Reading through all these health concerns/hazards or whatever you wish to call them, I stumbled upon something that was truly dumbfounding. According to Cesarean Delivery on Maternal Request, "Virtually no studies exist on CDMR." CDMR means Cesarean Delivery on Maternal Request. Haven't women been giving birth to babies since the beginning of time? I just could not believe there is so little research on such a common place event, especially considering the risks involved with mandatory Cesarean Delivery for mothers with previa(when the baby's placenta blocks the path through the cervix for traditional delivery). Women who go through with Cesarean delivery are 10 times more likely to develop an infection within 48 hours than those who proceed with traditional delivery(Uterus Infection and C section). If infection occurs, treatments can include simple antibiotics or even a hysterectomy. However, in the worst cases, a patient can die. Also, if the mother chooses to have another child, she is 17.2% more likely to need a blood transfusion, 6-9% more likely to need a hysterectomy, and 8-15% more likely to experience maternal morbidity.(Vaginal Birth after Cesarean)
I definitely believe everyone should have access to healthcare, but to a certain extent. I don't think it is a given right unless you follow the necessary procedures that everyone else does to get it. Mommy and Daddy might have told you that you were special when you were little, but it's the real world now, and you have to work hard and follow the rules like everyone else. I do not agree with the universal healthcare Obama proposed. I can agree some reform is in need, but deep down I still believe in the philosophy this country was founded on, and that is you get what you work for. I honestly think changing the healthcare will give us slower and subpar service. Sure, there are extenuating circumstances, but I work hard for what I have and part of that is the freedom to choose. A lot more debt would be certain as well.
As I was looking up the healthcare situation, I found this which was pretty cool--http://www.usdebtclock.org/
I had no idea that medicare/medicaid were our largest budget items.
Cesarean Delivery on Maternal Request, Structured Abstract. March 2006. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/tp/cesarreqtp.htm
"Uterus Infection And C Section." Practical Parenting And Child Development. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Jan. 2011. <http://www.newbiemommy.com/c-section/Uterus-Infection-And-C-Section.html>.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
What Should You Be Asking Your Doctor?
It's rather interesting to discover details about others in your life. Perhaps, something even more intriguing, is their fears. I took the time to interview two of the most dear ladies in my life and had them depict their biggest health scares.
Joanna is a 22-year old college student who has grown up in a house full of struggle. She attends college as a full-time student and maintains a steady job in order to keep a tight grip on her finances. She explained to me her greatest fear is Alzheimer's. A large majority of her family members have suffered with this disease. Joanna's dream is to raise a loving and nurturing family. Her greatest fear from this disease is not being able to remember who her children and husband are, and ultimately, hurting them.
Amy is a 45-year old single mother of 1. She works hard to put her daughter through school, and as a result, has a lot of stress from the late nights at work. Amy smokes to cope with this stress, as did her parents and grandparents before her. Amy had a scare on a business flight back from Chicago. She was caught in a coughing spell and eventually started to cough up blood. It was then that the heavy fear of Lung Cancer set in. Flashbacks of her uncle and grandparents set before her. She has been to the doctor and does not have cancer yet, but if she does not stop smoking, she could be in some serious heart and lung trouble.
As for me, I am in the same boat as Amy. I smoke in order to deal with stress. This year I found out I had contracted HPV from a current boyfriend. HPV is called the silent killer because, a lot of women do not know they have it, until it's already done serious damage. I thought I could never get it because I had taken the preventative shots years before. However, I was unlucky and managed to get one of the rare strains not protected by the shot. The combination of smoking, the HPV, and my sucky immune system has led me to the first signs of cervical cancer. I have to wait another 3 months and be tested again, to see if it has progressed or improved on its own.
Joanna is a 22-year old college student who has grown up in a house full of struggle. She attends college as a full-time student and maintains a steady job in order to keep a tight grip on her finances. She explained to me her greatest fear is Alzheimer's. A large majority of her family members have suffered with this disease. Joanna's dream is to raise a loving and nurturing family. Her greatest fear from this disease is not being able to remember who her children and husband are, and ultimately, hurting them.
Amy is a 45-year old single mother of 1. She works hard to put her daughter through school, and as a result, has a lot of stress from the late nights at work. Amy smokes to cope with this stress, as did her parents and grandparents before her. Amy had a scare on a business flight back from Chicago. She was caught in a coughing spell and eventually started to cough up blood. It was then that the heavy fear of Lung Cancer set in. Flashbacks of her uncle and grandparents set before her. She has been to the doctor and does not have cancer yet, but if she does not stop smoking, she could be in some serious heart and lung trouble.
As for me, I am in the same boat as Amy. I smoke in order to deal with stress. This year I found out I had contracted HPV from a current boyfriend. HPV is called the silent killer because, a lot of women do not know they have it, until it's already done serious damage. I thought I could never get it because I had taken the preventative shots years before. However, I was unlucky and managed to get one of the rare strains not protected by the shot. The combination of smoking, the HPV, and my sucky immune system has led me to the first signs of cervical cancer. I have to wait another 3 months and be tested again, to see if it has progressed or improved on its own.
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