Don't Drink and Fly.....or drive....or scoot

Need I say More!! 

Be Safe! 

Have Fun! 

Drive Smart

Designate a sober driver! 

Watch for kids tonight!

Born to Ride..............Sober

Don't you agree? Don't drive a "Donor cycle"

Emergency Numbers That You Can Really Use!

Lest we forget sometimes that the Great Physician is really in control! A bit of prayer and faith goes a long way in the recovery and healing of our souls. Remember that!

                                                                         Source: hannicraft.blogspot.com via Theresa on Pinterest

[Disturbing] A Deadly Game played the last time

Warning: The video in this post may be very disturbing if you have ever lost a child! Especially if you have lost a child to "The Choking Game" 

Yes what you witnessed in the video was the accidental death of a boy who played "The Choking Game" for the last time, little did he know that would be his last time. He thought he would film a webcam video to prove to others how well he could do this "game" and survive it. This was not his first time, it was his last!

How can we as parents and adults continue to let this happen, the boy in the webcam  thinks that he can show just how easy it is to "choke" yourself, to get this "buzz or rush" of a feeling that these stupid kids think is ok. As you can see, this boy was alone so when he begins to pass out he can not control his body any longer and thus DIES!!! Dead right there while his own webcam records his death! How horrible!
We as parents tell our kids not to drink, do drugs or have sex, those things right now are the least of our worries! Kids as young as 9 yrs old are dying all over the world playing this stupid game.
Hundreds of videos on all the online and social media sites like Youtube show children how to do things that you won't believe.
Have you as a parent, educator, or health care worker ever been to the website Youtube  have you ever searched for topics like " how to play the choking game"? Try it, you will be shocked at what you will find!

Lets make a pledge to be better educated and save our children! Visit www.Ed4Ed4all.com and let us help

October is National Bullying Awareness Month!

Lets make 2012 the year that we all woke up from our slumber and got on the ball about this bullying issue!
What on earth do people think they are doing, adults, teens and children are all being bullied by people who in my honest opinion (from the movie The Water Boy)  need a "can of whoop ass" opened up on them! It makes me so mad to see people treated in such a manner.
Educate yourself and know the signs, know how to respond and how to help those who are bullied. If you are the victim, know that you need help and not to suffer in silence! You are a wonderful, worthy and  a much better person than your bully! God does not make junk!

Today, 160,000 kids stayed home from school. Not because they were sick or forgot to do their homework, but because they were afraid of being harassed by a bully. One in every four kids get bullied, which adds up to 13 million kids a year.

October 1st marks the beginning of Bullying Prevention Awareness Month .  Each year millions of children and youth experience the humiliation and devastating effects of bullying.  Bullying damages the physical, social, and emotional well-being of its victims. It also hurts the children who bully, as well as those who watch it happen. In fact, bullying creates a climate of fear, callousness, and disrespect for everyone involved.  SAMHSA is committed to reducing the impact of bullying and we will take this month to share information about bullying and its impact, and how everyone can and should play a part in taking action against bullying. (Credit to the SAMSHA blog for some of the info provided here)

Bullying 101 :

Bullying begins in the preschool years, peaks in early adolescence, and continues, but with less frequency, into the high school years. But bullying does NOT have to be a part of growing up.

Bullying is a form of emotional or physical abuse that has three defining characteristics:

1. Deliberate – the child that bullies’ intention is to hurt someone
2. Repeated—the child that bullies often targets the same victim again and again
3. Power Imbalanced—the child that bullies chooses victims he or she perceives as vulnerable

Bullying occurs in many different forms, with varying levels of severity. It may involve:

• Physical Bullying—poking, pushing, hitting, kicking, beating up
• Verbal Bullying—yelling, teasing, name-calling, insulting, threatening to harm
• Relational Bullying—ignoring, excluding, spreading rumors, telling lies, getting others to hurt someone

Know the Warning Signs 

A culture of silence often surrounds bullying. Many children who are bullied never tell anyone. 

Most bullying is not reported because children . . .

• Don’t recognize it as bullying
• Are embarrassed
• Don’t want to appear weak
• Believe they deserve it
• Want to belong
• Fear retaliation
• Don’t know how to talk about it
• Don’t have a trusted adult to confide in
• Think adults won’t understand
• Think nothing can be done about it

Just because you don't see it, and children don't talk about it, doesn't mean bullying isn't happening. Even when children fail to report bullying, they often show warning signs.

What are some warning signs of bullying?

• Unexplained damage or loss of clothing and other personal items
• Evidence of physical abuse, such as bruises and scratches
• Loss of friends; changes in friends
• Reluctance to participate in activities with peers
• Loss of interest in favorite activities
• Unusually sad, moody, anxious, lonely, or depressed
• Problems with eating, sleeping, bed-wetting
• Headaches, stomachaches, or other physical complaints
• Decline in school achievement
• Thoughts of suicide

Some children may withdraw, while others may get angry and seek revenge. Don’t assume the problem will go away on its own: Invite children to talk about what is bothering them. If you find out a child is being bullied, show support, help develop a response strategy, and follow up to make sure the bullying does not continue.

What You Can Do 

Recommendations and Strategies for Adults

If you don't intervene, bullies, victims, and bystanders will continue to believe in the power of bullying, rather than the power of prevention. They will continue to let bullying happen. So, why don't adults intervene more often? Sometimes, it’s because we don't see it happen; we’re not sure what to look for. But often, it’s because we don't know what to do or we're afraid that our actions will somehow make matters worse

When adults respond quickly and consistently to bullying behavior they send the message that it is not acceptable. Research shows this can stop bullying behavior over time. There are simple steps adults can take to stop bullying on the spot and keep kids safe.

Do:

• Intervene immediately. It is ok to get another adult to help.
• Separate the kids involved.
• Make sure everyone is safe.
• Meet any immediate medical or mental health needs.
• Stay calm. Reassure the kids involved, including bystanders.
• Model respectful behavior when you intervene.

Avoid these common mistakes:

• Don’t ignore it. Don’t think kids can work it out without adult help.
• Don’t immediately try to sort out the facts.
• Don’t force other kids to say publicly what they saw.
• Don’t question the children involved in front of other kids.
• Don’t talk to the kids involved together, only separately.
• Don’t make the kids involved apologize or patch up relations on the spot.

Get police help or medical attention immediately if:

• A weapon is involved.
• There are threats of serious physical injury.
• There are threats of hate-motivated violence, such as racism or homophobia.
• There is serious bodily harm.
• There is sexual abuse.
• Anyone is accused of an illegal act, such as robbery or extortion—using force to get money, property, or services.

What ever you do, Do something! don't just stand by in silence!!

Heard You Got a Bad Bug....

Don't put off flu shot, there's plenty for all, CDC says

Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends flu shots for everyone over 6 months old.

Yet relatively few get them. Last year, only 43% of Americans got a flu shot, and that was a record year. In developed countries, flu kills more people than any other vaccine-preventable disease, says pediatrician Jon Abramson of Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

This year, 42% of consumers say they plan to skip the flu shot, according to a new survey of nearly 1,500 adults by CVS pharmacy, which shared survey results exclusively with USA TODAY.

In the United States, flu season runs from October to May, with most cases occurring between late December and early March.

Signs and Symptoms of the flu

The flu is often confused with the common cold, but flu symptoms usually are more severe than the typical sneezing and stuffiness of a cold.

Symptoms, which usually begin about 2 days after exposure to the virus, can include:

• fever
• chills
• headache
• muscle aches
• dizziness
• loss of appetite
• tiredness
• cough
• sore throat
• runny nose
• nausea or vomiting
• weakness
• ear pain
• diarrhea

Infants with the flu also may seem fussy all of a sudden or just "not look right."

Duration

After 5 days, fever and other symptoms have usually disappeared, but a cough and weakness may continue.

All symptoms are usually gone within a week or two. However, it's important to treat the flu seriously because it can lead to pneumonia and other life-threatening complications, particularly in infants, senior citizens, and people with long-term health problems.




Experts talk about some of the most common myths about the flu and the flu shot

Myth 1: The flu is just a bad cold.

A cold is an annoyance. The flu kills up to 49,000 people a year and hospitalizes 200,000, the CDC says. Last year, 114 children died. Flu symptoms tend to appear suddenly, unlike a cold. People who get H1N1 (swine flu) are often laid up for a week with fever, body aches, sore throat, fatigue, headaches and a runny or congested nose, says the CDC.

Myth 2: The flu shot causes the flu.

About 35% of consumers think the flu vaccine can cause flu, CVS found. But that's impossible, CDC says, because the viruses in the flu shot are dead. Its most common side effect is a sore arm. Mist nasal spray contains weakened viruses, so they don't cause severe symptoms, either. Side effects in kids can include a runny nose, wheezing and headache.

Myth 3: New "combined" shots are riskier than older ones.

This year's shot, which protects against both H1N1 and seasonal flu, was made the same way as every other flu shot, says Randy Bergen of Kaiser Permanente in Walnut Creek, Calif. Every year, vaccine makers include viral strains that are most likely to cause illness. Typically, these include two influenza A strains — an H1N1 and an H3N2 — and a strain of influenza B, Abramson says.

Myth 4: Only sickly people need a flu shot.

Half of consumers think flu shots are only for kids or sick people, CVS found. Actually, the most vulnerable members of society, such as newborns or those with weak immune systems, often can't get flu shots. The only way to protect them is to vaccinate everyone around them, keeping flu viruses out of circulation, Bergen says. Because babies can't be vaccinated until they're 6 months old, they depend on vaccinated friends and family members to create a "cocoon" of protection , Bergen says.

Myth 5: Flu shots contain toxic chemicals such as mercury.

About 14% of those surveyed said flu shots were dangerous. Concerns about mercury have revolved around a preservative called thimerosal, once commonly used in vaccines but mostly phased out since 2001 . Today, no thimerosal is added to FluMist nasal spray or to flu shots from single-dose containers, says Paul Offit, infectious-disease expert at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Companies add thimerosal to only flu vaccine stored in multi-dose vials, to prevent fungus or other potentially dangerous germs, Bergen says. There's no evidence that the low levels of thimerosal in shots cause any harm, says Offit. Thimerosal contains ethyl mercury, not methyl mercury, the type that can cause brain damage, he says. The low levels of ethyl mercury found in multi-dose flu shots have never been shown to cause harm, Offt says. There's also no data to prove that thimerosal causes autism, either, Offit adds. In fact, seven studies now refute that idea. Offit notes that flu shots don't use aluminum, which is used in other vaccines as an "adjuvant" to stimulate a stronger immune response.

Why not get protection from the flu?

Simple protection from a potentially deadly problem, a flu shot every year is all that it takes. Yet so many people make excuses not to get one, I used to be one of those people even as a healthcare worker,and I got the vaccine for free for Pete's sake. I would make up every excuse under the sun to avoid getting a "shot" , such a baby, until I actually got the flu and was so miserably sick I could not move. I did some reading myself, educated myself about the flu types, causes, vaccines and potential effects if not vaccinated and I was quickly sold on the fact that I was being crazy not to vaccinate myself as a healthcare worker and endangering my patients also. I have never gotten the flu from a flu shot, not possible, it is not the live vaccine you are getting unless you get the nasal spray.

I read a good article today via NBCNews vital signs that talked about how the number of people in the US getting the influenza vaccine has declined, so we will no have many more very ill patients to treat this year I guess? Below is excerpts of that article.

“Influenza is five times more likely to cause severe illness in pregnant women than women who are not pregnant,” said Dr. Laura Riley of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

But a CDC survey released Thursday showed that just 47 percent of pregnant women had a flu vaccine last year. If their doctors both recommended and provided the vaccine, nearly 74 percent of pregnant women got the shot. Just 11 percent of women whose doctor said nothing got immunized.

Even though doctors have been stressing for years that flu vaccines cannot give people the flu, a full quarter of the pregnant women who refused the vaccine said they believed it would infect them. Another 13 percent thought their babies were at risk.

“Pregnant women worry about everything,” Riley said. “We spend a lot of time in this country talking about you can’t eat this, you can’t eat that. It takes us a little while to get the message out about how efficacious (the vaccine) is. We are preventing a very severe disease potentially and we are protecting your baby.” Vaccination does not raise the risk of miscarriages or birth defects.

Flu may be off many people’s radar because the last two years haven’t been especially bad, and because the 2009 H1N1 swine flu pandemic didn’t turn out to be as bad an initially feared.

Yet, 1,300 children died from H1N1 that year and about 100 U.S. children die every year from flu, half of them previously perfectly healthy, CDC says. The CDC estimates that anywhere between 3,000 to 49,000 people a year die from flu in the United States. A lot depends on the strains circulating.

“Flu is unpredictable. Just because we got off easy last season does not mean we will get off easy this season,” Riley said.

The other group that should have 100 percent vaccination is health care workers. The CDC data show that more than 86 percent of physicians are vaccinated, followed by more than three-quarters of nurses. But the numbers plummet to just half of workers in long-term care facilities, where patients are especially vulnerable to flu.

“I believe that the immunization of the health care provider community is both an ethical and professional responsibility,” said Dr. William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University in Nashville and the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. “It’s a patient safety issue so that we do not transmit our influenza infection. When an outbreak strikes, we need to be vertical, not horizontal.

As with the pregnant women, health workers were more likely to get vaccinated if it was easy for them. More than 78 percent of health care workers got immunized if free vaccine was made available for several days at work. And 21 percent of the health workers said getting flu vaccine was now a condition of employment. More employers should consider making it a requirement, said Litjen Tan of the American Medical Association.

This year, 135 million doses of flu vaccine will be available to the U.S. market. People can get vaccinated at pharmacies, at big-box stores, grocery stores, doctor’s offices and often at their places of employment. Most private insurance companies and Medicare pay for the whole cost of the vaccine.

And while the vaccines are not specifically formulated to protect against some new flu strains that a few people have caught from pigs, they may offer some help, health officials said.

So far, the three new variants identified this year -- H3n2v (the little v stands for “variant”), H1N1v and H1N2v -- don’t spread easily from person to person. Almost everyone infected has been close to pigs. One person has died from the new H3N2v virus, but everyone else has recovered. The CDC’s Dr. Daniel Jernigan says people alive in the 1990s have some immunity to the H3N2 version, and the new H1N1v is close to the strain that the current vaccine targets, although the protection is not perfect.

credit:By Maggie Fox, NBC News

Please protect yourself and your loved ones, most of all our unborn babies and get your flu vaccine this year I am!

~~Leslie RN