Week 3

Hi Everyone,

Well, this week counts and we all have to post to our blog. So what's going on in my world? I'm still trying to figure out what topic I want to write about for Comp II. Today I am researching Autism and treatments, mainly because of a newscast I saw. In the news they were talking about a new clinic in Canada that is placing autistic children in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber for 90 minutes a day for 40 days. The doctors say that the pure oxygen helps to 'jump start' sections of the brain that are non-working in autistic children. It went on to say that each session cost about $4000.00 and most insurance companies won't pay for the treatments. This is not a new treatment, it has been around since 2006 and several studies have been conducted and some are still in progress to see if there is benefit from this type of treatment. I also read in one of the articles that this treatment is illegal in the United States.

The next topic I have been looking at is sleep apnea. I'm thinking "Is your Sleep doing more harm than good?" as a title. Research has shown that sleep apnea left untreated can cause hypertension, stroke, and cardiovascular disease. Since being sleepy during the day is part of the problem, the doctors have said that sleep apnea can lead to car accidents, decreased production at work, depression, and weight gain. I thought this was interesting and might make a good topic.

Let's see what else is going on in my world. I have been unemployed for 16 months now and it is getting harder to keep up the job search. Most of the time I get an email saying they have selected someone else more suited for the position. I thank God everyday for unemployment insurance and continuing education. My diabetic A1c went from 5.9 to 6.6 in the last 6 months. I think this is due to being unemployed, depressed, and frustration. I know I need to watch my sugar, but it's hard to care when you can't find a job and you spend your time at home where you can snack. I know I need to take up walking instead of eating.

I need to go and start working on A&P II. I've got a chapter to read and a proposal to write. Hope everyone has a good week and I'll see you in Seminar.