Humanitarian Missions-Honoring our Vetrans Day 11

Today's prompt in the Wego Health NHBPM is write about your favorite thing this is not health related, but likely improves your life.

Well, it is Veteran's Day today, so I will write a little about the Military, the men and women who serve now and the Veterans.  I guess the military couldn't quite be classified as one of my most favorite things, but it is  they are, something I respect. 

We live in a great country where our young men and women get to choose whether or not they want to serve our country.  There are so many places in our world where people are forced to serve their countries.  I am forever glad that we live in a place where we get to choose.  For those who do choose to serve our country by joining the military or the national guard, I am thankful for you too. 

My dad, 2 of my uncles, all 3 of my grandfathers, some of my cousins, my husband's grandfather and brother, and many, many friends of mine have served or currently are serving now.  I believe my life is improved by the military who protects my country and my freedoms.  I also believe the live of my kids are improved, as well as the lives of countless others all over the world.

I'm gonna turn it back to medical now, not only do our military members protect us, they perform countless humanitarian efforts in the name of the US, the deliver medical supplies, food, water, and assistance all over the world, the people who receive and benefit from these deliveries would likely tell you their life was improved by them.

My dad, is my most favorite Vetran, One of the stories I remember most from when I was growing up a military brat, is from a time when we were living in Guam, my dad served as a Chief on the USCG Basswood,
Basswood has taken part in many notable missions since her commissioning and while being stationed in Guam . In addition to her primary mission of aids to navigation, she also participates extensively in maritime law enforcement missions, search and rescue cases and marine environmental protection. During her tour on Guam, Basswood has been the driving force of PROJECT HANDCLASP, a U.S. Navy program that provided health care and humanitarian relief to the farthest outlying islands of the Pacific Ocean . Basswood's participation in this program has allowed her to travel to virtually every island or atoll in Micronesia .

There is no finer example of devotion to duty than through Basswood's display of dedication to the aids to navigation mission. She was responsible for maintaining all federal aids to navigation in Micronesia . This area of responsibility was roughly the size of the continental United States . It included over 100 fixed and floating aids in Guam , the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands (CNMI) and Kwajalein Atoll. Basswood was also responsible for the aids in Subic Bay, Republic of the Philippines , prior to the closing of the U.S. Naval facility there in 1992. Basswood also worked the aids in Palau , Hawaii , and along the West Coast

 

I remember him going on missions to the atolls in Micronesia, to Kwajalein, and to the Philippines.  I remember him coming back and talking about delivering supplies to the Peace Corp workers on the atolls.  Places where there was no electricity, refrigeration, or telephones.  People lived in grass huts and often only wore grass skirts and nothing else.  Sometimes, the USCG guys would bring clothing that their own kids had grown out of and trade it with the islanders for some of the things they made like coconut soap and carvings.  He brought back pictures and told of how the people lived a simple life.  They would moor their ship a ways away from the atoll (small island) and take little speed boats up to the shore to deliver the supplies.  He told us of how the kids would get so excited and one time they got the grand idea to bring coolers of ice onto the island to let the children play, they had never seen ice or felt cold before, could you imagine?   I am proud to know that my father served such important missions, they may not be the MOST important missions in protecting us and our freedoms, but to me, humanitarian missions are just as noble and wonderful as protection missions.  Yes, humanitarian military missions is one of my favorite things. 

My favorite Vetran

 

3rd Platoon Bravo delivering medical supplies in Baghadad

Delivering supplies in Kirkuk, donated by the World Health Organization (WHO)

Medical Supplies going to Haiti after the Earthquake

Military Police teamed up with Iraqi Police to deliver medical supplies to Basra, this little girls smile says it all, her life was improved this day.

National Guard delivering medical supplies in Cambodia

Getting ready to air drop medical supplies in the South Pole

There are so many more pictures of our military men and women delivering medical supplies all over the world if you look around the Internet. 

 

 Check out the Who Diabetes Program and definitely go do the Big Blue Test, help these organizations get the funding to get medical supplies gathered so that our military can deliver them. The Big Blue Test is the easiest way to help.  You don't need to be diabetic to do it, just log some activity and bam you help them get one step closer to meeting their goal of raising $100,000 by November 14, 2012, which is World Diabetes Day. 

 

 

 

 

Learn more about World Diabetes Day here

 

 

 

Diabetes Fact of the Day

 

347 million people worldwide have diabetes¹.

In 2004, an estimated 3.4 million people died from consequences of high blood sugar.

More than 80% of diabetes deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.

WHO projects that diabetes deaths will increase by two thirds between 2008 and 2030.

D-Blog Day 2012

Today is D-Blog day, it was started on November 9th, 2005 during Diabetes Awareness Month, to help unite diabetes bloggers and to create awareness about Diabetes.  You can find more info  here.   I participated in D-Blog day the first time back in 2010, 6 things I want You to know about Korky.   This years prompt is Choose a form of Media Outlet to write an open letter to, such as NY Times, CNN, Local/National Newspapers, TV and why it is so important for them to let the world know that diabetes is more than just being overweight and having too much sugar. It is about reporting stories about Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Let them know what kind of things you would like them to write about. If there are specific articles or reports they got wrong, let them know about it! Let’s get it right!

Dear American TV,

Why do you insist on making fun of people with Diabetes.  Did you know that over 25 million people in the US have diabetes, around 8.3% of the population.  Not all of those people got diabetes by laying around on the couch, watching TV, drinking soda, and eating cupcakes!  Not all of those people have had or will have a leg amputated.  Some of those people with diabetes are kids, and they didn't get it because their parents let them have a sweet treat every now and then, they certainly didn't get it from a Happy Meal at McDonalds. 

You develop Diabetes when your body either stops producing insulin or when your body builds up resistance to insulin.  It is a serious chronic illness!  There are many different types of diabetes.  Do your research, when you report about diabetes, report about all types of them, not just one. 

Why do you insist on painting the country pink in October, and then forgetting about everything else for the rest of the year.  Diabetes has a month too, its November, devote some time in November to educating about the differences, of course its good to talk about the preventions but when you talk about preventing diabetes, tell the world which diabetes you are trying to prevent.  Take into consideration the children and adults with Type 1 Diabetes, the ones whose immune system turned on them.  Take into consideration the ones who have hereditary diabetes. 

No more jokes on talk shows, late night shows, and news shows about sugar highs or amputations.  That stuff scares my kid who has diabetes.  You don't make fun of cancer, mentally handicapped, or other illness, so don't make fun of diabetes either.  It is anything but fun!

If you're going to talk about, research it, get your facts straight, make a well-informed piece.

Thank you, Amanda

Now, for the Wego Health NHBPM prompts for today, they were to make a care package for your fellow patients, or to tell a descriptive story about a memory. 

Yesterday I wrote a little about Kortnie's diagnosis in Dear Diabetes or you could read about her Diagnosis Story for some of my memories.

As far as a care package for our fellow patients, I actually can't really think of anything very nifty right now.  When Kortnie was in the hospital, it was a children's hospital.  They had all kinds of neat things there for her, they had the Disney channel, movies, video games, board games, and books they could bring to your room.  They also had a game room, arts and crafts room, and even a school room you could go to for awhile if you wanted, even a playground.  The people at Child Life brought her a Bag of Hope from JDRF, which had a Rufus bear in it, Rufus also has diabetes, they also brought her a couple of blood sugar meters and skins for them.  They let her pick out a medic alert bracelet too.  They had free wifi there too, so that was nice for me, I could update worried friends and family through facebook (no smart phone for me back then, they were still fairly new), and I could research Type 1 when she was resting or watching tv.  They gave us some books about diabetes, a whole binder full of information, great training, and free samples of meters and test strips.  They gave us toothbrushes and toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, soap, towels, and washrags, they had a lounge with a Keurig type coffee machine, tv, magazines, a refrigerator, microwave, and a shower for us parents.  The hospital was great to us.  I can't think of anything else they could have done for us. 

If I heard about a newly diagnosed family in the hospital.  I might bring them some food for the parents, tv dinners or something they could keep in the refrigerator and microwave in the lounge.  I might bring the kids a new pair of PJ's, for a girl some nail polish.  I would definitly bring them a list of helpful websites, groups on facebook, organizations, and blogs.  The biggest thing I would bring them is love, support, and prayers. 

Diabetes Fact of the Day
Sugar free is not necessarily good for a Type 1 Diabetic, sugar free candy and treats are usually filled with sugar alcohol which can cause tummy issues, and they almost always have just as many carbs as the non-sugar free version. 

Go take the Big Blue Test if 20,000 tests get logged by World Diabetes Day on November 14th, $100,00 will be donated by Roche Diabetes Care to humanitarian diabetes chairites around the world which will deliver lifesaving insulin and supplies to children around the world.  You don't have to have diabetes to do the test.  For a non-diabetic, all you need to do is 14 minutes of activity.  Dancing, Running, Aerobics, Zumba, Yoga, Weight Lifting, Swimming, Walking, Playing at the Park with you kids, Bicycling, anything.  It only takes a minute or less.  Go log your activity and help save a child here! 

World Diabetes Day

November 14 is World Diabetes Day. It's also Kortnie's 372nd day of living with this silent but deadly disease. She'll be doing the Big Blue Test this afternoon and posting her results. Check it out www.bigbluetest.org and if you want to learn more about World Diabetes Day you can check it out at www.worlddiabetesday.org Today is a day about learning, preventing and advocating, not only for Type 1 (Like Korky has) but also for Type 2. Here's hoping that all or our D-Friends have great Blood Sugar's today, that they get out and get moving, and that everyone can have a Specatacular day. I love you Kortnie and to my non-D kids, I love you too, you do so much and give up a lot to support your sister, our lives have changed drastically over the past year, but we are still going strong and for that I am thankful!