Keept Your Student Flu Free!

Parents’ Press

Carlow Elementary School’s Parent Newsletter

              Leaves are falling, the temperature is cooling, and there is that spooky sense in the air. It must mean it’s that time again! That’s right, flu season is here. Even though the peak of flu season happens around January, teachers and health administrators will start to see minor cases start to appear in a few weeks. With that being said, we want to make sure your child, as well as the entire population in the school, stays healthy during the this contagious time. We have decided to outline and highlight some prevention tips to help keep your student flu-free!

              The first prevention tip, and the most talked about, is the Influenza vaccine. The vaccine, once inserted into the bloodstream, is designed to protect against and fight viruses that have been proven to be most common during the current season. Getting the vaccine is one of the biggest ways to stop the flu from reaching your student! A variety of places offer the vaccine including but not limited to the local children’s clinic, drug stores and pharmacies, Med. Express, and even our very out Health staff here at Carlow Elementary School. Please consider visiting one of these locations soon to get your child vaccinated.

              The sad truth is that even if your student receives that vaccination, they are still at risk for contracting the flu. Nurse Francine, our RN here at Carlow, has offered a few extra tips. First, make sure your student as well as yourself wash your hands whenever necessary. This will stop the spread of germs from person to person. Also, make sure that your student is always using a tissue to wipe or blow their nose and wash their hands afterwards. When coughing, teach your student to turn and cough into the arm instead of covering their mouth with their hands. Finally, try to avoid close contact with anyone who is sick or seems to be acquiring a cold.

              If you have any question at all, please feel free to contact Nurse Francine at 888-888-8899 or myself (Principle Giandomenico) at 888-888-8789. Thank you and have a healthy season!

The Magic of HIV

              In 1991, the Los Angeles Lakers were at the top of their game and headed towards the NBA finals. The entire team was overwhelmed with enthusiasm and dedication to win the title. For one Laker, however, his life was about to be altered in a way he may have never imagined. During the fall of 1991, the Lakers’ point guard, Magic Johnson, had been diagnosed with Human Immunodeficiency Virus, more commonly known as HIV.

              Johnson is not the first celebrity to be diagnosed with a life threatening disease, and he surely will not be the last. What makes Johnson noteworthy, though, is what he has done since his life was changed!

              After Magic Johnson held a press release explaining to his fans, as well as the world, that he has been diagnosed with HIV, he started to receive gifts. Outside of encouragement and support, a lot of the gifts were donations. Being that Magic Johnson was a professional athlete and did not need the money, he decided to do something amazing – build the Magic Johnson Foundation. Also known as MJF, the foundation has contributed much to HIV and AIDS awareness. The entire foundation works endlessly on grants for educational programs, providing HIV/AIDS prevention basics, and creating Community Empowerment Centers.

              Magic Johnson, being as famous as he is, did not just stop after creating MJF. He continued to speak in open forums to an array of groups. He addressed his diagnosis but put emphasis on the many other great things in life. His speeches constantly reflect what it means to be a hard worker and strive for success which have touched many individuals who have listened. Johnson also wrote, “What You Can Do to Avoid AIDS,” a educational book to help those affected.

              Johnson and MJF have covered a lot of ground since 1991. He was one of the first well-known individuals to come forth about having HIV. Johnson really changed the game after announcing his virus because, at that point, HIV was widely considered to be only in the gay, white community or transmitted through intravenous drugs. Johnson’s diagnosis changed that view, showing the world that anyone can contract HIV. Some athletes and other critics were still very harsh on the Laker, claiming that he should not play in the league.

              Outside of the criticism, Johnson has had a major affect on the view of the virus. MJF has been able to focus on children by using Community Empowerment Centers to improve academics for 20,000 students and donated toys during holiday drives. The Foundation has also funded almost $20 million to HIV grassroots organizations, scholarships, and technology hardware and software grants. Magic and the foundation continue to raise awareness and funds today.

              Since the Magic Johnson Foundation was founded in 1991, Magic Johnson has continued to speak out about HIV and AIDS, persevered, and has helped many individuals affected by the virus continue on with their lives..

Sources:

(2014, January 1). Retrieved September 26, 2014, from http://magicjohnson.org

Chan, A. (2013, December 1). Magic Johnson On What Has Changed In HIV/AIDS Over The Last 20 Years. Retrieved September 26, 2014, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/01/magic-johnson-hiv_n_4305110.html

Earvin Johnson Jr. (2014). The Biography.com website. Retrieved 08:12, Sep 26, 2014, from http://www.biography.com/people/magic-johnson-9356150.

The Journal Entry

Carlow's Social Supporters!

Being a college student is tough. We deal with paper deadlines, test anxiety, time management, friend drama, growing pains (mentally and physically), and the expectations from families and advisors to do well in your academics and extra-curricular. How are we supposed to deal with all of this?!

            Luckily, most college and universities provide different types of social support for their students. Here at Carlow University, we have many prevalent social support systems that can benefit everyone in the community. We have many departments who help students regularly as they deal with the issues listed above.  Every single one of our students experience a problem where they need support from those around them at some point during their four years at Carlow.

            The largest example of students in need of social support is our first year students. There students not only have the stress of dealing with all the issues that were listed but also the fact that they are transitioning into their independent lives as a college student. The majority is living on their own and responsible for the own well being for the first time in their life, and this is why Carlow provides so many resources for these students. Each first year student living on campus is provided with a Resident Assistant who lives on the same floor as him or her. The RA team is charged with helping students transition well into living on their own for the first time and generally being a friend to their residents. First Year Mentors is another support group assigned to a First Year Seminar class and responsible for helping the first years make friends, have a smooth social and academic transition, and be there when they need a shoulder to lean on.

            For the first year students, as well as any other student at Carlow, there are many other departments or professionals that work to support those who need it. Carlow offers two full time counselors who are free to any student, as well as a full time RN. There are areas on the academic side to give support to students. The Center for Academic Achievement is a group of peer students and professionals that will tutor students for free and provide them with workshops to improve everyday skills such as test taking or time management. Academic advisors are also a huge form of social support to every student on campus. Advisors are not only personal cheerleaders, but they will help students find great internship or job opportunities related to their interests. When advisors look out for their students, it usually gives students a boost of encouragement and confidence they can’t find elsewhere.

            Unfortunately, Carlow does always do a great job of letting students know about all the great support services that exist! Departments frequently “talk themselves up” or try to advertise, but it tends to be ignored until students are frantic for help.

            Carlow also lacks in some areas of support. Even though there are many departments that support general areas for students, there are not many, if any, support groups. I think it would be nice to have a student group dedicated to an issue where they meet just to support each other’s views and have one common interest. Many of the student organizations on campus strive to event plan and get do cool things, but I rarely hear of students just coming together to support one another. Even in our athletics, many students do not attend games or meets to cheer on their peers. 

            Overall, I think Carlow has numerous social support systems that work wonderfully for every student in the community. I hope our support groups continue to grow and do great things for our students. Below is a list of all the groups and people that provide support for our students at Carlow.

Academic Advisors

Center For Academic Achievement Tutors

Counselors (2 full time)

Disability Services

Dispatch

First Year Mentors

Hopkins Lab Tutors

Physician (Part Time)

Registered Nurse

Resident Assistants

The Truth Hurts

            I woke up with a throbbing pain in the area of my lower left rib cage. I must have slept oddly, I thought. As I tried to stretch my left side, the pain became more prominent and concentrated to what seemed like a ball of muscle.

            I was going to my first Pitt Football game and didn’t want to miss out because of a small problem. Figuring, that it was just a tight muscle or something similar, I crawled out of bed, knowing the ache would subside throughout the day.

            As my friends and I made our way to the front gates of Heinz Field, my pain was virtually non-existent. I was able to enjoy the first half of the game comfortably until we reached half time. My friend, Liz, and I were enjoying a good laugh and as I settled into a hearty and loud laugh, the searing pain ripped through my side. I hunched over immediately, scared that I had something seriously wrong with me. I sat down and tried to relax the rest of the game but the pain struck every time I sneezed or chuckled.  

            At the end of the game, we met up with other friends. “Why are you holding your side,” Rachel asked? I explained to her what I had gone through that day. Rachel and Liz looked at each other warningly. “Sounds like appendicitis.”

My heart dropped and I immediately went to webmd.com looking for symptoms that compared to mine. Hospitals are uncomfortable for me and I do whatever I can to prevent visiting. Nothing seemed to match up other than the pain. So I decided to once again ignore looking for further help.

As the night drew on, though, the pain was unwavering. I could not stop thinking that I could have appendicitis, but I was so terrified to go to the hospital because I thought I would need immediate surgery.

Around 11:30 p.m., as I lay in bed with an unbelievable amount of pain, I had a conversation with my mom, who thought it was best that I get checked out. With tears running down my face, I called Liz who promised to drive my to the E.R.

Once at Magee Women’s Hospital, they checked me in and had me doing the basic tests immediately. When the doctor sat down and began talking with me he seemed confused. He sent me for an x-ray, which came back with no sign of any disturbances.

After two hour of sitting in an isolated room, the doctor came back with no answer. “We can’t seem to find anything wrong, you don’t have any ruptures or bruises. I’m going to call in a prescription that’s slightly stronger then Advil.”

I was in shock. I left the hospital upset and exhausted. I felt like the doctor did not do their job. When I woke up the next day, even though the pain was virtually gone, I did not want to return for another visit.

Explanation/Reflection

           Waking up with a pain I had never experienced had me panic a little but as a person who’s scared of hospitals, it is easier to ignore something then have want immediate attention.

I knew the pain was actually something to worry about when I could not even laugh or breathe deeply with a whole new wave of pain hitting me. Listening to my friend’s diagnosis was probably not the best thing because it just sent me into a whole new stress level. However, it is hard to ignore an idea when I had no idea what was happening.

After going to the hospital, I expected to have them know exactly what was wrong with me. Looking back, I know that may not be always possible, but I still feel like he did not do his best. I received two tests and was told that there was no issue even though I felt such a large amount of pain. It made me not trust that doctor and I have promised myself that I will not return to that hospital again.

What I learned from this experience is, first, not to wait to get medical attention. Maybe if I would have gone when the pain was severe they could have done something for me. Also, I learned that there are different types of communication in healthcare. I always thought the caregiver would be interested in my entire health (mind, body, etc.) and do whatever they could to find a cure for whatever problem I have. That is not always the case, though. Sometimes they just don’t have to power or evidence to help every medical issue that comes across their table.