Advices from the Experienced

I was reading several blogs by Gretchin Rubin, but I couldn't find anything that stood out to me until I read her blog, "The Things That Go Wrong Often Make the Best Memories--and Further Secrets of Adulthood". This blog had a very personal approach and voice to it; her personality shined as she gave spontaneous and random advices about life and her experiences of adulthood. I find it comical and very informed about the necessity of living. Her wisdom has definitely made my eyes open to the complexity and intricacy of aging!

Advices such as these makes me contemplate and ponder:

If you don't really want something, getting it won't make you happy.

It’s enormously helpful, and surprisingly difficult, to grasp the obvious.

(I believe they are very thought-provoking, no? ^_^)

In the Making

I am having a hard time debating on how to organize my presentation into an intriguing format. Researching about my essential question and gathering information and facts was easy but narrowing it down to a specific category was very difficult. I am still thinking about alternatives about my presentation and how I want to present it. I want to present an informative and in-depth presentation and not a boring, meticulous one. Hopefully I will figure something soon! Wish me luck!

Empathy

According to A Whole New Mind by Dan Pink, there are six essential elements that one should possess in order to thrive in this new era, and they are:

1. Design
2. Story
3. Symphony
4. Empathy
5. Play
6. Meaning

After watching Dan Pink's interview with Oprah about his new book, A Whole New Mind, I took the Empathy Quotient quiz to see how empathetic I am.

Q:How empathetic are you?

A: Based from the test, I got 65 which translated to I am above empathetic.

Q:Do you agree with the findings of the test?

A: I agree with this result because I am really self-aware of my character.

Q:Can you believe you can be taught empathy?

A: I think I agree with Dan Pink's sentiment on this question. Yes and No. Through parenting, kids can possibly learn empathy at a young age because their parents believe that being empathetic is a necessity in one's character. On the other hand, I think that empathy can also be inborn in one's personality. I think you can argue either way.

Q:Please mention someone (you don't have to give their specific name)you think shows empathy citing why you consider them to be an empathetic person and name someone you know (do NOT identify) is lacking in empathy citing examples of their lack of empathy.

A: The one person that shows extreme empathy for others is one of my good friends. She is the listener in our group. She is someone who you would go to for a deep conversation or problem. Essentially, her caring, compassionate, understanding, and kind personality makes me think that she is super empathetic. On the other hand, I also know a friend who is not empathetic at all. She displays an ego-centric persona; someone who cares for her well-being more than others, and she loves being the center of the attention. She ultimately has traits that make her not empathetic.

Pure Fasincation

Recently, I read an article, "Understanding Pica Behavior: A Review for Clinical and Education". What I find so intriguing about this particular article is the absurd facts about Pica. It is surreal that pregnant ladies have cravings for soil, clay, bricks, and charcoal. It states that Africa women consume soil during their pregnancies because they believe in the "soil's magical potential to ensure future offspring." This cultural tradition and belief flabbergasted me. Moreover, Pica is highly associated with other Developmental Disabilities (DD) such as the Prader-Willi Syndrome, a genetic disorder resulting in mental retardation and hyperphagia, a disorder of compulsive overeating. After reading this article, I want to know more about the associations Pica have with other disorders. Nonetheless, I learned so many interesting and fascinating facts and information that will definitely help me prepare for my final HMP project.

Works Cited

"Pica Eating Disorder Causes, Treatments: Pica Syndrome Symptoms." Home Remedies and Natural Cures for Common Illnesses. Web. 24 Jan. 2011.

"Pica: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia." National Library of Medicine-National Institutes of Health. Web. 24 Jan. 2011.

"Stiegler, Lillian. "Understanding Pica Behavior: A Review for Clinical and Education Professionals." Accessmylibrary.com. Gales. Web. 24 Jan. 2011.

My Essential Question

My Essential Question:

How does Pica, a disease, intervene with patients' lives?

Q: Why did you select this as your essential question?

A:I selected this essential question because I am fascinated by food and this disease makes me ponder. People diagnosed with Pica have an insatiable urge to eat non-food substances like dirt, paper, glue and clay. Though it is believed to be linked with mineral deficiency, health experts have found no real cause and no cure for the peculiar disorder. I am very curious about how people deal with Pica's symptoms and how Pica affect their lives.

Q: What excites you most about finding the answer to this essential question?

A: What excites me most about finding the answer to this essential question is that I might help future patients who are diagnosed with this disease by helping them cope with it better.

Q: Do you feel that this question accurately reflects a desire/need that you have to find out more about this topic?

A: I feel that this question does accurately reflect a desire that I have to find out more about this topic because this peculiar disease is so mysterious and unknown to most people. Also, I know of this disease, but I have never met someone who was diagnosed with it. Hopefully, through my investigation of this essential question, I will be more knowledgeable about Pica.

Want to Lose Some Extra Pounds? Drink More Water!

I have seen innumerable patients diagnosed with obesity, and I recently read an article about how to maintain a healthy diet through the simplicity of drinking two cups of water before each meal. This article states that you could potentially lose 15 1/2 pounds in 12 weeks if you drink 2 cups of water before breakfast, lunch, and dinner in addition to a low-calorie diet. So please do not think that by eating ice cream and drinking water you will the extra lose weight. You actually have to change your entire diet;drinking water just makes that process easier and faster for obese individuals. I thought that this article was very interesting; it makes me have second thoughts when I drink a Dr. Pepper or Coke.

Works Cited:

DUBANSKY, Hanna. "Does Drinking Water Before Meals Help You Lose Weight? - US News and World Report." Health News Articles - US News Health. Web. 06 Dec. 2010. meals-help-you-loseweight.html>.

Chaotic yet Fascinating

One amazing aspect about the ER is that the moment I step into the hospital, chaos is present; nurses and physicians are always on the go with innumerable patients to see. I have never mentored on a day where it is slow in the ER. Just last week I saw a corpse of a seventy-one year old male who committed suicide by hanging himself. One of his neighbors found him in his living room. The body was very gruesome. His eyes were literally popping out with a grotesque yellowish greenish color to it, and his lips and fingers were a deep shade of purple. Also, his body was very stiff. This image seemed surreal to me, and it reminded me of a zombie in a haunted house or something that is in scary movies--I never thought that an actual corpse would look like that, so it was very fascinating. It was a good introduction to my day in the ER, and it was the highlight of my week.

Here is the logo of Northeast Georgia Hospital:

My Sentence

Everyone has a sentence that describes their passion or who they are as a person. Well, this is my sentence:

She will travel to undeveloped countries and offer her knowledge and compassion when she graduates from a medical school.

The Exciting Atmosphere in the ER

Your senior year should be the best year of your high school career according to many people but the stress and struggle of balancing extracurricular activities and school work transformed me into a nocturnal monster who doesn't sleep! Although I love this fast-pace busy life, it does catch up to me and I feel like I am not really enjoying my last year of high school to the fullest. This doesn't mean that I don't love what I do, but I feel like I am doing too much, and I simply don't have time for myself. For the first time in a long time since school has started, I feel genuinely at peace when I went to my mentorship. The exciting atmosphere of being in the Emergency Room was simply amazing. Having the opportunity to see a mentally disabled African American male being controlled by two strong physicians so the third one could stitch up an eight centimeter wound and being able to witness another male who has fainted and collapsed from the intoxication of gas while he was fixing a car at an automobile shop are my escape from the numerous problems of a typical teenager. I also discovered many aspects of being a physician in the ER that astonished me such as the innumerable patients that come into the ER whose cases are not "emergencies" but rather minor cases that could be treated through over-the-counter medicine. Moreover, the fact that ER physicians spend most of their time in front of the computer documenting tedious paperwork rather than seeing patient shocked me. Being able to mentor in the ER has definitely open my eyes to the real life atmosphere of this profession.

Below are some pictures that I found on the internet because there are confidentiality issues when it comes to the hospital.


This picture is very similar to the beds that are in the ER rooms.



.
This is another good illustration of a patient that I saw while I was there. This 9 year-old girl had a very high fever who continuously cried from her sickness. I was sympathetic when I saw this.



Until next time...Bye Bye!

My Mission Statement

I am a warm, loving, confident, passionate, and ambitious individual.
I embrace challenges and obstacles with a good attitude.
I will wake up every morning with an optimistic mind.
My mission is to inspire my peers and better my community through my deterministic personality.

First Impressions are Important

Regardless if you are a high school student interviewing for a job or a college student interviewing for a program in college, it is very important for your boss or interviewer to have a good first impression of you. Some of the tips that I have gathered through my experiences and through reading blogs that might help you be successful for these types of scenarios are:

1. Dress to impress. Show them that this is very important to you

2. Approach them with a smile and a firm handshake and introduce yourself.

3. Be personal and comfortable but have a good posture.

4. When they ask a question, make sure you think it through and communicate your thoughts effectively.

5. Show them why you are the best fit for this program or job.

6. Make sure to smile and shake their hands when you leave.

Okay, I these tips help you because it helped me through a lot of important interviews! Good Luck!

Motivation Drive

After taking the motivation drive test, I discovered that I am type I behavior.

Type I behavior: A way of thinking and an approach to life built around intrinsic, rather than extrinsic, motivators. It is powered by our innate need to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world.

For my mentorship, I think there is a combination of both type I and X motivation behaviors because I believe that some are there for the purpose of a stable income, and good working environment while others are there because they passionately want to care for others.

A personal experience or project where I was totally engaged and challenged was the LifeStraw project. After attending a UGA conference back in the spring of my sophomore year, I knew that I wanted to pursue this LifeStraw project in my school. The LifeStraw project focuses on giving third-world countries such as Haiti clean, filtered water. A “lifestraw” is a portable water filter that prevents common diarrhea diseases; it can be carried around for easy access to safe and clean drinking water. For my junior year, I dedicated most of my time coming up with fundraiser ideas and projects for my Club to fundraise some money and that was a challenge because we are limited in fundraiser ideas and I had a hard time getting people involve. Through this experience, my leadership skills were strengthened. So far we have fundraised over $300 dollars and this is a ongoing project in which I hope to raise over $1,000.

My personal statement has to be "She brightens the world" because I believe that my optimisim and passion for helping others will brighten and better this world that we live in.

Life is a beautiful struggle

I have been so caught up in my extracurricular activities and school work lately that I feel so disconnected from the world’s beauty. Have you ever heard of the quote “You can live without really living?” This quote totally described how I felt for the last two weeks because I was so busy with deadlines, and I got stuck into this tedious routine that you call “life.”

Today was actually the first time in a while since I grasp the meaning of being “alive” again. I took a nice 90 minutes jog around my neighborhood with my Ipod blasted to the maximum. The weather was beautiful with the sun shining its brightest and the wind was at a perfect speed. Breathing in the fresh air and looking closely at my surroundings makes me realize how beautiful our world is—the stress slowly slips away from my body and mind. I felt relieve from the pressure, the constant reminders, the endless assignments, the responsibilities, and expectations. Everything has been overwhelming, and I felt like I was being pulled in different directions. Sometimes it is nice just to escape from it all and find a peaceful place.

The simplicity of taking a jog helps me realize that life is a beautiful struggle. Although it might be tedious or drab at times, the obstacles and struggles will eventually result into something spectacular. I just need a mental constant reminder to look at the beautiful aspects of my stress, my busy schedule, and this supposedly “tedious routine that I call life.”

Quotes of the day:

“Take every chance, drop every fear.”

“What I thought I could handle,

what I thought I could take,

what I thought would destroy me,

leaves me stronger in its wake.”

Mentorship Reflection

Today was actually my second day at my mentorship. The physicians are very nice and friendly, and everyone welcomed me with open arms. I really like the patient-interaction atmosphere because I noticed the bonds Dr. Schultz had created with his patients; this is why I wanted some patient interaction in my career because I would like to create that personal bond rather than just the patient-doctor relationship.

Today I saw something quite eccentric- Mrs. Deavers gave this lady, who was experiencing some agonizing pain on the lower part of her spine, a shot that contains steroids and antibiotics to numb the affliction. The process of giving the patient that shot was interesting-I had to stay away from the patient because Mrs. Deavers was afraid that she might hit me due to the painful shot. That was the highlight of the my day. I also saw many MRIs and talked to many patients on both days. I like the surgery side and the patient interaction side of Dr. Schultz's profession. This is probably what I want to do as a career. Although there are not as many brain-related cases as spine-related cases, I still enjoy my mentorship. Hopefully I'll be able to go in surgery with them soon.

Quote of the Day:

"Passion is universal humanity. Without it religion, history, romance and art would be useless. " ~Honoré de Balzac

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that I have always been interested in and want to know more about from my AP Psychology class. I’ve decided to do a research on what it is, the symptoms of it, the possible treatments for it, and how do you get it.

What is it?

“Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe, and disabling brain disorder that affects about 1.1 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year (Schizophrenia-NIMH).” There are five major types of schizophrenia which are disorganized (hebephrenic) schizophrenia, characterized by hallucinations, delusions, inappropriate laughing and crying, incoherent speech, and infantile behavior; and catatonic schizophrenia, characterized by physical rigidity or hyperactivity (Schizophrenia-The Columbia Encyclopedia). Paranoid schizophrenics can often function relatively normally, although they may be disturbed by persecutory delusions and hallucinations, and they tend to exhibit argumentative behavior (Schizophrenia-The Columbia Encyclopedia). The presence of a combination of symptoms from other types is classified as undifferentiated schizophrenia (Schizophrenia-NIMH). Residual schizophrenia is constituted by minor symptoms, which occur as an active episode diminishes (Humphrey).

What are the symptoms?

The symptoms of a schizophrenic fall into three categories: positive symptoms, negative symptoms, and cognitive symptoms (Schizophrenia-NIMH).

Positive Symptoms (psychotic behaviors not seen in healthy people):

-Hallucinations- things a person sees, hears, smells, or feels that no one else can see, hear, smell, or feel

-Delusions- false beliefs that are not part of the person's culture and do not change

-Thought disorders (disorganized thinking)

-Movement disorders (repetition of movement, or no movement at all)

Negative Symptoms (disruptions to normal emotions and behaviors):

- "Flat affect" (a person's face does not move or he or she talks in a dull or monotonous voice)

- Lack of pleasure in everyday life

- Lack of ability to begin and sustain planned activities

- Speaking little, even when forced to interact.

Cognitive Symptoms (subtle):

- Poor "executive functioning" (the ability to understand information and use it to make decisions)

-Trouble focusing or paying attention

-Problems with "working memory" (the ability to use information immediately after learning it).

*All of the symptoms information were found using “Schizophrenia-NIMH”*

What are the treatments?

Since the cause for schizophrenia is still unknown, treatments only focus on eliminating the symptoms using antipsychotic medications and various psychosocial treatments (Humphrey).

Antipsychotic Medications:

-Chlorpromazine (Thorazine)

-Haloperidol (Haldol)

-Perphenazine (Etrafon, Trilafon)

-Fluphenazine (Prolixin).

There are many other antipsychotic medications and most of them have side effects:

-Drowsiness

-Dizziness when changing positions

-Blurred vision

-Rapid heartbeat

-Sensitivity to the sun

-Skin rashes

-Menstrual problems for women.

Psychosocial treatments:

- Illness management skills

-Integrated treatment for co-occurring substance abuse

-Rehabilitation

-Family education

-Self-Help Groups

- Cognitive behavioral therapy

* All of the treatments information were found using “Schizophrenia-NIMH” and “Humphrey”*

How do you get it?

The cause of schizophrenia is unknown. Genetic factors appear to be involved in producing susceptibility to the condition, with studies among identical twins showing a 30%–50% similar rate of the possibility of both having it(Schizophrenia-The Columbia Encyclopedia). But based on recent studies, it indicates that the geographical region affects the possibility of obtaining schizophrenia, especially in the Pacific Islands (Bower).

Personal Reflection:

After researching for all the information that I wanted to know about schizophrenia, I stumbled upon an article about a schizophrenic’s life experience because of this excruciating mental disorder (Seeman). Her name was Carrie and she talked about how her life has changed since she was diagnosed with this mental disorder. I find it very fascinating how this disease could creep into your life without any warning and ruin your life’s goals and dreams. There are many speculations behind the causes of schizophrenia but nothing definite has been proposed. I am truly intrigue by this research and hopefully I will stumble upon an article about the possible cures for this disorder in the future.

Works Cited

Bower, Bruce. "Trouble in Paradise: High Schizophrenia Rates among Pacific Islanders Raise Cultural Questions." Science News 7 July 2007: 8+. Questia. Web. 3 Mar. 2010.

Humphrey Beebe, Lora. "Theory-Based Research in Schizophrenia." Perspectives in Psychiatric Care 39.2 (2003): 67+. Questia. Web. 3 Mar. 2010.

"Schizophrenia." NIMH. Web. 04 Mar. 2010.. http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/schizophr enia/index.shtml.

"Schizophrenia." The Columbia Encyclopedia. 6th ed. 2009. Questia. Web. 3 Mar. 2010.

Seeman, Mary V. "Schizophrenia: Two Sides of the Mirror." Queen's Quarterly Summer 2002: 191+. Questia. Web. 3 Mar. 2010.