After coming to the U.S., four Haitian children must go back to their home country.

My article is titled "Bound for home, healed, heartsick". It was written by Stephen Smith and was published in the Boston Globe on May 1, 2010. The article can be found at:
http://www.boston.com/news/health/articles/2010/05/01/four_haitian_children_flown_here_for_treatment_return_with_bittersweet_feelings/?page=1

This article is about four Haitian children who came to the United States for medical treatment, after being severely injured in the Haiti earthquake. After getting treatment in the U.S. and seeing how wonderful of a place it is compared to their home country, these four children must now go back. These four children were flown from Haiti to Shriners Hospital for Children in Springfield, Massachusetts. These children consist of two boys and two girls, ranging from age 3 to 13. They were found by a nurse and a doctor from Western Massachusetts who working at a Haiti hospital. The children have been in care for months now and finally have to go back home. Unfortunately, although they have missed their families, they wish they could stay.

It was very hard trying to get these children out of Haiti. The nurse and the doctor had to contact a man from Wisconsin who gets people out of tights spots and they had to talk to the prime minister. Why so much trouble? The Haiti government did not want these children leaving Haiti. The government thought that the nurse and doctor were just going to take the kids. The Haitian government decided to let the kids come to Massachusetts to receive care. But on these two conditions. Smith writes, "Government authorities in Haiti and the United States agreed to let the children come to Springfield for treatment with the explicit understanding that the children would return to their homeland. And family members were not allowed to accompany the young patients, another measure taken to discourage attempts to stay." The children were all healed but are still recovering a little. They are happy now and wish they could stay in the U.S. They know that they would live a better life in America but they know they have to go back to Haiti one way or another. The families of the children received tents and money and the children are assured medical care until they are fully recovered.

Although, this article can be seen as a happy article, it can also be viewed as very sad. Yes, these kids got to come to the U.S. and get medical treatment that many people in Haiti will never get. And they also got to travel to America, and experience something great. But these children have to go back to one of the poorest countries in the world. And to make matters worse, they must go back to a country that must rebuild everything, due to a massive earthquake. I understand that the government wants these kids to stay in Haiti, but I think its unfair that your country is making you stay somewhere. These kids had the chance to stay in America and they want to stay, but their country is making them come back. This article would not have the same effect on me if I had not read Mountains Beyond Mountains. Since reading that book, I notice Haiti a lot more and whenever I read about Haiti, it is never something good. These kids have to go back to a poor country and live in a tent. I am sure many people wish the kids could stay in America and get a great education, but it is not possible and it makes this story very sad.

A DIfferent Type of Cancer Vaccine

This article titled “F.D.A. Approves ‘Vaccine’ to Fight Prostate Cancer” was written by Andrew Pollack and appeared in the New York Times on April 29, 2010 and is available at http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/30/health/30drug.html?ref=health

The article discusses a new vaccine to treat prostate cancer in men. However, the treatment is not a vaccine in the typical sense of the word. It is not administered as a preventative measure. Pollack writes, “Provenge is not a preventive vaccine like those for measles, hepatitis, or even the new ones for cervical cancer which prevent a viral infection that causes the cancer. Rather, it is a so-called therapeutic vaccine, used after prostate cancer has already been diagnosed.” Instead, the vaccine is given to a patient already affected by prostate cancer, and trains the immune system to locate and destroy the cells causing the cancerous tumors. There has been a good deal of controversy surrounding the treatment, as the FDA rejected it for approval a few years ago. However, the drug is widely anticipated in the oncology world, as it increases the life expectancy of prostate cancer patients while also subjecting them to fewer side effects than the only drug previously available.

The drug is effective in destroying cancerous cells, as it is made especially for each patient. White blood cells from the patients are combined with a protein found on the cancerous tumors. When this vaccine is injected into the patients, the white blood cells can hunt down the cancerous cells and attack the tumors. In more simple terms, the vaccine is training the body’s immune system to search for and destroy cancerous cells throughout the patient’s body.

I think that the Provenge vaccine is an important medical breakthrough, as it provides a longer life expectancy for prostate cancer patients. In addition, it is basically the first cancer vaccine of its kind, which will hopefully start a trend for creating more cancer treatments like it. In fact, Dendreon, the company that created Provenge, says that they hope to create more vaccines like Provenge, starting with a treatment for bladder cancer. This article certainly connects to our immunology unit in EpiD, because the author discusses training the body’s immune system (namely white blood cells) to fight off an existing cancer condition in patients.

Carbs to Keep in Your Diet

I read an article called "The Healthiest Carb You're Not Eating." I found the article at http://www.prevention.com/health/nutrition/smart-shopping/the-healthiest-carb-you-re-not-eating/article/f1018169c1903110VgnVCM20000012281eac. This article wrote about the benefits of eating pasta, whole grain pasta. When many people diet they try to cut out the carbs they eat daily and pasta is a main source of carbs. However, this article talks about how whole grain pasta is actually better for you and can even stop weight gain. I never realized how much good, natural ingredients that processed foods remove. For example, everyone loves the taste of regular pasta but whole grain pasta tastes just as good and it has so many more things that help your health, and fight diseases. Whole grain pasta includes folate, vitamin E, magnessium, potassium, selenium, lignans, and phenolic compounds. It also contains a significant amount of fiber. This amazed me because fiber can help reduce your risk of heart rate or diabetes, two very serious conditions. However, people don't take these into consideration before removing this health secret from their diet. After reading this article it made me think of the book "Mountains Beyond Mountains" and the people of Haiti. In Farmer's experiment in the beginning of the book he compares the rate of cure in people treated for the same disease. However, one of the groups received visits from volunteer medical personnel, nurses, doctors, food and even child support. The people who did not receive these things were not cured as well as those who received them. Taking away the personal aspect of medicine is similar to taking away carbs, good carbs, from your diet. They both can put your health at risk and they are both things that can easily be controlled. So, don't be so quick to judge food "unhealthy" when it could save your life.

Is Sleep Deprivation Not So Bad?

I found the article "Sleep Deprivation: The Great American Myth" on foxnews.com and it was written by Robin Lloyd and posted on March 23rd 2006. It can be found here: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,188924,00.html

This article discusses statistics in regards to sleeping pills, and how getting more sleep does not always have substantial health benefits. For example, the article states that, based on a study those who only get six or seven hours of sleep a night have a lower death rate than those who receive eight. The article claims that "There is really no evidence that the average 8-hour sleeper functions better than the average 6- or 7-hour sleeper", and People who sleep less than average make more money and are more successful." A statistic that I found to be especially surprising from the article was the fact that the risk from taking sleeping pills thirty or more times a month was not much less than that of smoking a pack of cigarettes a day. The article also discusses how the popularity of sleeping pills is relatively recent, starting in the nineties when sleeping pills began being made from less addicting substances.

I really liked this article because I feel like sleep deprivation is an extremely relevant issue in high school. I mean, I'm writing this blog post at midnight. I think it's important for us to realize that, while we do need to sleep, it isn't the end of the world if we don't get a full eight hours. We should strive too, but not sleeping won't kill us. I also think that it is important to see what risks there are when it comes to taking sleeping pills. People tend to just take them without a second thought, and it's important to realize that they are really doing to your body. Before reading this article, I personally had no idea how dangerous they were.

STDs probably will not tell you they are there. Should you get tested?

While searching on Google News for an enticing article to blog about, I came across “Sexually Transmitted Diseases: The Silent Epidemic” at http://www.theithacajournal.com/article/20100427/LIFE/4270319/1124/Sexually-Transmitted-Diseases--The-Silent-Epidemic. Ieva Doyle published it on April 27, 2010.

The article is in response to a new report in upstate New York on sexually transmitted diseases by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield. The study analyzed the rates of infection of the five most frequently reported STDs amongst teens and adults- gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV and AIDS. One of the most shocking statistics was that “the incidence of gonorrhea among 15- to 19-year-olds in upstate New York exceeds the state average, with 377 cases per 100,000 teens compared to 314 cases per 100,000 statewide.”

The article mentions that STDs are usually transferred through sexual activity, but some are passed from mother to child. Most show no symptoms, so testing is usually the only way to make a diagnosis. Bacterial infections, such as gonorrhea, can be treated and often cured with antibiotics. Viral infections, such as herpes, are incurable, but can be controlled with medication. The CDC recommends practicing abstinence or limiting sexual partners, using condoms without fail, and getting screened regularly to protect oneself from a STD. Dr. Marybeth McCall, chief medical officer of Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, concludes the article with, “The takeaway from this report is that there are serious long-term health consequences resulting from undiagnosed and untreated STDs. It’s time to stop being embarrassed and start talking - especially to young people – about safe sex and, if appropriate, about getting tested and treated.”

Sexually Transmitted Diseases affect people from all walks of life, but are rarely talked about. Many infected individuals go untreated which threatens their life and the lives of others by unknowingly spreading their disease. I learned that if STDs are left untreated, they could lead to pregnancy complications, HIV transmission and reproductive tract cancers. If there were more awareness about the importance of getting regular screenings, the shocking numbers of STD cases would decrease.

This article was attention grabbing because it really drove home the point that if one thinks they are at-risk, they should get tested because usually there are no signs or symptoms of an STD. In this day and age, because sex has become so mainstream with the help of shows such as “Teen Mom” on MTV, I believe it is especially important for the younger generations to understand these facts about Sexually Transmitted Diseases.

A High Incidence of Asthma in New England and Complications

On April 26, 2010 The Boston Globe posted an article by Stephen Smith entitled "Scourge of asthma is acute in N.E." It is reporting the fact that asthma, a chronic disease, should be a relatively easy to tame or control but has complications due to economic, social, and environmental forces.

Through a telephone survey that reports people's overall health, in 2001 about 1.2 million New Englanders had asthma but by 2006, it had grown by 100,000. It still remains a mystery as to why New England has a higher incidence of asthma than the rest of the country, but specialists have theorized that cold weather keeps families inside old houses vulnerable to asthma triggers including things such as dust mites, cockroach droppings, and mold.

Dr. Brugge, a Tufts University School of Medicene professor who studies asthma in Boston neighborhoods said that "There are people who don't have the proper medications. There are people who have the proper medications but aren't using them properly. There are people who are properly medicated bu have not controlled environmental exposures." With this being said you can see where there are complications; some people can't afford medication or the high copayments and some people don't have money to take out carpets that harbor mites or mold that trigger asthma's onset.

The connection I made between this article and class is the fact that although there is treatment available, not everyone can take it. Although this was the case with polio, they raised money and funded so that anyone that was infected would be treated. Asthma isn't as bad as polio in the sense that you don't become paralyzed but it may be really harmful depending on how severe you have it and what triggers it.

I can connect to this article because I had asthma when I was really young but then it seemed to have gone away. When I visited Sri Lanka in second grade, the environment and my surroundings triggered the asthma again so I now have to use an inhaler. It is also worse in the cold weather and especially winter in comparison to the summer or spring.

This article is eye opening because I didn't realize that inhalers and medication for asthma was unaffordable because it seems to be a common issue amongst people. I also didn't realize it could be triggered by certain things and be so severe that people have to go to the ER. When asthma effects me it feels like my chest is closing in and I don't even have a bad case of it. This makes me wonder how it feels to have such a bad case that you have to go to the ER.

There is no tension or controversy in the article.

This article can be found at http://www.boston.com/news/health/articles/2010/04/26/scourge_of_asthma_is_acute_in_ne/?page=full .

The Importance of Immunization

The article, Immunize to Protect Your Baby against Disease, written by the CDC highlighted the importance of immunization and epidemic diseases. This article can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/Features/InfantImmunization/. The author of this article wrote. “Immunization is one of the best ways parents can protect their infants and young children from potentially serious diseases” to best summarize the article. This article highlights the importance of having babies, who are old enough to be immunized, and anyone close to a baby, who is not old enough, to be immunized so that young baby would not contract a deadly disease. This article, which is written by the CDC, is clearly in favor of vaccination and immunization. The article also highlights an important week for the CDC, known as National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW). “This is an annual celebration of the significant role of immunizations play in keeping our children and our communities healthy. NIIW is April 24 – May 1.” While I do agree that vaccine keep our children and communities healthy, I believe it should be a person’s individual choice on whether they want the vaccine. The CDC is promoting vaccination and immunization, but I do not think any vaccine should be mandatory, because it is a person’s right to make their decision, and forcing someone to do something, would be unconstitutional. This article reminded me of the vaccine movement for polio we learned about in class. Many people, such as Indians, do not want the vaccine because of religious beliefs, and I think they have a right to refuse the vaccine. This article was very interesting, because I did not know there was a designated week called, NIIW, to promote vaccination and immunization.