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Article On Paternal Mental Health
Friendly, yet informative blog post to lessen stigma and educate men on male postpartum depression.
Health Article - Johns Hopkins
"Edutainment" article encouraging medication adherence to go along with accompany graphics.
The Long-Term Relationship Between: Your Asthma & Inhaled Corticosteroids
Long-term relationships can be tough. Sometimes you feel like it just isn't working and may want to quit it. For the right ones, however, you stick with it and the quality of your life improves drastically. This is the relationship between your asthma and the long-term inhaled corticosteroids prescribed by your doctor of course.
Inhaled corticosteroids are also referred to as "controller medicines", but you may know them personally by names such asFlovent, QVAR, or Pulmicort. It's a medicine taken daily, as prescribed by your doctor, for long-term asthma control management. For your asthma, you may be tempted to turn to your "rescue medicine" (Albuterol) for the rush and fast-acting relief it gives you each time you have an attack. This relationship soon turns dependent as the albuterol does nothing to help your future asthma symptoms, only reducing the inflammation in your lungs temporarily, waiting to be used again tomorrow, knowing you'll come "crawling back" (You'll be so out of breathe).
Inhaled corticosteroids don't have instantaneous effects, but they support your well-being by preventing future asthma symptoms over time. When taken routinely, inhaled corticosteroids reduce inflammation in the airways by inhibiting cells that cause inflammation and reactions to inhaled allergens (cigarette smoke, dust, grass). The inhaled corticosteroid will eventually reduce the hyper-responsiveness, the extreme narrowing, of your airways when exposed to something that prompts your asthma attacks.
But remember: Inhaled corticosteroids need to be taken everyday, otherwise the positive outcomes achieved will be quickly reversed. So, unless told otherwise by your doctor, stick with it.
You may feel "fine" without your inhaled corticosteroids, but your asthma is developing a very healthy relationship with them. Give it time to grow.
"Carly"
Sexual Assault Stakeholder Engagement Piece
Emotive piece on sensitive subject matter raising awareness of crisis center services.
“I went on a date last night. It was nice, we walked along the Harbor. And at the end, I was even able to let him hold my hand.”
Carly smiled proudly at the circle of people who stared intently at her, beaming warmly as she recanted her story. One woman noted how happy she was for her, while two others earnestly nodded in agreement. This wasn’t a group of girlfriends discussing their significant others at a bar or a break room chat amongst close knit peers. It was a support group for sexual assault survivors, and Carly was one of them.
A year ago at age 27, Carly agreed to go out with a man she met over a dating app. Walking towards the outdoor festival, Carly needed to use the restroom, and being near his place, her date suggested they quickly pop in to freshen up.
“I promise I won’t try anything,” he grinned. She didn’t think he would, he was “nice” and they were on a nice date.
However, as she exited his bathroom and attempted to pick her bag up from his couch, he quickly pinned her down. Her screams of “NO” were moot against the hard tongue pressed in her mouth. Fighting with all her effort, he stopped only when she bit down on his tongue. He reeled off of her and looked down angrily before sputtering, “You agreed to come up, you knew what would happen.”
She hadn’t.
Quietly retreating from his apartment as he locked himself in his bathroom, Carly walked aimlessly for several blocks before hailing a cab. At home she examined her bruises: both thighs, arms, a little on the chest. She resolved to tell no one. She didn’t want to think about it.
At work, Carly was able to hide under her jeans and cowl neck sweaters. Within her friends group, she existed unobtrusively at social gatherings. However, after several months, she knew she needed to seek help and serendipitously walking past a community bulletin board outside a clinic, noticed an advert for a female sexual assault survivor support group. They met every Thursday at 5pm.
The following week Carly attended, observant at first wanting very little to speak of herself, but fully engaged in what others had to say. As the women shared their experiences of abuse and assault, Carly began to feel camaraderie towards them. The guilt of not “knowing” what would happen to her and the shame of not reporting it to the proper authorities began slipping away little by little as these new foundations of trust and understanding were forming around her.
Still having the attention of the group, Carly continued, “I feel really good today. We are going out again this weekend. I’m still a little nervous, but much better – I’m getting there.”
Lifestyle Blog Post
Tips for life hacks and self-improvement combined with personal experience, humor, and helpful recommendations to explain topics.
"Life Tips – New Year New You: Is Networking really that bad?"
A piece about looking at Networking differently with an early surprise “Community”reference and later mention of food.
Networking –the “Britta” of adult-ing.
At least it feels this way for some of us. Company imposed mixers; scoured alumni groups; and unsolicited LinkedIn requests, the act of seemingly interacting with new people for the purpose of self-gain can make us feel uncomfortable.
Similar to those childhood fundraising experiences of going door-to-door to our neighbors selling chocolate bars (you remember the ones, World’s Finest), networking can seem like we're approaching strangers and asking them to give us something for nothing (though at least with fundraising, you gave them a Caramel Bar in return). So, discomfort is a valid feeling if we're viewing networking through this type of tit-for-tat perspective –but it’s the wrong perspective to have.
Proper networking isn't meant to be viewed as a transaction, where instant gratification of a new job or an expanded client base is the goal. Networking is an invest, a long-term investment in yourself and your future objectives, and we should start viewing it through this perspective. The goal is to build working relationships over common interests.
Asking others to give us something…we ask for the wrong things.
When we meet someone who we feel could potentially help us snag an interview with that new company we’ve been trying to work for or give us access to that coveted customer we’ve been after, our immediate instinct is to try to get it from that person.
Don’t.
While in certain networking situations it may be obvious to both of us what the conversation is about, we shouldn’t be so direct...Read More
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