Blog 15: The most impactful moment this semester

I would have to say the thing that had the most impact on me this semester would be the movie"A closer walk". There is no way a person could watch that movie and not be moved by it. I have read so much about HIV and AIDS, but seeing a documentary really had a profound impact on the way I view people with HIV and AIDS. These people are you or I, someone's mother, father, sister, brother, baby, and so much more. Many of them have no hope of ever getting out of their bad situations either. Atleast here in the U.S., we have much easier access to the drugs that are necessary. It was so horrible to see the way the babies die and harder yet to see kids left abandoned on the streets after their parents died from the disease. It was a hard movie to watch, but nonetheless one that people should watch. Thanks for the opportunity.

Blog 14: Is there a balance?

I can only speak for myself in educational and personal life, which happens to be my work as well. For 9+years, I was a stay at home mom solely. I had completed some of my education, but not all of it. When we moved back to Texas in 2004, I decided that my youngest daughter was old enough for me to go back to college. It was extremely difficult in the beginning finding a balance between science classes that I took one at a time, and my family. Those first two semesters were trying for me as I put a lot of pressure on myself. When I came to TWU, I could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. I have taken a full load, but try to take some classes online. I try to balance out my life by getting work done in the daytime while the kids and husband are away, and then devote nights to them. This doesn't always work. When it is finals time, I usually have to spend some time at night at the computer. I know when it is all said and done, my family will be glad I have my degree. I think time management is the key. Take advantage of the opportunities you have to do work and family time. I don't know how the dynamics will change if I work after I finish my degree. I will just have to cross that bridge later!

Blog #13 Jail or Treatment

For me, the answer is pretty clear. If jail is needed, then there should be a treatment component to this. Sending people to jail, then letting them out without any change in behavior does absolutely nothing for most people. Why send let them out of jail when we know they are probably be returning soon. I feel that we need to give addicts a chance to change their behaviors. In order to do that, there must be a treatment component for them. There will be some that will be able to stop on their own, but for the most part, people are going to hang around the same crowds and do the same behaviors again.

Blog #12 The stigma and shame of mental illness

The thing that I think of first of all is bringing more awareness to mental illness. When I think of all the commercials I watch, none of them are ever about mental illness. I think there could definitely be more awareness in that area. Media is such a huge outlet for information. The second thing that I think of is in the areas of our schools at all levels. We should all have to take classes related to this subject when we are old enough to really grasp the concept. But, especially in college. I know we can't take classes on every subject out there, but this definitely falls into our line of training. The last thing that I can say is that we all need to be more compassionate not only to those with mental illness, but to the families that deal with them. I'm sure that they feel very alone. This is probably the hardest concept for me to grasp. It is so easy to stay in our own bubble and not associate with them, but we need to!

Blog #11 Living for the future

If everyone lived with the future in mind we would definitely live differently. In the craziness of today, people live for the here and now, and barely think about tomorrow. We would all exercise, eat right, get plenty of sleep, be kind to one another, lower our stress levels, spend plenty of time outdoors getting fresh air, love more and hate less. All of these things and much more can help us in the future. We would all try to get our education so we could put away for the future. We would think about future generations and what we can do now to help them later. For some people, it takes a little longer to pull things together, and some people never do. Even as an adult, it is good to make goals and plans for the future. This helps give direction in our lives. Everyone can do something to help themselves out in the future. I am also speaking to myself when I give all of these examples!!!

Blog #10 Factors affecting healthier lifestyle

Factors that influence women to adopt healthier lifestyles and engage in preventative behaviors so as to reduce their risks of cardiovascular disease and cancer:

*if they have seen a family member go through cancer or CVD
*if they participated in the care of that family member
*if they have taken any courses that talk about the risk factors of CVD and cancer and how to prevent these diseases
*classes that build self efficacy
*classes in physical education
*classes in nutrition
*many times when we see a family member adopting a healthy lifestyle, we will do the same. We like to have someone to buddy up with.

Sometimes we will see one or all of these factors and still not participate in preventative behaviors. I have a sibling that has seen my father go through cancer and still smokes, is overweight, and isn't proactive about leading a more healthy lifestyle. Everyone can do something to make themselves healthier.

Blog #9 My challenges with exercise

I never really had a challenge with exercise growing up or in my 20's. I didn't even have challenges after having children as a stay at home mom. The challenges began when I started back to school. Trying to juggle school work, kids schedules and activities, and family stuff and working in time for a work out is an extreme challenge. I have also had many knee injuries and surgeries after blowing my left knee out. I joined a gym about six months ago and that has helped a lot. I see people in the gym that are very inspiring to me, and it pushes me to go farther. For the past four weeks, we have been sick with just about everything under the sun at my house, and that has put a little damper on my workouts. I see challenges in the future, but I think there are always challenges and time constraints. The secret is to just get moving every day. We don't have to go run a marathon. Just move! As far as our diet goes, my husband has been a diabetic since he was 12, so we try to eat healthy. Our biggest issue is when time is crunched, going and getting fast food. We need to try to get better about that.