A shiny rainy day

And yes, I woke up with the sound of rain this morning, all grey and rainy :). There are two things that can bend and blend with my mood whether I am happy or sad... and create a harmony within my self. One music, two Rain.

The weather is expected to be wet with heavy rain for the whole day. And what a great pleasure, I have no GP or Hospital session this afternoon!! This is a magic moment, when things come together so well :)

The continuing rumbles and claps of rain make me feel so ease with the world. Becoming more tranquil and feeling an inner peace as the earth absorbs the countless drops of purity from the sky. I wish you, who are reading this, that you may also feel this very moment, many more times when the nature gives you immense joy, jewels you with beautiful smiles and showers you and the whole world with peace :)

Things have been pretty muddled up at this time. Several things to take care of. Everywhere I turn to, something is on pending to do.

Academic pressure on the other side with deadlines looming in. It is always the april-june time when things start to get hectic. There is much more to do and say, but I stop here.

I hope and pray for things to get better soon. Sorry about this whole ranting post.

One thing to happily add is the award from Priya Joyce. Thanks a lot PJ :) I pass this to everyone of my blog friends.

Wishing everyone a great weekend :)

21st Century health hazards for women

Saw this on the MSN site which, I found was interesting. Thought it might be informative as well to share here. For those who didn't give a read or have not come across. It is a little too long to read but worth it.

So this is the exact article:

The way we live and work and the planet we inhabit have all changed massively in the last 61 years and the health dangers that threatened women when the World Health Organisation was set up in 1948 are very different from those that pose a risk to today’s generation.
Today is World Health Day and we've taken a look at some of the issues posing a risk to your health and happiness and how to avoid them.

21st Century health hazards for women

Back pain
A massive 80% of adults experience back pain at some point according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, and for some people the problem can be severely debilitating. Our immobile modern lifestyles and the spreading obesity epidemic are merely exacerbating the problem. Back pain, unfortunately, is different for everyone and there are hundreds of potential causes, so you need to see an expert to find out what treatment is best for you. Go to http://www.backcare.org.uk/ to find out more and find a practitioner to help you.

Insomnia
Do you wake up regularly throughout the night or take forever to get to sleep? You are not alone. Most of us experience sleep problems every now and again, but there is worrying evidence that the global financial crisis is giving us more sleepless nights. So-called ‘credit-crunch insomnia’, according to a poll by health website NetDoctor.co.uk, is keeping about half of people in the UK awake at night. Almost 50% of 1,000 men and women surveyed said they were sleeping worse than a year ago and one-fifth of these are getting less than five hours sleep a night. Stress and money worries were cited as the main factor. The Sleep Council (http://www.sleepcouncil.com/) is full of tips to help you sleep better.

Depression
Depression is also on the rise, with one in ten adults in the UK affected at some point according to the mental health charity Mind. The charity also estimates that the recession and rising unemployment is making things worse and the number of people affected by mental health problems is expected to rise even further. If you feel down and struggle to shake it off (depression tends to last longer than the normal periods of unhappiness we all experience from time to time) then you should visit your GP straight away to discuss the problem and you should also open up to friends and family, who will be able to provide much needed love and support.

Sexually transmitted diseases
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) continue to spread like wildfire, particularly amongst those in their 20s. The Health Protection Agency found that STIs rose by 6% in 2007, with rates of Chlamydia and genital warts particularly high. They are easily avoided, however – always use a condom and be careful who you get naked with.

Infertility

Health experts have been warning of an infertility time bomb for some time now, with some predicting that rates in Europe could double in the next decade. Lifestyle factors are to blame, with sexual infections and obesity the main contributors to the rise. Chlamydia, the most common STI which often has no symptoms, is known to cause infertility while overweight women sometimes do not ovulate as efficiently. All the more reason to live a healthy lifestyle then...

Obesity
The UK population is growing – at the waistline. According to BBC health experts around 27% of children are now overweight while a quarter of adults are considered obese. The health implications are far reaching and recent research by Oxford University found that being severely obese is as hazardous to health as a lifetime of smoking. In fact obesity can shorten life expectancy by a decade. The main cause is simple – worsening dietary habits and a decline in the number of hours per week spent exercising.

Cancer
Modern life has also raised cancer rates. Too much food, booze and sun has caused a huge rise in some forms of the disease. Cases of skin cancer have gone up 40% in a decade according to Cancer Research UK, while mouth and kidney cancer – linked to alcohol – were also up. Again the answer is clear – live a clean, balanced lifestyle and do not spend too much time in the sun. Women should also be aware of the dangers of breast and cervical cancer; checking themselves regularly for signs on the former and undergoing a regular cervical smear test (if you are between the ages of 25 and 65 then you will be contacted about this via the NHS Cervical Screening Programme).

Drugs
According to DrugScope, the UK has one of the worst records for drug-related deaths in Europe (especially in Scotland) while drugs are one of the biggest sources of crime in the country. There is also a misconception that some drugs such as cannabis are harmless, however The Royal College of Psychiatrists says that there is growing evidence to suggest links between smoking cannabis and mental illness. If you need advice or support on drug use visit http://www.talktofrank.com/

Binge drinking
Figures from the Office for National Statistics now show that, since 1979, alcohol-related deaths have almost tripled among men and doubled among women. The World Health Organisation has linked drinking to around 60 medical conditions, including liver disease and cancer. It is recommended that women do not regularly drink more than two to three units of alcohol a day and you should also allow yourself a break from drinking every now and again to let your body fully recover.

Osteoporosis
Poor diet and lack of exercise are also thought to be the major causes behind the rise of osteoporosis, otherwise known as ‘thinning bones’. One in two women over 50 will develop the disease according to the National Osteoporosis Society. Alarmingly, this rate is increasing by around 10% every year. It might not take hold until later in life, but prevention starts in youth so you can maximise peak bone mass before you reach 30. Experts recommend a diet that is rich in calcium (found in a wide-range of foods including milk, cheese and some vegetables) and take regular exercise to strengthen your bones.

Climate change
Warmer summers may sound like a good thing, but many scientists claim that a hotter Britain will be a sicker Britain. Scientists argue that milder winters will mean that bacteria are not killed off by cold weather, thus contributing to the spread of disease. The World Health Organisation says it could also mean that diseases that would not have survived here in the past, such as malaria, could thrive.

Diabetes
Diabetes is one of the UK’s fastest-emerging health problems, with over 2.5 million sufferers in this country according to Diabetes UK. Around 90% of all people with diabetes have type-2 diabetes, which in most cases is linked to being overweight. Worryingly, there are over 500,000 people with diabetes in this country who do not even know they have it. To rule out being one of them, ask your local pharmacist or GP for a simple diabetes test.

Cute Blogger Award

So this is another one. From Hemanth. Thanks :)

This cute award(s) :) now goes to; Nithin, Pratap, Sawan, Vani and Viajero.

I should thank Hemanth again for giving this opportunity to pass on this award to you all :)

Honest Scrap

I have been awarded Honest Scrap by Pratap. Thanks a lot Pratap, that was very kind and thoughtful :)

I shall now kindly give this award to; Aneesh, Hemanth, Karthick, Kumiththa and Priya

Past few days had been pretty busy. Thursday was a disaster. We had to attend a wedding on thursday and ended up our (not mine) car being broken and some properties stolen inside the car. Could not believe it happened. In the city of London. They had broken the door window very cleverly so that they broke the smaller one to cause less damage. It still counts though. And one of the things stolen was a TomTom Navigator. And you can clearly imagine what would the resulting struggles have been. We had no idea of how to drive back to home and the city itself was quite complicated with the signs. So we asked a few people for directions to a nearby Argos store to buy a new navigator and none knew the exact way and we ended up taking the risk of driving with the available signs and stop when we come across an Argos or electronic store or somewhere we could buy a nav. Although we had gained a vague idea of how to get to Holloway road (place where most people said an argos is likely to be found) and we were glad to find one after a few minutes. I was so glad I didn't take my car. God the mercedes would have caused a bill this month!
Yesterday, went to so'ton and had to return london the same day. I think I still had a nice day but endless travelling.
Only a week left to go back to uni and I'm sure but worried it will fly so quick! Anyhow, happy weekend everyone :) Happy easter too :)

My bookmark

I possessed a bookmark, which was living between the pages of my many books for almost 6 years! It was not just a bookmark, but a precious gift from one of the teachers of my high school. Another speciality of it was that, that bookmark was released as a special product during the 250th Anniversary of The British Museum. And, as per my nature, I keep gifts of anything very special and do not throw them away. This one, the bookmark was so special as it was from a teacher...and the whole point of this ranting is that I've lost it! Have been searching for the past two days and still no luck. :(
Now, as always, I wish there was an invention which finds objects at home like we can search and find words on computers!

I'm on holiday!!

At home!! Wowww, how good it feels like to be home :)
I'm on Easter holidays for a month from today. Yayyyyy!
Had a good day out yesterday with friends to Portsmouth beach and some other abouts. Also happened to watch Marley & Me. I was actually sobbing for the last ten mins of the film. Hehe. Luved it.
Haven't got any plans on how I'm going to spend this one month. But honestly, one month will fly away like a week, I am sure. I will be obviously watching movies, shopping etc. I haven't done a good shopping for ages, so hoping to do that over this holiday.

Have a good weekend :)

I have been tagged!

Tagged by Sawan and I should write 25 random things about me. Just wondering if 25 is long enough....lol, never mind I am just being sarcastic! Thanks Sawan.

"Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about YOU. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you."

Here you go...

1. I love cats :) they are so cute...aren't they?
2. I cried and didn't talk to my sis' friend for 2 days for hitting my cat, when I was 13 years old.
3. I have a lifelong dream of having a house near the beach so to wake up seeing the sun rise everyday.
   
4. The void envelopes left on the tables will hardly go to the bin without my single scribble, at home. And for this reason, mum bins them straight away before I change the texture of the envelopes and waste ink.
5. The first password I ever had was 'London' and it was not chosen by me.
6. I have a nickname "Sanu"
7. I seriously hate being on the phone for ages. I very soon run out of things to say and start thinking I'm wasting my time.
8. Sometimes I apologise even for things that I believe to have no fault of mine.
9. I managed to find my mobile that I missed on one of the buses in London, even though I was not sure where I had lost it on that day.
10. Photography is my hobby, as I claim just taking a picture can be called photography ;)
    
11. I have still never had my stethoscope around my neck. I always keep it on hands and ask someone to hold it for me when necessary.
    
12. When I was between 10-15, I used to write letters to some of those on the pen-pal section on newspapers (only for friendship). And despite the fact that I was a kid, I did get nice replies from people from different countries. :) and I remember showing them to my friends at school. Hehe.
13. I have a weird fear of looking up the ceiling when I am standing on a chair or table to reach something high.
14. I write a lot of complaint letters/e-mails to many people higher up but never ever post them. LOL.
15. I don't drink alcohol (some people find this surprising and some don't believe, ah well)
    
    
    10 more to goooo......and it already feels like to have written a lot....the thinking process speeds up now...what else about me?...
    
    
16. I had a ghost dream this evening when I had my nap...still running in my mind..
17. I am not a big fan of chocolates...they are just okay to me.
18. Listening to music has never been a disturbance to me when I revise
19. The first ever mobile of mine was Siemens...turned out to be such a crap choice.
20. I mostly end up with 2 best friends wherever I go. If one of them goes apart due to any reason, there would always be one joining right after.
21. I go very quiet with strangers and when I am angry!
22. Don't like to watch movies online
23. I was so adamant after seeing my sister dancing and cried to learn Bharatanatyam (a traditional dance) when I was 6 yrs old. And I did go to some lessons but that was it! Ended with that "some". LOL. Gotta ask my mum what exactly happened.
24. I swallowed chewing gum only once in my life and it was when I was 18 I think. And I was panicking about it whole day telling everyone I could. Lol, I am still worried if that gum is sticking somewhere on my gut tube. Between, I have heard that gum takes 7 years to be digested. Ahh.....God!.
25. I use the word "Exactly" a 100 times a day. (no...not really a 100 times but I mean a lot ;)

Done, Done, Done.

Let me tag,
Hemanth, Kumiththa, Vani, Pratap, Aneesh , Priya , Jamaal (sorry if any you have already done this tag)
& everyone who is interested in taking on :)

Take care!

Spirituality In Care, IPL Week 2

Another Friday 13th of this year. But I had a fairly fine day though ;)

IPL is over! Audit submitted, presentation done etc. I had a very nice group of students from Southampton and Portsmouth, everyone was keen and contributing. I was very glad. So, today was The End of IPLU2. Next one will only be in the 5th year. Thanks to the group... and our facilitators who assisted us to complete this audit. Just a quick note to those who are wondering as to what I am talking about, an audit was conducted on Spirituality in Care by a group of students and for more see my previous post.

I have learnt a lot of things from this IPLU2 unlike last year, which was just about getting to know the roles of the other health professionals. But this year's IPL has been great. I was wondering what I was going to learn about ?Spirituality? in care, but it indeed plays an important role in mental health and still needs to be given much more space within the care plans. Many people do not know what spirituality is. It's acceptable that it is quite unique with individuals but it is also true that this term has been misunderstood by many. I will write more about this sometime later. I was moaning about having been placed at Portsmouth but now I am very glad that I was. I have got to know so much about this topic as well as a lot about audits in these 2 weeks. It was totally productive! And I loved it! To be honest, I did not have a good understanding of audit before this and I am glad that I now do.

We had some real important people from NHS today at our presentation with a turn up of 22, I think. I am quite glad that our audit is about to turn into something that has the potential to change or improve a few things in the trust. And not just something that has been produced for the purpose of learning and to gain a pass! We have suggested some recommendations in the audit. They have promised for some changes at the spot of the presentation although they were not huge ones. However, it gave us a big mind smile. I am very happy that the first audit that I've been part of in my life was an effective one and that it really is going to get some attention for improvements in terms of the importance of spirituality in mental health patients. Hopefully.

I think IPL is an effective component of the course for us, the medical students as well as hopefully for other health professionals. Especially IPLU2. A good job, University of Southampton and Portsmouth :) I am going to miss my IPL group :(

Have a great, leisurely weekend everyone :)

IPL Week 1

On my IPL, WEEK 1 -Inter Professional Learning. This is a part of the course where we are allocated to different places as a group. There are only two of us from the Medical school and the rest would be other health care professionals including Nurses, OTs and Social workers from either the Uni. of Southampton or Portsmouth. And we have to work together to complete the assigned tasks. I had this last year too but this time it seems very hard and serious. The aim is to do a clinical audit on Spirituality in Care for the HPT (Hampshire Partnership NHS Trust).

Spirituality in Care is an interesting subject but a difficult area to Audit where it complicates the quantifying part. What also makes it harder is that Spirituality is very individual in nature and cannot have a gold standard definition.

Only 2 days have been ticked off of the scheduled 2 weeks. It still sounds more or less vague on how we are going to assess the Audit report and presentation. Presentation.....ohhh...the worrying part for me :(

And, I am in Portsmouth for the second time for IPL. Something I never expected or wanted. Hmm...

I love to write more about this Spirituality in Care, but probably sometime later, as I am tied up with so many things to do at the moment. Sorry for not showing up on your blogs, I will do soon. Thanks and Take care!