template

I know admitting this might brand me as a “geek,” but I love museums. Anyway, as the Herald & Review’s health reporter, I fear the geek title already has been bestowed.

As a child, I remember being lucky enough to take quite a few museum trips with my parents. We’d make visits to Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry, and St. Paul’s Science Museum of Minnesota. The exhibits that fascinated me the most were always the ones that allowed me to explore the inner workings of the human body.

A couple summers ago, I saw Gunther von Hagens’ Body Worlds exhibit in St. Paul. Walking into it gave me a strange feeling , though . The hall was filled with literally hundreds of “plastinated” human bodies and organs. The process, invented and fine-tuned by von Hagens, involves preserving bodies in polymer. Right down to the vessels that make up the organs and body systems to entire bodies permanently frozen in a wide range of different poses.

All the bodies in the exhibit were donated for the purpose of education, which made me feel a little less voyeuristic as I walked from specimen to specimen. It was incredibly interesting to see preserved smokers’ lungs and the ways in which various diseases affected other organs. I think whenever we, as regular, non-scientist types, get the chance to have an in-depth look at how the human body works, we ought to take it.

The Museum of Science and Industry has an interesting exhibit going on now called “You! The Experience.” It allows people to explore what makes people unique. From their DNA to their individual thoughts, people can visit a variety of hands-on stations to learn more about themselves and humanity as a whole.

If you’re planning a trip to Chicago, you should check it out. I haven’t made it to the museum yet, but here’s a list of the areas I’m looking forward to hitting up when I go.

-The “Real Food?” exhibit allows visitors to find out a little bit about what’s actually in some of their favorite food items. You can learn about all the different types of sugars and dyes found in circus peanut candies, the canola oil in your SunnyD and why there’s calcium sulfate in your Hot Pockets.

-“Mindball” is a game in which visitors try to “out relax” each other. Players wear brainwave-detecting headbands that monitor a person’s stress level.

-A human-sized “Hamster Wheel” exhibit teaches people about the benefits of physical activity over time.

-The 13-foot-tall, three-dimensional, interactive “Giant Heart” exhibit promises “the most amazing view of the heart you can get without rib spreaders.”

Who knew two letters and two numbers could cause such a ruckus? H1N1 has hit the Macon County scene, and from the sound of things, it’s hit pretty hard. On Tuesday, the Macon County Health Department reported the first local death from the flu strain.

I know that helping people understand what they can do to protect themselves from H1N1 is serious business. I’ve tried to keep my coverage helpful, relevant and to avoid spreading the “Media Fear-mongering Flu” or passing along exaggerated rumors about the disease.

But to fully understand how H1N1 has affected our community, I need your help. I want to seek out diverse sources of information on the flu strain — to talk to people who’ve had the disease and recovered, people who’ve opted to get the vaccination and those who have decided not to.

Got the scoop on something regarding H1N1? I want to hear from you.

Do you have questions or opinions on the strain that you don’t think are being addressed by local media? Give me a call.

If you have something to contribute, please contact me by commenting on this blog, e-mailing me at agetsinger@herald-review.com or calling me at 421-6968.

Dear Blog Reader,

For the weekend I leave you with this: It’s a Newsweek magazine health quiz designed to gauge your overall wellness by asking you 11 simple questions. You don’t need anything special to take the test, and you can do it at your computer right now.

Right. Now.

Take three minutes and take the test. I’ll wait. Plus, you could be surprised by your findings.

Did you take it? I did, and I received a B (a shocking, scandalous score for a health reporter, I know). But the quiz is based on some common sense things like making sure you eat in a healthy way, get a regular physical, wear a seatbelt, protect your skin from the sun and avoid heavy drinking and tobacco use.

They’re things we might forget or think about putting off for another day, but they can affect your health a lot in the long-term. So, if you still haven’t taken the quiz, take it, and pick one or two of the areas on which you could have scored better to focus on this weekend.

Enjoy your homework.

Four years ago this past Saturday, I lost my uncle to the 11th leading cause of death in the U.S. He was sick, but cancer didn’t devour his body, nor did cardiovascular disease quiet the beating of his heart. My uncle Rick took his own life.

He loved baseball, Janis Joplin and penguins. He loved us, and in a moment, he was gone.

His death leveled our family’s emotional defenses like an atomic blast. What was left in the rubble was rawness, anger and sadness. I have spent these past four years rebuilding that place in my heart to make it inhabitable again, and I am reaching out to you.

I’m writing this not to talk about my family’s own experiences but hopefully to call attention to a few things not all of us are thinking about. In 2006, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, there were 33,300 reported suicide deaths nationwide. For every 90 Americans who take their own lives each day, more than 2,000 attempt to do so. Chances are that you know a real person who has been affected by these statistics.

There are quite a few factors that contribute to suicide, and loved ones left behind are often left with many more questions than answers. But the foundation asserts that a key way to prevent these tragedies is through the recognition and treatment of depression and other psychiatric illnesses.

Mental illness is so stigmatized in our society. I see evidence of it every day. These attitudes force those already living with the pain of illness to shoulder the further burdens of isolation, discrimination and even threats or violence.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI, which is active locally, has a network dedicated to addressing stigma, and actress and advocate Glenn Close has recently filmed a public service announcement on the same issue.

I have seen communities come together around those who are sick and dying. I have seen people proudly sporting brightly colored ribbons to raise awareness for different health causes.

We must realize that people living with mental illness are not at fault and that their conditions can sometimes be as deadly as the ones we unhesitatingly rally behind. We must make it our business to help people get help and to overcome shame.

We have wonderful mental health resources in our community — from local psychiatrists, psychologists and counselors to the Macon County Mental Health Board, the Mental Health Association of Macon County, our local NAMI affiliate and Heritage Behavioral Health Center.

I urge you to get to know them. Learn about what they do and who they serve, and if you or someone you care about needs them now or in the future, use them.

And know that no matter the outcomes, the love and compassion you provide to those you care about in their times of need are some of the greatest gifts we human beings can ever give.

If you, or someone you know, is in suicidal crisis or emotional distress please call 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

For more information, visit the Suicide Prevention Lifeline Web site.

This blog is usually a forum for me to express some of my views and opinions on health care topics, but I realize that people are affected by health and wellness issues in many different ways. One of the things I’ve been most interested in researching lately is something that’s going to affect us all, though — proposed national health care reform.

It seems to be a topic of discussion in settings ranging from dinner tables to break rooms to doctor’s office waiting rooms, and everyone has an opinion. I’m interested in all types of opinions because there are so many different stakeholders. Everyone depends on health care in one way or another — some as individuals and others as businesspeople, too.

I want to investigate more of those stories. I want to know what your questions and experiences regarding the issues are. I believe that only when we can create a civilized dialogue on the issue will we be able to come up with any kind of solution that will respond to all the different voices on the debate. To do this, it’s vital that we listen to each other’s stories.

I’m inviting you to comment here, to share your experiences and ask your questions and hopefully start a conversation with me on the topic.

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to make a decision that required a little thinking on my part. Trust me, it’s rare.

At 24 years old, I fall on the cusp of one of the H1N1 vaccine priority groups (6-month-old infants to 24-year-olds). In December, I turn 25, and because I don’t have any chronic conditions, I fall out of the priority range for the vaccine.

I covered a story at Decatur Memorial Hospital about a free vaccine clinic being held for adults who qualified, and hospital officials asked me if I wanted to be vaccinated. I decided that with the work I do, the number of people I meet on a weekly basis and the amount of time I spend in the health care setting as a reporter, it wouldn’t be a bad idea.

H1N1 is pretty prevalent in our area now, and so far I’ve been lucky not to have a close contact affected by the flu strain, but it could only be a matter of time before I come in contact with it myself. I knew that if the H1N1 situation were to worsen, and I decided I wanted the vaccine after my birthday, it would be too late. So I rolled up my sleeve and got the shot.

If you or your loved ones have the opportunity to get vaccinated, please read today’s story in the Herald & Review Life section about the vaccine and its risks and benefits. I think it’s important for community members to be informed about any preventive steps they can take against H1N1 and to make their decisions based on information rather than rumors and fear.

Forget dressing your kids up as little chainsaw-wielding maniacs, tiny zombies and mini werewolves this Halloween. The real fears keeping people up at night lately seem to be related to our health, not the supernatural. Things that go bump in the night and chill us to the bone have been replaced by the things that leave unsightly bumps and give us chills.

In no particular order, here are my top three health-related Halloween costume ideas — guaranteed to freak you out more than vampires and skeletons ever could*:

-Heart disease is the number one killer in this country. Now THAT’S really scary! A sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy eating habits and smoking are known to contribute to the disease. Why not dress your kid up as a donut-toting, cigarette or a couch-potato?

For the couch potato costume, stuff some panty hose with poly-fill to create a lumpy, potato-y appearance. Extra points if you include an old TV remote.

-H1N1 Influenza has certainly made its presence known through intense media coverage and by decimating school and office populations around the country. We’re not supposed to refer to it as “swine flu” anymore, but the moniker seems here to stay. Why not capitalize on some of the fear in your costumes?

For this costume, I recommend covering oneself in a jumpsuit made entirely of crumpled-up tissues and wearing a surgical mask with a pig snout painted on it. Extra points if you can convince your neighbors to give out your kids’ candy through the mail slot to avoid infection.

-People are passionate on both sides of the proposed national health care reform debate. Remember the people (on both sides of the debate) that ruined the civilized atmosphere at those town hall meetings? They scare ME.

For these costumes, make sure to include some hand-painted signs that reflect only a vague understanding of what true healthcare issues. Your kid can dress in his or her normal clothes, only slightly disheveled. Extra points if your kids act paranoid and yell at the neighbors instead of saying “Trick or Treat!”

*I do not really personally endorse any of these Halloween costumes, but I do think the concepts they represent are pretty scary and that the true issues they cause deserve some attention from the general public.

I get dozens of public relations e-mails in my inbox every day, but a recent one caught my attention. I had to check out the “Side Splitting Sneeze” contest sponsored by Chloraseptic Allergen Block, a gel you rub around your nasal area to block allergens from getting inside your nose and making you sneeze.

The product itself is pretty interesting, but it was this sneeze contest that really drew me in. I’ll admit, I sneezed once while watching the videos and have heard several coworkers’ aaaaaah-choooos since.

Some of the videos are faked sneezes engineered to steal the glory. Some of the fakers are babies who don’t know any better, others are clever and not-so-clever skits, placing characters in allergen-filled situations, and then there’s the guy with the pepper. I don’t want to get into that one.

And then there are the actual sneezes caught on tape: The lanky guy in his dorm room, the kid thanking his uncle for a Christmas present and the one I believe will win the grand prize. The video submitted by Ted G of Seaside, Calif. is beautiful, disturbing and hilarious.

Ted’s sneeze face makes him look like a cross between ZZ Top and the creatures that lurk in the dark recesses of my nightmares. The lead-up to his sneeze is agonizing. His eyes are watering, his tongue is perched just on the inside of his bottom lip, and then comes the sound. It reminds me a little of when Regan first spits up the pea-soup colored stuff all over Father Karras in “The Exorcist” or when Pennywise the Dancing Clown comes scurrying up out of the shower drain in Stephen King’s “It.”

I recommend turning your volume down if you plan to watch any of these sneezers.

It seems I can’t go anywhere these days without hearing something about H1N1 influenza, first called swine flu when it hit the scene several months ago. I’ve spoken with doctors, infection control professionals, the folks at local health departments and even a couple of people infected with the flu.

It’s scary to think about a potential pandemic on the same level as the one in 1918 that killed millions and millions all over the world. Stanford has an interesting historical Web site on the pandemic. And the CDC has provided a more technical article written by authors from the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology and National Institutes of Health.

But even the government has taken this H1N1 flu thing with a healthy dose of humor. In July, Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius announced a public service announcement contest on flu prevention. The winning submission was “H1N1 Rap,” by Dr. John D. Clarke in New York.

“I’m recommending washing hands for protection/front and back, real thorough while you count 20 seconds,” Clarke raps while wearing his white coat on top of a building somewhere.

He also recommends people seek medical attention if they think they might be infected, use hand sanitizer, avoid touching their eyes, mouths, noses and faces. It’s all good advice, and the tune is kind of catchy.

You can watch it here, and get more flu information at flu.gov.

Be sure to check out a couple of the runners up, too. I found the “Chainsaw” and “Hazmat” ones particularly hilarious.

As I approach my second year living in Decatur, I am reminded each day about the kind of people who live in our community. There are average folks doing extraordinary things, and my job gives me the privilege of meeting them on a daily basis.

Today I was lucky enough to meet 96-year-old Millie Gieser at Imboden Creek’s Grandparents Day celebration. Getting around by wheelchair with the help of her niece Linda Gross, Millie displayed such a love for life.

Millie not only took part in the event’s face painting, getting a huge blue flower drawn on her left cheek, but she also didn’t think twice about touching the boa constrictor, blue-tongued skink and baby alligator visiting from Scovill Zoo.

Millie, and many of the other people I have met in the course of my job, have taught me a lot. You’re never too old to learn something new. Life is a series of struggles and new experiences. Sometimes they seem like too much to handle, but I guarantee there is always something to learn there.

I hope I learn something from each new person I meet. Thanks to all of you who have inspired me to think in a new way or try to better myself, and here’s to the ones I haven’t met yet.