Medical advances will not doubt help present-day children and teens with sickle cell anemia to have a greater chance for enjoyment of an adult life. Such children will then become adults with a chronic medical condition. The writer of the following article wants to emphasize the degree to which life with any chronic condition can affect multiple body organs.
Every chronic medical condition puts a toll on the body of the person who must live with that condition. Sickle cell anemia, the most significant symptom associated with sickle cell disease, presents a decided challenge to a number of body organs. That challenge can, over time, result in severe damage to those same organs.
A young child with sickle cell anemia can not give each cell in his or her body an adequate amount of oxygen. In such a child, a hemoglobin S type of protein has replaced the body’s normal hemoglobin. That hemoglobin has given the child crescent-shaped red blood cells and it has prevented delivery of an optimal amount of oxygen to every cell in the child’s body.
The decreased delivery of oxygen slowly diminishes the functionality of certain cells. The child’s lungs, kidneys, bones, eyes and central nervous system gradually demonstrate a declining level of performance. Over time, such a decline can lead to one of three catastrophic series of changes. A body in the throes of such changes is said to be in a crisis.
Sometimes repeated episodes of sickle cell anemia can lead to a hemolytic crisis. Such a crisis results from a breakdown of the crescent-shaped red blood cells. The broken cells do not flow easily through the blood vessels. They form clots and thus inflict severe damage on a child’s or a teen’s kidneys, lungs, and eyes.
Sometimes repeated episodes of sickle cell anemia can lead to something called a splenic sequestration. That too signals that the body is in a crisis situation. A child or teen suffers a splenic sequestration when his or her spleen enlarges and traps red blood cells. That then causes the cells in the body to receive an even lower level of oxygen.
A third type of crisis can result from an infection. It is called an aplastic crisis. A child or teen hit with such a crisis lacks the ability to produce red blood cells. An infection has managed to damage the functionality of the bone marrow.
The parents of a child who suffers repeated bouts of sickle cell anemia must make every effort to become aware of how the child’s body changes, as a result of that anemia. The parent should note, for example, that a child with sickle cell anemia will have a higher than normal white blood cell count.
A parent should not allow such a child to use medications or supplements that could raise even further the child’s white blood cell count. Those substances would not benefit the child. They would only hasten the expected damage to a number of the child’s most vital organs.
Physicians want patients with sickle cell anemia to prepare themselves for a full and useful life. Medicine does help a person with the sickle cell trait to become a productive member of society. Still, such a person must realize the toll that any chronic condition places on far more than one body organ.
A patient who understands the extent to which sickle cell anemia can affect multiple body organs has the ability to foresee potential medical problems, problems that could be life-changing.
http://articles.syl.com/assessingtheconsequencesofsicklecellanemia.html
Friday, May 25, 2007
Words From The Leader Of An Earlier Feminist Organization
In the following article, the writer focuses on the goals of a feminist organization. She has given readers few details about the gentleman who spoke with a staunch female supporter of that organization. Readers who want to learn more about that visitor to New York City might consider entering this phrase in a search engine: an anthology from Just Say It Publishing.
Back in the year of 1912, New York City’s active feminist organization focused on getting suffrage for American women. The members of that organization designed various ways to make known their desire for another Constitutional amendment—one that would give women the right to vote. That desire had been fueled by the laws created in some of the newest states within the Continental U.S.
A small group from one feminist organization wanted to highlight those new state laws. That group organized a small “parade” of female suffragists. That group walked down the streets of New York City, bearing a sign that read as follows: “We Were Voters Out West! Why Deny Our Rights In The East?”
Now it so happened that a man intent on spreading teachings that supported the equality of men and women visited the U.S. in 1912. He arrived in New York City in the early spring of that year. One day that visitor, a man named Abdu’l-Baha, met with Annie Besant, President of the Theosophical Society.
Abdu’l-Baha knew that Annie Besant supported the sign-carrying members of the City’s feminist organization. He wanted to learn why she supported that group of female protesters. He said to Ms. Besant, “Give me your reasons for believing that women should have the vote.”
Ms. Besant, aware that she spoke on behalf of all the women in the City’s feminist organization, said, “I believe that humanity is a divine humanity and that it must rise higher and higher, but it cannot soar with only one wing.”
Abdu’l-Baha liked that answer, but he also realized that someone opposed to giving women the vote could find a weakness in Ms. Besant’s argument. Abdu’l-Baha therefore wanted the Society’s President to be aware of the weak link in her chain of support for woman’s suffrage. The visitor asked, “But what will you do if one wing is stronger than the other?”
Annie’s answer suggested that she had heard at least one other question of the same nature. She seemed quite ready to continue her defense of the goals proclaimed by the City’s feminist organization. This is the answer that Annie Besant gave to Abdu’l-Baha: “…we must strengthen the weaker wing; otherwise the flight will always be hampered.”
Annie Besant gave to Abdu’l-Baha and to future feminist organizations a very useful allegory. It was an allegory that could facilitate the promotion of equal status for both sexes. Ms. Besant’s reference to the two wings of a bird could be used to introduce the concept of gender equality in the classrooms of young school children.
Perhaps the membership in a present-day feminist organization could undertake to develop materials that encouraged young children to design paper models of birds. Perhaps they could find a poet who had expressed a willingness to compose short poems about birds. Young children could be shown such poems and then provided with the materials needed for creating illustrations for those same poems.
While working on those illustrations, the children might be told the comments made by Annie Besant almost a century ago.
http://articles.syl.com/wordsfromtheleaderofanearlierfeministorganization.html
Back in the year of 1912, New York City’s active feminist organization focused on getting suffrage for American women. The members of that organization designed various ways to make known their desire for another Constitutional amendment—one that would give women the right to vote. That desire had been fueled by the laws created in some of the newest states within the Continental U.S.
A small group from one feminist organization wanted to highlight those new state laws. That group organized a small “parade” of female suffragists. That group walked down the streets of New York City, bearing a sign that read as follows: “We Were Voters Out West! Why Deny Our Rights In The East?”
Now it so happened that a man intent on spreading teachings that supported the equality of men and women visited the U.S. in 1912. He arrived in New York City in the early spring of that year. One day that visitor, a man named Abdu’l-Baha, met with Annie Besant, President of the Theosophical Society.
Abdu’l-Baha knew that Annie Besant supported the sign-carrying members of the City’s feminist organization. He wanted to learn why she supported that group of female protesters. He said to Ms. Besant, “Give me your reasons for believing that women should have the vote.”
Ms. Besant, aware that she spoke on behalf of all the women in the City’s feminist organization, said, “I believe that humanity is a divine humanity and that it must rise higher and higher, but it cannot soar with only one wing.”
Abdu’l-Baha liked that answer, but he also realized that someone opposed to giving women the vote could find a weakness in Ms. Besant’s argument. Abdu’l-Baha therefore wanted the Society’s President to be aware of the weak link in her chain of support for woman’s suffrage. The visitor asked, “But what will you do if one wing is stronger than the other?”
Annie’s answer suggested that she had heard at least one other question of the same nature. She seemed quite ready to continue her defense of the goals proclaimed by the City’s feminist organization. This is the answer that Annie Besant gave to Abdu’l-Baha: “…we must strengthen the weaker wing; otherwise the flight will always be hampered.”
Annie Besant gave to Abdu’l-Baha and to future feminist organizations a very useful allegory. It was an allegory that could facilitate the promotion of equal status for both sexes. Ms. Besant’s reference to the two wings of a bird could be used to introduce the concept of gender equality in the classrooms of young school children.
Perhaps the membership in a present-day feminist organization could undertake to develop materials that encouraged young children to design paper models of birds. Perhaps they could find a poet who had expressed a willingness to compose short poems about birds. Young children could be shown such poems and then provided with the materials needed for creating illustrations for those same poems.
While working on those illustrations, the children might be told the comments made by Annie Besant almost a century ago.
http://articles.syl.com/wordsfromtheleaderofanearlierfeministorganization.html
Changes Are Needed In Pet Air Travel.
What expectations should air travelers have for the pets that travel with them? Surely, we are not expected to allow mistreatment of our beloved cats and dogs. Stuffing them into the cargo hold of a plane for several hours of flying across the country or across an ocean is not acceptable. We pay extra for allowing our pets to fly with us. Thus, we should expect extra service for them.
As a member of the SPCA, I am definitely in favor of laws that protect animals that must travel by plane. It is not as though they have much choice in the treatment that they receive as they fly. It seems that pet air travel is not a high priority with some airlines.
The worldwide SPCA groups have been lobbying for decades to improve air travel for animals. The Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals does not simply report people for beating animals or starving them. We also endeavor to improve the treatment of animals that are not actually being mistreated. These pets are like members of our own families so it makes us angry when they endure any discomforts that are avoidable.
There has been some progress in the area of pet-friendly travel, especially among hotel owners. Now it is possible to find hotels which realize that travelers often travel with their pets, not wanting to leave them in dog pounds or with dog sitters or cat sitters at home. A few hotels now have areas outside where the pet can eliminate and areas where one can give the pet some exercise safely. We SPCA members applaud such hotels for their kindness to the four-footed members of our families. Some pet-friendly hotels have special rooms for use by travelers who have their pets with them. The rooms have pet beds inside the rooms and water bowls to quench the thirst of our beloved animals.
Pet air travel, however, is still lagging far behind the hotels in providing for the care and handling of pets that travel. To be fair, I must mention that I have been on a few planes in which the pets are allowed inside the cabin. They are usually inside carry-on cages which fit below the seat of the traveler. These airlines are few and far between, but they are appreciated. I try to choose one of these airlines whenever I take my feline friend on a cat vacation.
I have heard of airlines which make the pets stay in the cargo hold of the plane. They are treated like baggage. Little attention is given by the men who load the cargo holds. Sometimes the animal’s tight, little cage is surrounded by luggage, blocking any light and moving air from reaching the victim inside the cage. If the cargo hold is not air-conditioned, the pet becomes very cold and may die from lack of oxygen in the hold. I am aware of horror stories about precious pets’ cages being run over by the baggage carts or pets being abandoned all night among the luggage that is not claimed.
Pet air travel is becoming more popular. No doubt, this popularity will increase even more in the coming years. The world’s major airlines must focus on the needs of the pets if they intend to keep the faithfulness of their pet-loving customers.
I doubt that there will ever be airlines which cater only to pets and their owners. It would be quite favorable to pet air travel, and there would be people who would choose such airlines. In fact, for some of us who travel with our pets often, I would even suggest frequent flyer programs for pets. On international flights, my cat could accumulate a lot of miles on such a program.
For now, I simply ask major airlines to become more aware of the needs of our flying pets, to treat them with respect.
http://articles.syl.com/changesareneededinpetairtravel.html
As a member of the SPCA, I am definitely in favor of laws that protect animals that must travel by plane. It is not as though they have much choice in the treatment that they receive as they fly. It seems that pet air travel is not a high priority with some airlines.
The worldwide SPCA groups have been lobbying for decades to improve air travel for animals. The Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals does not simply report people for beating animals or starving them. We also endeavor to improve the treatment of animals that are not actually being mistreated. These pets are like members of our own families so it makes us angry when they endure any discomforts that are avoidable.
There has been some progress in the area of pet-friendly travel, especially among hotel owners. Now it is possible to find hotels which realize that travelers often travel with their pets, not wanting to leave them in dog pounds or with dog sitters or cat sitters at home. A few hotels now have areas outside where the pet can eliminate and areas where one can give the pet some exercise safely. We SPCA members applaud such hotels for their kindness to the four-footed members of our families. Some pet-friendly hotels have special rooms for use by travelers who have their pets with them. The rooms have pet beds inside the rooms and water bowls to quench the thirst of our beloved animals.
Pet air travel, however, is still lagging far behind the hotels in providing for the care and handling of pets that travel. To be fair, I must mention that I have been on a few planes in which the pets are allowed inside the cabin. They are usually inside carry-on cages which fit below the seat of the traveler. These airlines are few and far between, but they are appreciated. I try to choose one of these airlines whenever I take my feline friend on a cat vacation.
I have heard of airlines which make the pets stay in the cargo hold of the plane. They are treated like baggage. Little attention is given by the men who load the cargo holds. Sometimes the animal’s tight, little cage is surrounded by luggage, blocking any light and moving air from reaching the victim inside the cage. If the cargo hold is not air-conditioned, the pet becomes very cold and may die from lack of oxygen in the hold. I am aware of horror stories about precious pets’ cages being run over by the baggage carts or pets being abandoned all night among the luggage that is not claimed.
Pet air travel is becoming more popular. No doubt, this popularity will increase even more in the coming years. The world’s major airlines must focus on the needs of the pets if they intend to keep the faithfulness of their pet-loving customers.
I doubt that there will ever be airlines which cater only to pets and their owners. It would be quite favorable to pet air travel, and there would be people who would choose such airlines. In fact, for some of us who travel with our pets often, I would even suggest frequent flyer programs for pets. On international flights, my cat could accumulate a lot of miles on such a program.
For now, I simply ask major airlines to become more aware of the needs of our flying pets, to treat them with respect.
http://articles.syl.com/changesareneededinpetairtravel.html
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