Let's Talk about an Abused Drug

Let’s Talk about an Abused Drug

            Pseudoephedrine is a pill commonly used for allergies, nasal decongestion, or head colds, but can also be used to make meth.  I used to work in a Wal-Mart pharmacy where I would have to turn down users who needed their pseudoephedrine several times a day. Not to be judgmental but, I could always tell by the people who were standing in line, which ones were there to pick up a prescription and which ones were there for Pseudoephedrine. They would wait in the line and walk up to the pharmacy, sometimes having scabs on their bodies, smelling of ammonia, or already holding their driver’s license in their yellow stained, dry, and sometimes burned hands. I believe Joplin City Council has done a great thing by recently moved that we should take control over Pseudoephedrine by making the drug prescription only.

            Since 2001 Missouri has ranked number one in methamphetamine incidents, according to Debby Woodin’s article in the Joplin Globe. I know that in Missouri it is only legal to purchase 9 grams of Pseudoephedrine each month. I also know that there are 21 tablets in each box. Now why on earth would someone need 3 boxes of Pseudoephedrine for themselves? I would usually have regulars in the pharmacy that would come and buy and every time they came in they had a different sickness. Sometimes they would go on and on about allergies and sometimes they would pretend to have a cold, or claim that their grandma had a cold. Just because you can pretend that you are sick doesn’t mean that people do not notice you are a liar. We did have the power to turn them down if we wanted to, but the law states that they can have 9 grams each month so there would be a possibility that they could sue you for judging them. “A total of 102 labs were seized last year in the county, with 46 of those in Joplin.” That is a lot of meth labs! It’s scary to think that we have so many meth labs so close to home! It makes you feel unsafe.

                Some people are saying that it is just another way to legalize meth, but it’s not. In my opinion this will work a lot better because a doctor can tell whether or not someone needs medication such as Pseudoephedrine. If less people can get a hold of things that contain Pseudoephedrine, then less people can make meth, making our town a safer place for our children to grow up. However, a bad thing about making the medication prescription only is the fact that doctors’ offices and urgent cares, and other places are going to be crawling with new patients for a long time trying to get their Pseudoephedrine prescriptions, making it harder to pay visits to your doctor for real illnesses. I think after a while though that the problem will fade because less people may try to get Pseudoephedrine because they know that the doctor will never believe that they are sick. Missouri may be number one in methamphetamine related incidents now, but I believe that in the future it will be less of a problem because they changed it to prescription only.

OUR Birthday

A Birthday

Twenty-two years ago today, February 23, 1989 record level cold temperatures were being recorded as well as record breaking amounts of snow of a foot, and my sister and I were being life flighted to Springfeild. That day seemed like the perfect day for my sister, Lindsey and I to show our lovely faces in this world. We were not supposed to be born until May, but as most twins do, we decided that we no longer were interested in the comfort of our mother’s womb. Yes, that’s right folks; I have another girl in running around that looks just like me! I love being a twin even though sometimes it’s difficult. When we were born they told our parents that we were fraternal twins, but he didn’t know for sure. Now we know we are identical.

            As a child being a twin means that you have to share everything that you receive. Most parents can’t really afford to buy two of everything and twenty-two years ago money was on short supply so cloth diapers were always hanging on the line to dry. My sister and I shared clothes, shoes, socks, toys, even beds. One time I woke up in the morning with Lindsey’s sucker stuck in my hair and it took us hours to get it out! We also went to Kindergarten together and wore the exact same outfits as each other every single day. We completely and totally hated it. Really the only reason why we hated it so much is because we wanted our own identities and wearing the same thing and being called “twin” all the time instead of our real names is kind of annoying after a while. Even our Grandma didn’t know who we were. The only person who knew how we felt about it was our dad. He is a twin too so he always called us by our names and let us dress in separate identities. One time Dad let us wear the shoes we chose to wear and we fought over who was going to wear the Pocahontas shoes. I ended up with the Lion King shoes and I was very unhappy so we argued all the way to school in the car until dad made us each trade left shoes. We stopped arguing after that and the problem was fixed! However, we that was not the only time we ever fought with each other. We fought constantly about every single thing. When you’re with someone all the time like that it is hard not to find things to bicker about or be jealous of the other.

            The wonderful thing about being a twin is the fact that you do not ever have to be lonely. Everyone in the whole world could hate me and I will always have Lindsey. I could never imagine my life without Lindsey. We played together all day every day. First grade was very devastating because the school would not let us be in classes together because they said we would be too much of a distraction to each other. I think they were probably right on this one because we relied on each other a lot when we were younger. It gave me the opportunity to have different friends but I missed her a lot during the day time and I guess I cried a lot too! As we got older having a sister in the same grade as me became more of a benefit, especially because that sister was a lot meaner than me! If someone was mean to me and Lindsey heard them, they were sorry! As we furthered in school, we struggled with keeping our own friends and our own identities. We ended up with the same friends in the end and we have the exact same interests and the exact same features. The only difference now is that she is married and has a baby and I have not done either of those things. Recently we were sitting on the couch and we were looking at each other randomly and we noticed that we have the exact same markings on our faces as if we were looking in the mirror! Also, I went to the dentist not too long ago and Lindsey has only the left side of her wisdom teeth and I have only the right side of my wisdom teeth. We look and act just alike in so many ways that people don’t even know the difference between us. Sometimes keeping my own identity is a struggle, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Lindsey is the most amazing girl in the world and I am happy to call her my twin sister. I love everything about her even if we fight sometimes (or all the time). I never want to imagine life without my twin sister. As soon as she gets out of bed I plan to spend the rest of every second of this day with her making sure she knows how much I love her.

Respect for the Dead?

Respect the Dead

                I was driving home today from a long, dragged out day of work and as I was making my turn to go home I noticed a giant cemetery. Upon driving by it, it seemed just like any other cemetery, tall trees planted all around it, artificial flowers next to scattered head stones from people paying their respects, a black, metal, picket fence lined all around as if to keep the dead in, and gravel pathways for cars to drive. I continued to gaze out of the corner of my eye at the calm cemetery and suddenly noticed the headstones just inches away from the fence. Not only were these headstones inches away from the fence, but they were inches away from the road! Where does that leave room for a casket to rest? Does that mean when people drive on the road next to these head stones that they are running over a person’s buried loved one? I was always taught to respect the dead and respecting the dead included never to stand or walk upon someone’s resting place and many other respects.

How many of you think that we should respect the dead? A cemetery is a peaceful place where people go to visit their perished loved ones, showing that they will never forget about them, and it should never be disrespected. I don’t want to see children sneaking around in the cemetery looking for somebody’s dead Grandmother’s ghost. I also think that if you are going to rub a headstone, make sure that you be careful when you do it. Don’t leave markings on someone’s headstone, it is disrespectful! I’m not even sure I understand why people rub head stones!

I was also taught to never speak ill of the dead. I once knew girl we will call Sally. She died in a car accident a couple of years ago because she was driving drunk. She was my best friend in elementary school but we had a falling out because of what we will call irreconcilable differences. I didn’t even know that Sally had died until I read it on Face Book and what I read was NOT pleasant. I was completely infuriated. I read and heard things like “Sally deserved to die for drunk driving!” and “Serves her right!” I even got a text that said something bad about Sally from another friend (of course she is not my friend anymore). Do not say things like this about people who have passed away no matter what the reason! Especially out loud, on Face Book, or Myspace or anything like that! You could really offend or hurt one of Sally’s loved one’s feelings! I think that you should just let people say the good things about someone who has passed on because after they have passed, you have no right to judge. Sally will get judged when she reaches those pearly gates in heaven. Also, be grateful that you still have a life to live, unlike her, whose lease on life was cut short. Life is short and maybe she did not get the chance to travel like she always wanted to, get married, have children; live out her dreams, or to mature as a person.

The world can sometimes be a cruel place but I believe that everything happens for a reason. I also believe that in respecting the dead, you are also respecting life. Sally may have died from driving drunk but I learned a valuable lesson from her mistake. Respect the dead by keeping the memories of the ones who have passed alive. Speak highly of the ones who have passed on because you would not want people to speak ill of you when you are gone.

Stress

Stress

                Your alarm clock did not go off, you still have to take a shower, wake up your children, fix them breakfast, and take them to school because they were too late to catch the bus, and you must do all of this before 8:00 a.m. You arrive at work ten minutes late and your boss is standing at your desk waiting for you and he looks very angry. “I told you that you had to be here at 8:00 for our meeting about your next piece and you’re ten minutes late! There is no excuse for tardiness! If you don’t clean your act up, you will be fired!” You reply with a “Yes sir! I do apologize for my absence and will make sure it never happens again!” You set down at your desk, relieved, but then realize that you are starving, did not get your morning coffee, forgot to pay the utility bill, have a never-ending stack of work on your desk, have divorce court at 2:00 p.m., you forgot your purse at home, and to top it all off you spoke to your boss with your shirt buttoned up completely wrong! Many people in this situation sometimes wish that they were still a child. Not a care in the world except which toy to play with first and who to sit by on the bus! What most people don’t realize is that your children can show signs of stress as well for various reasons.

                Children may as stress the same as adults do, they are just unsure of how to express and deal with their feelings the way adults do. Different children, depending upon their level of stress will show different symptoms when under stress. When a child is under a lot of stress they may act out at home or in school.  Acting out could include stealing, lying, violence, irritation, and class disruption. Other times a child might express depression, a lack in appetite; they may become whiney or clingy, or lose interest in homework and socialization.  They could also complain about body aches, feeling sick, and having trouble sleeping.

If you notice one of these symptoms or all of these symptoms you might be thinking, “Why is my child under so much stress?” Just because your kid doesn’t have to worry about what bill his or her next pay check has to go to doesn’t mean the kid doesn’t have a reason to be stressed. There are many different reasons a child could be upset. Maybe there is a bully in school that is picking on the child and this bully is telling him or her not to say anything. It is also possible that he or she is worried about how they might fit in at school with other people. Make sure to let your children know that you are able to help them in any way that you can and that you’re ready to listen and give advice. Another reason your child could be acting out is separation anxiety, which is usually short term. If your child is used to having you there and suddenly you are not there all the time anymore, that could cause them to act out such as crying and class disruption. Also, sometimes parents may not think that their children know about the stressful things that they are going through, but sometimes they overhear what you think they can’t hear. Make sure to think twice when you are talking about your financial burdens with other spouses, friends, or family members because there is a possibility that your child could hear you and sense that those things stress you out. When a child notices weakness in a parent like that it can scare them.

Make sure to communicate with your children as much as possible. Help them with their homework, ask them how their day was, set aside family board game nights, and have family dinner at the kitchen table. As long as your child knows that you are there to help them and give them advice in any way that you can, they will come to you with their problems.  If you notice that your child is acting out of the ordinary, such as disrupting class and being agitated, confront him or her about the problems that are occurring. Many times just talking to someone about their problem can relieve a lot of stress.

What if it's NOT a Storm?

What if it’s NOT a Storm?

                It is a warm, humid, summer day and you are walking to the mailbox, you notice large cumulonimbus storm clouds rolling in, and hear thunder in the distance. You brush it off, get the mail and walk back inside brushing it off because you think it’s just another storm. What if it’s not? As most of you know tornado season is right around the corner and it is imminent to know the safety precautions you must take in order to be safe from the disasters that occur during a tornado.

                First you must know that we are in tornado alley, which means we are more likely to get tornadoes then say, California. Since we are in tornado alley it is a good idea to get a weather radio, which you can pick up at any Wal-Mart Store. Also, make sure that you have a plan worked out with your family of what to do in case of a tornado. Tornado season begins in early spring, peaks in May and June, and ends usually in late summer. When a storm rolls in and you are looking for the signs, the temperature may drop significantly. Look at the sky. Does it have a menacing green color to it? Also, the wind may pick up and blow quite strong, when the wind is blowing, (this could occur even during a normal storm) look for rotation in the storm clouds. Listen for a loud continuous rumble, like thunder that just won’t cease.  Further, there will be heavy rain fall and hail. Look for flying debris as well because sometimes the funnels of tornadoes are not visible. When it is dark, it is extremely hard to tell (even though a majority of tornadoes happen between 3 and 9 p.m.) if a tornado has touched down and is wreaking havoc on your town. If you suspect that there may be a tornado nearby, look around outside for flashes of light other than lightning, they could be blue or green. The flashes of light are power lines being taken out! Take cover immediately! Do NOT, I repeat, do NOT, take the time to open all of your windows! That does not make one bit of difference and will only give you less time to get to your safe spot!

                Before tornado season hits you should consider getting things ready for your shelter or safe spot, be it a basement or a middle room in your house such as a closet. A mattress or sleeping bag to cover yourself to protect you from debris, a flashlight, your handy dandy weather radio, thick blankets,  and perhaps a first aid kit. Your safe spot can also be underneath your stairs, or in a bathtub, just make sure you stay far away from windows.  If you are in a mobile home, get out!  You are safer outside than inside the mobile home! It can be tossed around like a car. When you are in the safe spot get down on your knees, put your face as close to them as possible, and cover your head! If you are outside lay flat with your hands over your head in a place away from trees and the mobile home or car you might have been inside. After the tornado occurs make sure to stay away from fallen power lines and stay with your family. If you can, call 911 if anyone is injured. Do not go into your home if it is damaged by the tornado because it could be unstable and make sure to watch for fallen debris such as glass, nails, splintered wood, etc.

                It is imminent to know the safety precautions to take during a tornado. You could save your own life, or another’s life. Make sure to remember that tornado season in this region starts in early spring and ends in late summer. Take the proper safety precautions by listening to your weather radio, watching the news, and watching the clouds. Do not panic! Just be safe!     

Should you Trust a Pharmacy?

Should you Trust a Pharmacy?

                Imagine that you’re a Pharmacy Technician. It’s an extremely busy day and you have a continuous line of ill, cranky, people who want to go home trying to pick up their prescriptions. Your pharmacy is short handed that day so you are performing three different technicians’ jobs at one time. A patient’s prescription is not being covered for unknown reasons and you must call the insurance company, three people are standing in line impatiently to drop off their prescriptions, and there are twenty prescriptions waiting to get filled.  Also, the one Pharmacist on duty still has twenty more prescriptions that have already been filled that must be checked for errors before they are released to the patients. Does this make it okay for them to make a mistake every once in a while?

Running around like a chicken with your head cut off while other technicians yell at you to hurry up was the case a lot of times in the pharmacy where I used to employed. The environment was very stressful due to the volume of customers and lack of employees. Every once in a while there was a possibility that a patient’s prescription got crossed with another’s. Crossing a prescription can be deadly so it is imminent that technicians pay close attention to the prescriptions they give out to the patients.

According to the Denver Post, a six week pregnant woman by the name of Mareena Silva dropped off her prescription at a Safeway pharmacy. She was prescribed an antibiotic by her doctor for an illness. The Safeway pharmacy somehow accidentally mixed up her prescription with another patient’s prescription. Mareena Silva took this Methotrexate thinking that it would cure her illness. Silva was horrified when she realized that it was not the prescription she was prescribed, it was prescribed to someone else. According to Drug Information Online, the prescription Methotrexate is used by patients with rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, and in pregnancy for slowing “the growth of rapidly dividing cells, such as embryonic, fetal, and early placenta cells.” Silva was rushed to the hospital in fear that her baby was in grave danger. The results have not been released yet whether or not the baby survived the Methotrexate. Generally, a patient with the prescribed drug is prescribed to take it twice a week for about three months in order to end a pregnancy so it is possible that it had no effect. Hopefully the baby is okay.

                It is never okay to give someone the wrong prescription and Mareena Silva is a great example of how giving someone the wrong prescription can be devastating. Even though an environment is stressful, it is important to keep in mind that the prescriptions, if given to the wrong person may even kill the patient. Patients also need to ensure that they look at the information on the prescription to make sure that their name and information is on the bottle. Also, be familiar with the prescription that you are prescribed so if you are given something different by mistake you will notice. Pharmacies are one of those places where it is not okay to make a mistake, but people are only human and from time to time, mistakes will happen. I will not trust a pharmacy when it comes to my drugs, I will always check them before I take them.

I'm Guilty

I am an extremely guilty person. I have many guilty pleasures! Guilty pleasures are things that you like to do but you feel embarrassed about them. I have a pretty large list so brace yourself because I have decided I am no longer embarrassed to share them with people!

1. Singing and dancing to Spice Girls while using my hair brush as microphone.

2. Twirling my hair. What? It is sooo soft!

3. I collect Nightmare before Christmas memorabilia.

4. I watch television shows with the kids because I like to not because they are.

5. I like to sing loudly and I do NOT care where I am!

6. Bluegrass music

7. I collect elephants. Not real ones!!

8. Brittney Spears

9. The casino

10. Playing hooky

My ten guilty pleasures may not seem all the guilty to you, but to me these are some pretty embarrassing things! The one about the Spice Girls is probably the most embarrassing one! What are some of your guilty pleasures?

Are you too Busy to Burn Calories?

How many of you resolved to get fit and lose weight this year? How many of you have already broken their New Year’s resolution? I know I have about fifteen times now. Burning some extra calories does not have to be done at the gym. You will find that things you eat and do throughout the day can help you burn off some extra calories!

                How many of you get the afternoon and before bedtime munchies? Well instead of grabbing that candy bar or bag of cheese puffs, trade them with some crunchy, fresh carrots or celery. One medium carrot only has thirty-five calories and no fat. Of course, celery also has no fat and is only ten calories! Carrots and celery can actually burn off their calories while you are chewing on them as well! How’s that for a low calorie snack? I have found crunching on carrots to be very helpful when I am starving for some sort of snack. It is have for me to maintain a healthy diet because I work at a bakery where I have to smell delicious baking cinnamon rolls, cookies, and cakes all day! For those of you who need something sweet for a snack throughout the day can try apples with only 44 calories, oranges with 45 calories, or strawberries with only three calories for one. Make sure that you are stocked up on healthy snacks these at school or work when it is so easy to drop some quarters and pick of that snickers bar! Besides eating those healthy snacks, there are other things you can do to burn some extra calories.

                Who likes to listen to music while they are taking a shower or getting ready to go somewhere? I absolutely love to sing and dance while I am blow drying my hair in the morning. You can burn extra calories by singing loudly and dancing according to the article “50 Fun and Easy ways to Burn Calories.” Another way to burn those extra calories is to take the stairs instead of using the elevator. I actually love to take the stairs instead of the elevator, probably because I am not patient enough to wait for the elevator to arrive at my floor. You can also burn calories by having a good laugh. Read the funnies in a newspaper, read a funny joke to your friends, or watch a comedy movie or television show that always make you laugh. Shoveling snow, doing some gardening, or bench pressing your toddler (not recommended for weaklings like me), can also help you burn some calories and gain some muscle. Also, when you are taking a shower you can turn off the hot water, making it cold for about twenty seconds, quickly burning up to 100 calories or more! Personally, I would never do that because I absolutely hate cold water touching my body and I usually take my showers in the morning while my boyfriend is sleeping. I am fairly confident he would not want to be awoken from his deep slumber at six in the morning by a blood curdling scream. If you don’t like the sound of dousing yourself in ice water, try drinking some instead. Drinking ice cold water can help you burn up to 100 calories more when working out and assist you in getting those eight glasses of water you need each day. Another way to burn calories is to tense your abs while you’re walking or while you’re waiting I n line stand up on your tip toes, go back down to your regular stance, then go back up to you tip toes again. Don’t be self-conscious about standing on your tip toes; feel good about it because you are burning calories! However, all of these simple exercises are easy to forget about. I’m confident that if you want to burn those extra calories that you will remember!

                Once you get the hang of putting these simple exercises into your life, you will be burning calories left and right! You should also find time to go the gym three times a week if you can. In the mean time when you cannot get out of the house or you are at work, eating celery or strawberries for a snack can help you stay on track with your diet. Don’t miss out on the fun exercises that we discussed, such as singing and dancing, or just watching a good comedy. You will find that some of the extra things you eat or do can make you burn off extra calories.