National Child Health Day

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By Nurse Diane

When I learned I was pregnant, I was thrilled.  I went to my doctor regularly, took my vitamins, and did everything I was told to do by my doctor.  I wanted to have a perfect and healthy baby.  However, as I grew older, I have learned that some expectant mothers don't always do this, some because of costs, and some because of knowledge.  I recently read an article about a woman in the military who learned she was pregnant at the time the baby was being delivered.  This occurrence actually happens more times that you think.

Below is a Presidential Proclamation recognizing the importance of the health of our children:

Presidential Proclamation--Child Health Day

The health and well-being of a child is one of our most challenging, yet important, responsibilities, and we have an obligation to ensure that all our children can live, learn, and play in safe and healthy environments. On Child Health Day, we reaffirm the critical importance of the quality health care, nutritious foods, clean air and water, and safe communities our kids need to grow into strong and active adults. Parents and other caregivers set an example of healthy living and lay the foundation for our children's success. Whether providing nourishing meals, attending regular check ups, or encouraging outside activity, they teach the habits and values for mental and physical well-being that last a lifetime. However, the charge to protect the health of our young people extends beyond the home to our classrooms, playgrounds, and hospitals around the country. Today, our children face a new public health crisis we must address as a Nation, and we all have a role to play. In the last three decades, childhood obesity rates have tripled, and this epidemic threatens many young Americans, leaving them at risk for severe and chronic health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. My Administration is committed to solving the childhood obesity epidemic within a generation, and earlier this year I created a Task Force on Childhood Obesity to examine inter-agency solutions and develop clear, concrete steps on how to address this national health crisis. Along with the Task Force, First Lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move!" initiative empowers parents and caregivers to help their kids maintain a healthy weight and make healthy choices for their families. "Let's Move!" also encourages young people to choose wholesome foods, increase their physical activity, and develop life-long healthy habits. Child care providers and schools also have an important part in strengthening health and physical education programs and providing nutritious foods in cafeterias and vending areas.
 In America, no parent should have to agonize over finding or affording health care for their child. To address this, the Affordable Care Act guarantees that children are eligible for health coverage regardless of any pre-existing condition. This landmark law extends the Children's Health Insurance Program, and requires basic dental and vision coverage for children under all health plans offered in the new health insurance exchanges beginning in 2014. It also expands our health care workforce, including increasing the number of primary care providers who treat children; forbids insurance companies from dropping coverage if a child or family member gets sick; and helps ensure access to free preventive services. As we mark these successes and the beginning of a new chapter in American health care this year, we also celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Social Security Act including title V of this milestone legislation, which supports maternal and child health programs and services across the country. Parents also should not have to worry about whether the conditions in which their children grow and play are unsafe or unclean. Prenatal and early-life exposures to allergens and environmental contaminants may have detrimental lifelong effects. We must take action for our children's and grandchildren's sake, and we must work together to reduce risks from environmental exposure at home, school, and play areas. Through coordinated efforts like that of the President's Task Force on Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks to Children, my Administration will continue to empower Federal inter-agency collaboration to help ensure healthy homes and communities exist for our children.

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Children are our most precious resource. They are our joy in the present and our hope for the future. As loved ones and educators, mentors and friends, we must do everything in our power to protect the health and well-being of our Nation's children and the promise of their futures.

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Today is National Child Health Day, for ways to get involved, visit this site:  http://mchb.hrsa.gov/childhealthday/

Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

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By Nurse Diane

Earlier this month we told you that is was gynecologic cancer awareness month.  Included in the group are Ovaries.  Ovarian Cancer is one of the most deadly of women's cancers. Each year, approximately 21,880 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer. In 2010, approximately 13,850 women will die in the United States from ovarian cancer. Many women don't seek help until the disease has begun to spread, but if detected at its earliest stage, the five-year survival rate is more than 93%. Recent research suggests that together the four symptoms of: bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, difficulty eating or feeling full quickly and urinary urgency or frequency may be associated with ovarian cancer.  Below is a copy of the Presidential Proclamation:

NATIONAL OVARIAN CANCER AWARENESS MONTH, 2012

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

 

This year, thousands of American women will lose their lives to ovarian cancer. They are mothers and daughters, sisters and grandmothers, community members and cherished friends -- and the absence they leave in our hearts will be deeply felt forever. During National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, we honor those we have lost, show our support for women who bravely carry on the fight, and take action to lessen the tragic toll ovarian cancer takes on families across our Nation.

Sadly, women are all too often diagnosed with this disease when it has already reached an advanced stage. Because early detection is the best defense against ovarian cancer, it is essential that women know the risk factors associated with the disease. Women who are middle-aged or older, who have a family history of ovarian or breast cancer, or who have had certain cancers in the past are at increased risk of developing ovarian cancer. Any woman who thinks she is at risk of ovarian cancer or who experiences symptoms, including abdominal pain, pressure, or swelling -- should talk with her health care provider. To learn more, visit www.Cancer.gov.

Ongoing progress in science and medicine is moving us forward in the battle against ovarian cancer, and my Administration remains committed to improving outcomes for women suffering from this devastating illness. Through agencies across the Federal Government, we are continuing to invest in research that paves the way for a new generation of tests and treatments. Through the Centers for Disease Control's Inside Knowledge campaign, we are working to raise awareness about the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer. The Affordable Care Act already bans insurance companies from dropping a woman's coverage because she has ovarian cancer, and from placing lifetime or restrictive annual dollar limits on her coverage. Beginning in 2014, the law will also prohibit insurers from denying coverage or charging higher premiums because a woman has ovarian cancer -- or any other pre-existing condition. 

 Ovarian cancer affects the lives of far too many women every year, and the tragedy it leaves in its wake reverberates in communities across our country. This month, we stand with all those who have known the pain of ovarian cancer, and we rededicate ourselves to the pursuit of new and better ways to prevent, detect, and treat this devastating disease.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States do hereby proclaim September 2012 as National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. I call upon citizens, government agencies, organizations, health care providers, and research institutions to raise ovarian cancer awareness and continue helping Americans live longer, healthier lives. I also urge women across our country to talk to their health care providers and learn more about this disease.

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September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.  I urge you to visit your gynecologist if you have not done so this year, and also encourage all the women in your life to be checked as well.  Early detection can provide a successful survival rate.

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National Sarcodosis Awareness Day

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By Nurse Diane

In 1991 President George Bush issued a Proclamation declaring today as National Sarcodosis Day, here is an excerpt from that proclamation:

Sarcodosis, a disease that affects many of our fellow citizens and people around the world, remains shrouded in mystery. Skin-related symptoms of this chronic, multi-system disease were first recognized more than 100 years ago; however, the effects of Sarcodosis on other bodily organs were not observed until the first quarter of this century. Today researchers are still trying to learn more about the cause and the nature of this affliction. Sarcodosis can strike people of all races and of all ages, but, according to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, it is most common among black Americans who are between the ages of 20 and 40. While no cause has yet been identified, it is thought that heredity predisposes some individuals to the disease. Intensive research during the past decade has not only supported this belief but also enabled physicians to diagnose and to manage Sarcodosis more effectively.

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Today researchers at both the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute are leading studies on the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of Sarcodosis. On this occasion, we recognize their work and that of other concerned physicians and scientists throughout the United States. We also salute the victims of Sarcodosis who demonstrate great courage and determination in their efforts to cope with the disease; and we pay tribute to their family members and to other concerned Americans who are engaged in grass-roots efforts to promote awareness of Sarcodosis, as well as improved treatment and support for its victims.

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Sarcodosis is a disease in which inflammation occurs in the lymph nodes, lungs, liver, eyes, skin, or other tissues.  Some causes include:

• Extreme immune response to infection;
• High sensitivity to environmental factors;
• Genetic factors;
• age, usually between the ages of 20 to 40 years old;
• Affects women more than men; and or
• Can occur if you have a close relative who suffers from Sarcodosis

Symptoms include chest pains, dry cough, shortness of breath, loss of appetite, general feeling of malaise, fever, hair loss, rash, and headaches or seizures.

Sarcodosis can be diagnoses through a physical exam, chest x-rays and blood work.  Many with Sarcodosis are not seriously ill, and will get better without treatment on their own in about 3 years.  For more serious conditions, they may be treated with immunosuppressant drugs.

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Today is National Sarcodosis Awareness Day.  To learn more about it or how you can help, click on this site. http://www.inspire.com/groups/stop-sarcoidosis/discussion/national-sarcoidosis-awareness-day-august-29-2009/