Brittany Pollock

My Experience with Borderbeat.net

2008-04-28T13:57:00.000-07:00

Borderbeat.net has been an amazing publication to work for and be a part of. I decided to base my last blog around what being part of BorderBeat means to me and what I've learned.

My Favorite Memories...
St.Andrew's clinic was amazing as well, it will be somewhere I'll remember going for the rest of my life. As I graduate from U of A and continue my nursing career, I will never forget what I saw at the clinic. The poverty, side by side with the happiness. was humbling. While I used to complain about my out of season jeans, I found that there are people out there who are happy with thier lives even though they have much, much less. St.Andrews turned into life lesson that has changed me.

Also, the story on Cafe Poca Cosa was fun to do- beyond what St.Andrew's taught me, Cafe Poca Cosa showed me a lighter, enjoyable side to journalism. It was also my first media package and I was very proud of it!

Biggests Accomplishments...
Meeting as a group was never a drag, I'll say that much. Everyone in our class was hilarious, focused, and into creating a new look for the publication. Our website went from a student publication to professional and clean. Creating this "new look" was one of our greatest accomplishments because it reflects on us as individuals.

Challenges I faced...
We had to crank out a lot of stories to keep the publication fresh and interesting and that was tough. Taking 18 units, 15 of them upper division journalism, didn't help either. Copyediting was tough to because on top of the stories, I had to read a lot of articles and make sure they were publishable. However, I found out that I have to ability to push myself to the limit and not crumble, which I nice to knew before beginning my life as a "real" adult!

Advice to Journalists who aspire to write for online publications...
I have come to terms with technology! I respect it, and realize this is what journalism is going to be all about. If you don't know how to put together an online video, podcast, or slideshow, learn ASAP! It's very important to keep your computer skills up to speed, and not only to be able to create media packages but to be able to be the best media person available for your publication. I'm still learning and it has taken some time to become farmiliar with different programs in order to create media packages quickly. Learn, learn, learn! Media, media, media!!

All in all, I'm very proud to have helped create Borderbeat.net and keep it going for years to come!

Cleft Palates

2008-04-20T21:38:00.000-07:00

One by one, they walk in the door, some smiling, some crying, some thankful, some frightened. They all have one thing in common: the need for help. One thing they don't have in common are similar disabilities.

After visiting the clinic, I researched the kind of work the doctors and volunteers do to help these children achieve a better quality of life. In 2006 the clinic offered it's services to over 2000 Mexican children and infants. Within those children there were 35 children needing cleft palate surgery.

Cleft palate occurs once every 600-800 births and is able to be fixed at birth with minor physical evidence a cleft palate was actually there. The children at St. Andrew's never got the chance to have the surgery at birth, so those who aren't infants have to go through a much more grueling process in order for their cleft palates to be fixed.

Symptoms of Cleft Palate are distinctive facial deformities, speech pronunciation and ability, and feeding problems (mainly for infants).

Some cleft palates are more severe than others, and the size of the cleft does not determine this. The location of the cleft indicates the long term impacts, such as the effect on speech.

Cleft palates are genetic but can also be caused by environmental factors. (More research is being done to connect these two).

Other Cleft Palate nonprofits:
Operation Smile

Cleft Palate Foundation

Watch a video about a young girl in Albequerqe whose cleft palate was able to be fixed at birth (many pictures of cleft palates in the video):

Pongratz Inc. at St. Andrew's Clinic

2008-04-13T20:25:00.000-07:00

Pongratz Inc. is not only a business that provides medical care to all who ask for it, they give it to all who need it. Pongratz Inc. shows up once a month at St.Andrew's clinic in Nogales, AZ. to provide medical care to those who cannot afford health services or who cannot get to the places they need to access it. Pongratz Inc. has been volunteering their services at St. Andrews since 2001.

Pongratz Inc. doesn't only help provide medical care, they donate prosthetic and orthotic equipment which, normally, they would charge patients anywhere from $3,000-$12,000. They also bring thier lab to Nogales so that all follow up appointments from previous clinics can be performed at the same place.

One of the most common diseases that Pongratz aids to is Cerebral Palsy. Cerebral Palsy is an "umbrella" term for a non-progressive, non-contagious disease that in most cases causes a physical disability. At St. Andrew's Clinic, Pongratz Prosthetics and Orthotics helps about 10-25 children a day with cerebral palsy fitting them with new and up-to-date medical equipment.

Pongratz Inc. also volunteers their services for Limbs 2 Life, a is a group designed to "help amputees realize their fullest potential".

Pongratz Inc. has three offices in Arizona:

Phoenix Office
2530 E. Thomas RD
Phoenix, AZ 85016
(602) 222-3032

Mesa Office
641 W. Southern Ave
Mesa, AZ 85210
(602)222-3032

Tucson East
4520 E. Grant RD
Tucson, AZ 85712
(520) 322-4499
Map this location

Personal Experience of St. Andrew's Clinic

2008-04-07T00:30:00.000-07:00

As a human you can't help but feel for the patients, the doctors, nurses and volunteers. However, as a journalist you couldn't have more stories and project ideas placed in front of you. Each story unique, each story has a personality, and each story can come alive through the right documentation.

I had an opportunity to report and document a day at St.Andrew's Children's Clinic in Nogales,Arizona. The clinic is put on once a month through donations and treats children who several different disabilities, diseases, or impairments.

When I first got there, I was very intimidated. Here I was, completely healthy and fortunate enough to afford the camera around my arm, let alone the contact lenses in my eyes. I'm a student, reporting on what goes on each first Thursday of the month, trying to capture the actions and emotions of everyone around me. Who was going to talk to me? Who could speak English? Who was I to try to talk to these people?

I thought I would start out with pictures- capturing the emotion on the camera would be my goal, then I could write about it later.Asking the parents to take pictures was the first obstacle for getting up close and personal. "Lo puedo tomar la foto?" I'm not even sure if that's right, but when I said it, the parents were only happy to accept my offer so that I could get up close and personal in order to tell a story.

I worked mostly in the orthopedic/prosthetics wing, closely with the doctors, patients and volunteers. I was told about certain conditions, like cerebral palsy, that kept children from being able to attain normal movement- mostly of the legs/feet. The doctors molded, shaved, and formed braces around the children's legs, ensuring a perfect fit. The faces of the children who were given treatment were unforgettable and completely humbling. Again, I was trying to be the journalist, get the story, tell it, and let those who read it choose their own emotions. However, I felt it impossible to stay emotionally detached.

From this experiences (described briefly in this blog) I was able to create three great stories as well as a slide show or two. The stories I created focused on odiology, orthopedics, and the motivation behind the volunteers who work there. This blog is only a small preview into what I'm about to put together along with my fellow journalists on Border beat.net. Check it out next week!

AIDS in Mexico

2008-03-31T20:43:00.000-07:00

I wanted to check out the AIDS/HIV dilemma in Mexico because it doesn't seem to have an AIDS reputation at all. While Mexico doesn't have an AIDS "problem" AIDS cases exist and Mexico is in the top 20 countries with most reported AIDS cases.The AIDS epidemic in Mexico is mostly concentrated among homosexual and bisexual men and women who have had bad blood transfusions. Most AIDS cases are reported in large cities and have remained stabilized for the last ten years.

Watch Introductory Video about AIDS:

Watch Top Ten Myths about AIDS:

AIDS in Mexico Facts:
1) The first AIDS case in Mexico was diagnosed in 1983.
2) 4,000 new cases annually
3) 57% of those living with AIDS in mexico are homosexual/bisexual men.
4) Mexico is ranked 13th in countries with an AIDS epidemic regarding the amount of people infected.

What is Montezuma's Revenge?

2008-03-16T13:01:00.000-07:00

Whenever I have travelled outside the US, especially to Mexico, I am warned to stay away from the water and the spicy foods that I am not used and to use hand sanitizer frequently. I am told to stay away from any ice and to clean my soda cans before I put my mouth on them. I am do this because I might get "Montezuma's Revenge" and when I hear that I nod, and usually listen. However, my nod is unsure of what Montezuma's Revenge actually is...so, I did what I do best for my blog, I researched this questionable phrase of an illness.

I found that Montezuma's Revenge is a tourist's term basically for diarrhea, in fact it's "official name" is Traveler's Diarrhea (TD). If you want to get technical, Montezuma's revenge/TD refers to a bacteriological illness which can occasionally become serious. Most cases are caused by the E.coli bacteria. Symptoms include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, fever, and malaise.

I asked myself to look back into history to see what I have learned...however, my seventh grade memory failed me and I couldn't remember what Montezuma did, and why this form of foreign diarrhea was considered his revenge.

Montezuma's Bio

According to The Phrase Finder:
"The revenge element of the phrase alludes to countries that were previously colonized by stronger countries and are now, in this small way, getting their own back. Names for it vary depending on the part of the world concerned."

Montezuma's Revenge is a term mexico tourists use. Below are other terms of TD in different countries.

Different Names for Montezuma's Revenge:

Mexico:
Gringo Gallop
Aztec Two-step

Asia:
Ghandi's Revenge
Gyppy Tummy
Tokyo Trots

India:
Dehli Belly
US:
Mountaineers

Montezuma Revenge Facts:
Each year Montezuma's Revenge affects 20%-50% of international travelers, an estimated 10 million people, develop diarrhea

Protecting Yourself against Travel-related Disease

Health Tips for Family Travel

Pre- Vacation Vaccinations

2008-03-09T21:01:00.000-07:00

When traveling to Mexico, one may assume that all they need to do to prepare for their trip is pack a toothbrush and a couple pairs of flip flops. However, without proper preparation, they may be coming home with much more- a disease.

Vaccinating yourself before a trip can't hurt, and in Mexico, it will protect you against the things you don't see in your water or on your food.

What to vaccinate yourself against:

Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A is an acute infectious disease of the liver that is transmitted through the fecal-oral route. Symptoms include: Fatigue
fever, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, appetite loss, depression, jaundice, sharp pains in the right-upper quadrant of the abdomen, weight loss.

Typhoid fever
Typhoid fever is a nonfatal illness (however can be very serious) and is transmitted by the fecal-oral route. Symptoms include: A fever as high as 40°C (104°F), sweating, gastroenteritis, and diarrhea.

Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is a virus that affects the liver. Symptoms include: general ill-health, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, body aches, mild fever, dark urine, and jaundice. Vaccination recommended for travelers who may have intimate contact with natives/local residents.

Rabies
Rabies is a viral zoonotic neuroinvasive disease that causes acute encephalitis
(For travelers who may have direct contact with animals and may not have access to medical care)

Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) MMR are alike viruses spread through respiration. Symptoms include: A body rash, low grade fever, swollen glands, joint pains, headache, conjunctivitis

Tetanus-diphtheria

Tetanus is a condition that affects the prolonged contraction of skeletal muscle fibers. There are four different kinds all affecting the muscles. Symptoms include: Painful muscle contraction.

Why vaccinations are important for adults:

Medical Insurance for Immigrants?

2008-03-03T14:17:00.000-08:00

INSURANCE FOR IMMIGRANTS?

International Medical Insurance isn't an imaginary wish for those crossing the border, those having to go to the emergency for a cough or a minor cut, or those in labor with no choice but to risk a hospital stay.

Insurance Service of American is a company who offers this insurance to students going abroad and immigrants coming to the US for a period of time- is this the answer the US is looking for when it comes to immigrant medical care.

According to Insurance Service of America, those immigrating to the US should look into Citizen Secure. Citizen Secure is an insurance policy "for Non-US Citizens residing or immigrating to the USA". The plan reads "Our best $5,000,000, major medical plan specifically designed for immigrants and permanent residents seeking long term coverage. This plan features maternity, freedom to choose any doctor or optional PPO, wellness and well child care benefits, and family rates. More affordable than most domestic individual plans and it's available in all 50 states."

The question is, how can these policies work and will they help the US out of debt when it comes to medical services immigrants need when arriving to the US.

COMMON HEALTH PROBLEMS

The most common health problems immigrants can be found at http://www3.baylor.edu/~Charles_Kemp/hispanic_health.htm

*Difficulty in accessing and utilizing the healthcare system may be viewed as both a singular health problem and a highly significant etiology in or contributor to other health problems. Factors contributing to difficulty accessing services include language barriers, low rate of medical insurance coverage, low incomes, and limited knowledge of health services (Chavez, Hubbell, & Mishra, 1999).
*Diabetes is about twice as common among Hispanics as among Anglos.
*Obesity is more common among Hispanics (especially women) than in the general population.
*Latinas with breast cancer tend to have larger tumors and/or metastatic disease than do Anglo women.
*Causes of death nationally among Hispanics are (in decreasing order) heart disease, cancer, injuries, stroke, homicide, liver disease, pneumonia/influenza, diabetes, HIV infection, and perinatal conditions (Spector, 1996).

How is health insurance going to help immigrants with these health problems when most of them are self inflicted? A policy like the one above seems unrealistic, yet a health fantasy for many coming to the US for a better oppurtunity.

2008-02-24T17:50:00.000-08:00

HEALTHY Mexican food

Chimichangas. Enchiladas. Quesadillas. Guacamole. All these words have a few things in common- one of them is FLAVOR. Another one is CALORIES.

As Mexican food has evolved and migrated from its origin, it has accumulated grease and cheese. It wasn’t always this ways. According to yourtotalhealth.com, a website designed by NBC and Ivillage dedicated to health, Mexican food was created as a health dish that incorporated “fresh ingredients such as vegetables, fish, and fruit.”

Healthy Ingredients

The ingredients that make up Mexican food palate are “some of the richest in antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E, and in cholesterol-free protein” according to yourtotalhealth.com. What are these ingredients? Here are a couple examples:
-Beans: Protein and fiber.
-Corn: Protein
-Tomatoes : Great sources of Vitamin C and A.
-Varieties of squash, such as pumpkin: Vitamin A and/or beta-carotene.
-Avocados: Vitamin E
-Chiles: Vitamins A and C.

Cooking Healthy Mexican:
-Steam or grill your meat- do not fry!

-Warm tortillas: Wrap 5 or 6 of them in aluminum foil and warm in a 325-degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes.

-For tortilla chips or tostadas: Put them in a 350-degree oven, turning until crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes

How to Eat Healthy at Mexican Restaraunts

If going to Mexican restaraunts is hard for you because of the oh-so-many unhealthy choices, here are a couple tips from About.com's weightloss articles to think about when dining out.

-When in doubt, choose soft over crunchy. For example, tortillas. Soft aren't fried, crunchy are.

-Salsa over dip. Those cheese dips taste as good as they are greasy.

-Fajitas, bean burritos and sauteed chicken dishes are a do. Chimichangas, enchildadas, and nachos are a don't.

To save a life... or to not save a life...that is the question.

2008-02-18T01:07:00.000-08:00

Hospitals all accross America are facing choices of life or death when it comes to helping Illegal Immigrants get care through emergency rooms. While it would seem heartless to reject someone in desperate need of healthcare, hospitals are beginning to close down (if not closing thier doors to the uninsured) due to insufficient funds from helping those who can't attain or afford health insurance, a large chunk of whom these are illegal immigrants.

Personally, I don't know how anyone with a beating heart could turn someone down without insurance, but a a part of me does get angry that my money will be paying for other's healthcare when I'm already having a hard time paying for myself. These people are getting a free ride- it's the same thing with car insurance. You get in an accident with an uninsured vehicle, you end up paying for your damages, and they get a ticket.

An example of what one family went through and recieved medical care was written in World Net Daily:

Cristobal Silverio emigrated illegally from Mexico to Stockton, Calif., in 1997 to work as a fruit picker. He brought with him his wife, Felipa, and three children, 19, 12 and 8- all illegals. When Felipa gave birth to her fourth child, daughter Flor, the family had what is referred to as an "anchor baby" -an American citizen by birth who provided the entire Silverio clan a ticket to remain in the U.S. permanently. But Flor was born premature, spent three months in the neonatal incubator and cost the San Joaquin Hospital more than $300,000. Meanwhile, oldest daughter Lourdes married an illegal alien gave birth to a daughter, too. Her name is Esmeralda. And Felipa had yet another child, Cristian.The two Silverio anchor babies generate $1,000 per month in public welfare funding for the family. Flor gets $600 a month for asthma. Healthy Cristian gets $400. While the Silverios earned $18,000 last year picking fruit, they picked up another $12,000 for their two "anchor babies." (World Net Daily 2005)

All the money they needed/recieved nearly makes up half a million dollars.The US spends $1.3 billion every year in illegal immigrant incarceration, education, and medical car.

Watch newscast on costs of Illegal Immigration:

Other articles written on this issue:
Florida and California"> are two states that have been spending hundreds of millions to keep hospitals afloat due to helping those without healthcare.

Healthy Border 2010 Program

2008-02-11T08:57:00.000-08:00

The Healthy Border 2010 Program is a program designed to improve the health around the US/Mexico border. The program is proposed by the US-Mexico border health commission, a binational health commission that started to address border health issues in 2000.

2 Goals of the program:

Improve the quality and increase the years of healthy life

Eliminate Health disparities

This program is interesting because they acknowledge the fact that each side of the border have different healthcare policies and healthcare systems. The program does not want to impose on the management of each side of the border, but rather, address health related issues and topics that need improvement. When addressing border health, the commission has found 20 common elements to focus the program on.

The 20 common elements the program is working to help/change are grouped into eleven areas:

Access to health care

Cancer

Diabetes

Environmental Health

HIV/AIDS

Immunization and Infectious Diseases

Injury Prevention

Maternal, Infant, and Child Health

Mental Health

Oral Health

Respiratory Diseases

Currently, various projects have made their way into the program and have dispersed in several areas. For example, one project in Texas, Ten against TB, is an initiative specifically related to Tuberculosis that brings together TB technical staff (lab experts, health officers, etc.) from different areas of the border.

Healthy Border 2010 is considered a "direct descendent" from the 1979 Healthy People program, a program that set goals for 1990 to improve the health in 15 areas nationwide. After success with the goal, the program then turned into the Healthy People 2000 program, which then conformed with World Health Organization program. The new 2010 program was established in 2000 and is working today to help change the health around the border.

Watch Video on Border Health Issues

Prescription Drugs in Mexico- Is it worth it?

2008-02-04T14:33:00.000-08:00

Americans are beginning to look to Mexico for cheap medical care. Some claim they get the same treatment for a third of the price, especially when it comes to prescription medication, but is the price worth the effort?

Advantages

The largest advantage of buying pharmaceuticals in mexico is the price. As long as you have a prescription and can afford a trip across the border, the Mexican prices for pharmaceuticals is unbeatable.

For example, a bottle of 20 2mg Xanax can be bought in Tijuana for only $10.00, compared to the US price of anywhere from $100.00-$150.00.

While buying medication in Mexico may be confusing, there are a few reliable websites you can now go through when making this decision. However, be careful with what sites you trust, just as you would be careful in choosing a pharmacy in Mexico.

Click here to see an example of a reliable site for cheap Mexican pharameucitcals.

Disadvantages

You may face a couple problems when buying medication in mexico.

Often times, there are no directions on the bottles of medication, and if there are, the are usually in spanish. This doesn't create too much of a problem as long as you wait to talk to your doctor or look up the directions and dosage on the internet. (I would say it's always good idea to talk to your doctor before and after purchasing any drugs in Mexico.)

Getting the drugs back home is another disadvantage when it comes to buying drugs in mexico, but as long as you have a prescription from a doctor, you should be fine. To be on the safe side, consult a Mexican doctor, and try to get the prescription from him/her.

H2O and Mexico

2008-01-28T07:05:00.000-08:00

Should you drink the water?

"Water and air, the two essential fluids on which all life depends, have become global garbage cans." — Jacques Cousteau

If you've been to Mexico, you will find out that drinking the tap water is probably not the best idea if you plan on doing anything while you're there! So what exactly is in the water that can make you so sick? There are a few answers to this question.

Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome
HPS has been found in the water in Mexico, and may be one of the leading causes of illness in Mexico's tap water. This virus is a deadly respiratory illness caused by hantaviruses- viruses found in rodent droppings, urine and saliva. Humans can get hantavirus by inhaling, drinking or eating the hantavirus particles or if bitten by a rodent.

Symptoms if exposed to hantavirus:
During the first week of being exposed to hantaviruses, one may experience flu like symptoms. After the first week, severe respiratory symptoms will occur, and intensive medical care is necessary.

For more on the hantavirus:
http://www.hantavirus.net/

http://health.yahoo.com/respiratory-overview/hantavirus-pulmonary-syndrome-hps-topic-overview/healthwise--hw191133.html

Pollution
Dirty water is a problem worldwide, but the Gulf of Mexico (also know as "The Dead Zone") is one of the most polluted bodies of water in the world. Pesticides, fertilizers, nutrient pollution, oil and gasoline use and spills, mining, sediment run off, chemical and industrial processes, plastic, sewage, personal health care and house ware products, and air pollution are only a few contributors to water pollution throughout the gulf of Mexico and the rest of the world.

Symptoms if exposed to water pollution:
Symptoms vary, due to the type of pollution in the water, however the most common symptom is gastroenteritis.

See how the Gulf of Mexico compares with this graph (scroll to bottom):
http://www.grinningplanet.com/2005/07-26/water-pollution-facts-article.htm

Harmful Algal Blooms
Harmful algal blooms, also known as the red tide, live in the Gulf of Mexico, killing many salt water species, severely harming humans and infecting the water.

Symptoms if exposed to algal blooms:
Symptoms range from gastroenteritis to liver damage and respiratory failure.

According to the University System of Maryland, "The term "harmful algal blooms" describes a diverse array of blooms of both microscopic and macroscopic marine algae which produce: toxic effects on humans and other organisms; physical impairment of fish and shellfish; nuisance conditions from odors and discoloration of waters or habitats." (http://aquaticpath.umd.edu/toxalg/)

Introduction Blog

2008-01-28T06:47:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone!
I wanted to introduce myself, first and foremost, as I begin this blogging journey regarding health along the US/Mexico Border. While I am a journalism major at the U of A, I am interested in health and will continue my education beyond my four years here in Arizona. I plan on becoming a nurse, and hopefully, a nurse practitioner in my later years. Being able to educate myself and others about health issues along the border is exciting for me, because not only is it something I'm interested in, it is something I am excited to research and share with my blog readers.