Massage Therapist: Alicia Dryja

Please take a moment to visit her website~


http://osanmassage.com/

Sarah Luck: Personal Trainer

Hello,






my name is Sarah Luck. I'm a military spouse and personal trainer. I currently teach Spin and AB's classes at the fitness center and just recently signed a contract with the gym to start personal training. I thought the OPN would be a perfect place to start advertising. Anyone interested in hiring a personal trainer can do so by speaking with someone at the front desk at the fitness center, or by email me at sarah.mytrainer.luck@gmail.com





Thanks so much for your help OPN!



--

Sarah A. Luck

010.2236.4788



Be blessed!

O'Club Wine Tasting

Just a reminder that the O' Club will be hosting their annual Wine Tasting Event on Sat, Oct 23 from 5-9pm (1700-2100).  Tickets are on sale now at the cashiers cage and if you purchase before Oct 15 you receive another $5.00 off.

Cardio Kickboxing Class

There is a new cardio class being offered at the gym for all to enjoy.


Here are the details:



Cardio Kickboxing

Saturday's at 11:00

Taught by David (He used to teach the Tues/Thurs evening class)



So come out this Saturday and check out the fun. Be sure to bring a friend!

Tae Kwon Do classes

Are you or your child interested in Tae Kwon Do or other martial arts classes?  The Osan fitness center holds adult tae kwon do classes among other martial arts classes.   I am currently a student of  Grand Master Mun who is a 9th degree black belt.  He has been teaching here at Osan for almost 40 years and actually taught Chuck Norris during his assignment here at Osan AB.  His son, Master Mun, teaches children's classes (which you can sign up with through the Youth Center).  They teach World Taekwondo Federation style.

You can find flyers posted in the fitness center about this or other martial arts classes.

Prenatal care: kick counts

Here at Osan, it's a little more difficult than it is in the U.S. to get immediate and high quality prenatal care if anything out of the ordinary happens, and we need to take responsibility for our own care, for our sake and that of our unborn children. Delivering a stillborn baby is one of the most horrifying things we can imagine, but it happens to seventy U.S. families every day, or once in approximately 150-200 deliveries. By contrast, SIDS claims about seven infants a day in the U.S. The good news is that like SIDS, the risk of stillbirth can easily be dramatically reduced.

A recent study found that 50% of moms that delivered stillborn babies noticed a decrease in movement in the days immediately prior to the death of their babies. Many stillbirths can be prevented with a simple test you can do at home: the daily kick count.

A daily kick count is just what it sounds like: a daily count of fetal movements. The count enables you to get to know the normal pattern of movement for your baby, so you can tell if the movements decrease, signaling fetal distress. There are a couple of ways to do kick counts, but here is an easy and effective one:

Pick a time of day when your baby is active; evening is generally good.

Time how long it takes to feel ten movements; record it.

Repeat every day; learn your baby's pattern.

If there is a significant decrease in movements or something else concerns you, get in for care immediately. Don't be afraid to kick up a big fuss to get what you need. Your baby is counting on you, too.

For more information, see the Baby Kick Alliance.

Eco-friendly cleaning ideas

What do these three items have in common? Well, they are all environmentally friendly cleaning supplies and with spring cleaning season just around the corner, it might be useful to learn about something you can do with these 3 things.

Vinegar:

Vinegar cleans like an all-purpose cleaner and can be used to clean, disinfect, and, yes, believe it or not, deodorize. Make a solution of 1 part vinegar to 1 part water in a spray bottle and use it as you would any other all-purpose cleaner. It is most useful if put in a clean, new spray bottle. As with all new cleaning products, test it first in an inconspicuous area to ensure that the surface can tolerate the solution.

Because it is acidic, you should not use vinegar:

• To clean grout
• On marble

If you are sensitive to the smell of vinegar, add lemon juice to vinegar to make the smell of the vinegar more palatable. However, the smell of vinegar doesn’t linger when it dries.

Use it in the…

1. Bathroom to clean the bathtub, toilet, sink, and countertops.

• Use pure vinegar in the toilet bowl to get rid of rings. After flushing the water in, pour the undiluted vinegar around the inside of the rim, then use a toilet brush to remove the stain.
• A vinegar/water solution to remove soap scum and hard water stains. It is also a great way to clean and disinfect the floor. Before using it on tile, check to make sure it is safe.

2. Kitchen to clean the stovetop, appliances, countertops, and floor.

3. Laundry Room as a natural fabric softener. This can be especially helpful for families who have sensitive skin.

• Add ½ cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle in place of store bought fabric softener. Vinegar has the added benefit of breaking down laundry detergent more effectively. (A plus when you have a family member whose skin detects every trace of detergent.)

Baking Soda:

Baking soda can be used to scrub surfaces in much the same way as commercial abrasive cleansers. Baking soda is great as a deodorizer. Place a box in the refrigerator and freezer to absorb odors. Put it anywhere you need deodorizing action.

Lemons:

Lemon juice is another natural substance that can be used to clean your home. Lemon juice can be used to dissolve soap scum and hard water deposits. Lemon is a great substance to clean and shine brass and copper. Lemon juice can be mixed with vinegar and or baking soda to make cleaning pastes.

• Cut a lemon in half, put a layer of baking soda on the cut section and use it clean dishes, surfaces, and other stains.
• Mix 1 cup olive oil with ½ cup lemon juice and you have a furniture polish for your hardwood furniture.
• Soak countertop stains in lemon juice for a few minutes (but not too long as it can be very corrosive!). Scrub the area with baking soda to make the stains disappear.
• Lemon rinds can be ground in the garbage disposal to freshen the drain.
• Pour very hot water with a little lemon poured down a drain helps kill odor causing bacteria in the drain.
• Because lemon juice acts as a natural bleaching agent, it makes are create stain remover for fabrics as well. Put lemon juice onto stains on white cloth and allow them to dry in the sun. Stains will be bleached away.

For more information on these and other uses click here.

Happy Cleaning!

Breastfeeding: Getting off to a good start

There's no question that breastfeeding can be a little bit tricky, especially in the beginning, but the bottom line is that almost everyone can be successful at it. You might have to look around a little, but there are plenty of helpful resources available right here at Osan. Here's how to get off to a good start before the baby is even born, and how to find help if you need it.

First, get a good breastfeeding book and read it before the baby is born so you have some idea of what to expect. There are some at the OPN parenting library at the community center available for checkout, and the Osan Breastfeeding Support Group has a bunch of great books to share, too. Email osanbfsupport@gmail.com to ask about their library. If you want to buy a book, 'So That's What They're For', 'The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding', and 'The Breastfeeding Book' are excellent choices. These books have everything you need to know to get started and address all the common problems new moms face. If you are having a problem, you can be sure that many moms before you have had them too, and almost any nursing problem can be solved. Most moms find that their problems are pretty much resolved and breastfeeding is going smoothly by about six weeks, so give it a little time!

When you get to the hospital, tell the staff you will be breastfeeding and that you don't want your baby to have any artificial nipples, formula, or glucose water. The 121 is pretty good about helping new parents out, and you can read a firsthand account of one new mom's experience here. If you are looking for alternatives to the 121, check out the 'resources' tab at Birthing In Korea.

Once the baby is born, try nursing as soon as possible. Newborns tend to have an alert period for an hour or two right after birth, and this is the best time to get started. Some babies will latch right on and never look back, but don't expect a lot right at first; some babies will just nuzzle or lick on the first try. To start, gently guide his or her head to the nipple while supporting the breast. The baby's mouth should be wide open with the bottom lip in the pouty position. If it hurts, don't be afraid to ask for help right away; problems are easily corrected if you address them immediately, but the longer they go on, the harder they are to fix. Probably the biggest worry most new moms have is whether the baby is getting enough milk. In most cases, the answer is yes. Click here and here for some things to look for to make sure.

Nurse on demand for the first few months. This means whenever the baby wants, for however long they want, day or night. Don't waste your valuable energy trying to get on a schedule. Babies often will drift into some sort of predictable schedule with little or no effort on your par, and if yours isn't one of them, you can tackle it a little later when you're getting more sleep. Avoid introducing a bottle or pacifier until nursing is well established, and skip them entirely if it suits you. Some babies will quickly develop a preference for an artificial nipple, because the flow is faster and takes less effort. If this happens, it can be difficult to reestablish nursing.

Korea is a great place for breastfeeding; you may have noticed nursing rooms at the shopping malls and rest stops, and you won't be made to feel uncomfortable nursing in public. If you're on any military base (or any U.S. Government facility of any kind) you are expressly permitted to nurse anyplace you are otherwise authorized to be, so nurse away! At Osan, moms often use the BX dressing rooms or the furniture department to nurse if they prefer a private area.

Contact osanbfsupport@gmail.com or join the yahoo group to find out about meetings and other resources. Here are some good online resources:

La Leche League

Kelly Mom

Breastfeeding in Combat Boots (especially for active duty moms)

Happy nursing!

The Legacy of Two Years at Osan: A Spouse's Story

Ed. note: Thanks to 'Anonymous' for this important message about some common problems that are not often talked about. If you need help, you can call mental health at x2148 or Family Advocacy at x5010 during business hours. For an after hours emergency, dial x2500. And, if you want to share your personal story, submissions, anonymous or otherwise, are always welcome at osanparents@gmail.com.

After spending two years at Osan, I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on the impact it has had on my life. Osan had many wonderful aspects. The support the families offer each other is both limitless and priceless and getting to travel and see Asia was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but now I’m gone, I’m wondering if all those things were worth the stress on my marriage and my own personal mental health.

The bottom line for me is that all the support in the world does not substitute for the absence of my husband and the father of my children. His 18-hour work days (often 6+ days a week) and the stress the Osan pace put on him brought us all to near collapse. The party line of the base leadership at the time was “it is a privilege” to be at Osan because many service members couldn’t bring their families. This was infuriating because it put me in the pos ition of feeling like I’d asked for all the trouble and that I was on my own.

After about a year of keeping up the Osan pace, I found my emotional health slipping. Being completely responsible for my family half-way around the world from the rest of my family and typical resources was taking its toll. Despite my best efforts to learn as much as I could, not speaking the language was isolating and left me feeling like I was stuck on base and often couldn’t get some of the simple things that would have made me feel more at home. Having limited reliable childcare made taking classes or getting a job nearly impossible. The absence of my husband and his partnership in the rearing of our children and in our marriage drained me emotionally and physically. I was having a hard time keeping up with the demands and responsibilities. I felt like there was no way out.

I finally realized that I needed help and called the Mental Health clinic on base. My first attempt was extremely unhelpful. It was hard to get an appointment (I had to call several times and wait weeks to20be seen) and the counselor I saw did not listen to me. I was telling her what I needed based on previous experience and her treatment style didn’t work for me. In addition, during my first appointment, she told me she was PCSing in a few weeks so she would have to give me to someone else when he/she arrived to take her place.

So I gave up. And I got sicker. I was given medication at a dose that, it turns out, was making me suicidal, but no one was monitoring my care. I slipped through the cracks. Finally in desperation, I called Mental Health again and told them that I was having suicidal thoughts. Finally, they took me very seriously and that is where the help really began. Finally after 6 months of the worst depression I’ve even suffered, I was in the hands of a skilled and caring counselor whose style helped me immensely.

On the marriage side, we didn’t have as much success though. Our marriage counselor was hopeless. He was prior military and unmarried. He instantly, shamelessly, “sided” with my husband. He told me that I simply neede d to put myself in my husband’s shoes and be more supportive of him. He implied that I was substandard because I couldn’t handle the pressures. He did much more damage to our marriage and we are still trying to recover from his “help”.

My advice:

· Ask for help. Don’t let yourself slip through the cracks.

· Be clear about what you need. You have a right to receive the care you need.

· Be persistent. If you can’t get an appointment, walk-in and make them see you.

· Don’t wait until you are desperate to get help.

· Take advantage of the plethora of hourly babysitters on base. Get out. Make sure your life is not just cooking, cleaning, childcare, and sleep. I implemented a night out each week and made sure I hired a sitter regardless of my husband’s schedule. I went out anyway. It was worth it.

· You are not crazy. It is extremely hard and everyone has a different tolerance level.

We are still holding on, but the things that I took for granted in my life are no longer secure. We’ve got lots of work ahead of us. Osan’s legacy will remain to be seen.

Anonymous, guest blogger

2009 Sunscreen Guide

Summer is here! For the past few years, the Environmental Working Group has been studying hundreds of sunscreens. Surprisingly, many of the most popular name brands don't provide the protection they promise and/or have dangerous ingredients. Click here to find the safest and most effective sunscreens, and check out EWG's main site to find information on many cosmetics and other household products.

Got Pinkeye?

The pinkeye is going around AGAIN. Or still. Whichever. At my house, it always seems to start up on Friday evening of a long weekend. Even if I can get the ointment or the drops when we need them, it would be more fun to poke my own eyes with a stick than to try to get them in my kids' eyes.

This last time, I tried some natural remedies and had good luck. There are many common things you can try: tea bags, apple cider vinegar, and breast milk just to name a few. The kids even had fun with it. It's not 'medicine', and it's not every day you can put tea bags on your eyes or whip up your own tonic in the kitchen. And, there are similar effective remedies for many other common ailments.

Here are a couple of links with pinkeye remedies, or try a web search for 'natural remedies conjunctivitis' or 'alternative treatment pink eye'.

Home Remedies For You

Natural Cures

Prenatal care: The Kicks that Count

Here at Osan, it's a little more difficult than it is in the U.S. to get immediate and high quality prenatal care if anything out of the ordinary happens, and we need to take responsibility for our own care, for our sake and that of our unborn children. Delivering a stillborn baby is one of the most horrifying things we can imagine, but it happens to seventy U.S. families every day, or once in approximately 150-200 deliveries. By contrast, SIDS claims about seven infants a day in the U.S. The good news is that like SIDS, the risk of stillbirth can easily be dramatically reduced.

A recent study found that 50% of moms that delivered stillborn babies noticed a decrease in movement in the days immediately prior to the death of their babies. Many stillbirths can be prevented with a simple test you can do at home: the daily kick count.

A daily kick count is just what it sounds like: a daily count of fetal movements. The count enables you to get to know the normal pattern of movement for your baby, so you can tell if the movements decrease, signaling fetal distress. There are a couple of ways to do kick counts, but here is an easy and effective one:

Pick a time of day when your baby is active; evening is generally good.

Time how long it takes to feel ten movements; record it.

Repeat every day; learn your baby's pattern.

If there is a significant decrease in movements or something else concerns you, get in for care immediately. Don't be afraid to kick up a big fuss to get what you need. Your baby is counting on you, too.

For more information, see the Baby Kick Alliance.

Tales from the Storks Nest/121 episode 2

I am here in an unaccompanied status. I was told not to come since healthcare would be available to me only on a space available basis (the usual drill) but once I arrived (at 18 weeks) and was put into the women's health system, I was in it for the duration and didn't have to battle for every single appointment. While I've had a more difficult time getting in to pediatrics, Dr. Burns is phenomenal and has seen Quinn anyway.

I did not attend the 121/Storks Nest orientation tour and in hindsight, I don't think I missed anything. I was hoping for a natural birth and by chance met with the midwife (Jenny Lee) for both my 36 and 38 week appointments. I think they like for you to meet with as many different providers as possible since there's no telling who will be on shift when you actually deliver.

I took the bus up for my 38 week appointment at the 38 week and 3 day mark. I had no intentions of checking into the Storks Nest that day and even though the midwife told me I had ZERO signs of impending labor, for some reason I changed my mind and decided to stay. I consider myself pretty tolerant of substandard conditions- pretty easy to please and not one to complain and while I never issued any kind of formal complaint, I will say that the Storks Nest was horrendous. Without exaggeration, my room temperature was below 60 degrees and I had to keep the door open just to allow some heat in from the common hallway. There was a communal bathroom with one shower and two toilets, simply not sufficient for 6 pregnant women. And I won't even go into the decor...it was scary, but the big issue here was the lack of climate control. That very night my water broke and I was fortunate enough not to spend a single night there.

The girl across the hall ruptured her membranes at the same time, so we rode together in the ambulance the 300 yards to the hospital. Since my water broke and I was still showing ZERO signs of labor (aside from the membrane rupture) I didn't get the natural birth I was planning on. I did, however, feel that I was adequately briefed on my options for induction and pain management and was able to make informed decisions about the process. Overall, I was very pleased with the level of care at the hospital. The staff was friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable, even through shift changes--even when I didn't necessarily know their names. There were only two of us in the ward that night, so I suppose it could be different with more patients, but I know they don't have a very large capacity and occasionally send people downtown. FYI, I shared a recovery room with the other new mom, even though there were two other rooms- fortunately she was nice! There was also no place for the hubbies to sleep if they wanted to stay the night...my husband squeezed in the bed with me.

As far as breastfeeding support went, my nurse came in every few hours to wake me in order to feed the baby. She showed me different positions and offered suggestions on how to rouse the baby in order to eat those first few days. She also observed to make sure the baby had a good latch. They consistently asked how the breastfeeding was going but didn't insist I complete the chart (#/time of feeding sessions, # of diapers, etc) until day two. I was released not quite 48 hours after delivery.

Tips to bring with you to the 121...warm clothes for the storks nest, calling cards (their vending machine was down), and black undies! Another FYI, if you're a one cell phone and one VOIP household like we are, you can rent a cell phone by the week at the Dragon Hill Lodge. There was no phone in my Storks Nest room, so needed a way to alert the husband that the baby was coming.

Things I wish I'd known...I think people don't tell you a lot of stuff about the late stages of pregnancy and/or delivery because then we'd never go through it! Really, it wasn't that bad :) But as far as breastfeeding goes, and certainly everyone is different...I wasn't expecting the vast difference in milk production between my left and right side. I've stuck with it, and now just affectionately refer to them as "slow flow" and "fast flow". I also didn't know what kind of feeling to expect with "let down" and didn't experience that feeling until more than a week or two after his birth. And finally, I wasn't prepared for the amount of milk that would be leaking through breast pads, bras, shirts, and even then STILL dripping from my body. Two months later, I am still experiencing this phenomenon- it's certainly better with an established appetite and I realize there are things to do to stop this let down, but applying pressure to the nipple/areola is uncomfortable for me, so if I'm at home, I just let it go (or flow, that is, into a cloth that I stuff into my bra- glorious, I know!)

Handy and fun websites to explore!

Ready Made Magazine instructions for everyday life

Get Organized with the Fly Lady!

Green parenting tips

Stay up on the local happenings with South Korea news sites

Custom made clothes without going downtown!

Reusable bags galore

Toy recall list

Got some more to share? Add them to the comments!

How to have a baby in Korea

When I learned I was pregnant AND we were going to Korea, I had more questions than anyone could even think about answering. I began asking people who hadn’t even had babies but that had been to Osan. I got such a hodge podge of information it took me until after I delivered the baby to get all of the answers.

So for anyone wondering, here’s how to have a baby in Korea:

When you come to Osan and receive a positive blood test, your name’s given to Ms. Chon, the RN who works for our OB Nurse Practitioner. Ms. Chon calls with a date for your OB orientation. It’s a 3 hour class of some paperwork and information on how your care will be handled here. You’ll have your first set of blood work done then and receive an appointment with Maj. Koehler our Nurse Practitioner. If you’re considered high risk you’ll be sent to USAG Yongsan (an army post) to the 121 Combat Support Hospital and receive the rest of your OB appointments there. If not, you will see the Nurse Practitioner here in Osan until somewhere between 32-36 weeks and then transfer your care to the 121 as well.

If you do need to travel to Yongsan for prenatal care, there is a shuttle bus that runs several times a day between Osan and Yongsan that is only 5,500 won per way. It goes straight from base to base. There, you can take a taxi to the actual hospital (which is located on south post). I suggest taking the bus considering all of the traffic here. It only takes 70 minutes by bus (because of special bus lanes) and can take several hours by car.

There are several doctors who work in the OB clinic as well as one midwife. You can try and schedule your appointments with the one of your choosing but there’s no guarantee they’ll be available. I found it nice that I had seen every doctor at least once before I delivered so that I would know the doctor delivering my baby.

Everything about the actual labor and delivery is just like in the States. There are even options for c-sections, natural delivery, and VBACs.

At 38 weeks you are expected to stay up at the “Stork’s Nest” and wait to go into labor. This is basically to cut down on the cost of the Osan ambulance trip up there (and also for safety). Because of the horrible traffic here, it could take hours (and it frequently does) to finally make it to Yongsan. The storks nest is a small house with several bedrooms (mine had 8) with a common kitchen and bathroom. It’s just across some baseball fields from the hospital. Your spouse and children can stay with you. (Ask for a family room if you can get one) The current buildings are pretty small and old, but they were in the process of finishing new ones when I was there. Let’s just say I said a few prayers for my water to break the first night so I wouldn’t have to stay there any longer. (Lucky me, they were answered!) If there is no room at the storks nest you can stay at the Dragon Hill Lodge, the Embassy Quarters or two different hotels off base.

Here are a few other bits of information.

- Yongsan will only deliver a baby at 36 weeks gestation or later. Otherwise you are sent away to a Korean Hospital to have your baby because there is not a military NICU on the peninsula.

- Double check the time and date of your appointments at Yongsan with the personnel there. Several women have had a problem with the scheduling.

- Okinawa, Japan (which is also located in PACAF) has a NICU, I don’t know the rules and procedures for possibly delivering there but know that it is a possible option and it’s not too far away.

- Children are technically not allowed in the OB clinic, they suggest you really try and leave your older kiddos at home, CDC, what have you.

- They will not give you an epidural just because you ask for one. You have to be “so far along” and in active labor.

- They do not give you dermaplast or those nice little “woman part ice packs”. A good friend gave me a great tip. Tear open the back inside of a newborn diaper, fill with ice and have a seat.

I learned a lot and asked a lot of questions, if you have more I (or someone I know) knows the answer so e-mail me at laurennaddy@sbcglobal.net . I wish I could have had someone lay it out for me. It would have calmed a lot of fears for me in the beginning. Although not quite as convenient as having a baby in the States, it was a great experience and I’d do it all over again.

Lauren, guest poster

Services for 0-3 Year Olds

EDIS (Educational Developmental Intervention Services) ~ our primary focus is on early childhood. We do work with kids 3 and older; however, at that time we collaborate with the school. From birth to three, we are kind of the "one stop shop." Any questions or concerns a parent may have regarding development, growth, behavior, toys to buy, sleeping, toileting, etc. EDIS is the place to call.

If parents are concerned with developmental delays, EDIS will do a screening, which briefly looks at the 5 areas of development (social/emotional, adaptive, cognitive, motor, and language) to see how the child compares to other children their age.

If the child appears to be low in one or more area or if the parent would like a complete developmental evaluation that can be done as well. In order to qualify for on-going EDIS services (e.g., speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, etc.), a full zevaluation needs to be completed. However, an evaluation does not need to be completed in order for a parent to ask questions.

Beginning in Jan., EDIS is going to implement "Well Baby Clinics," which will be an opportunity for parents to meet with an EDIS professional to discuss any questions or concerns they may have. They will be once a month at the clinic on base (Osan). I will give you more information on that as it becomes available.

In order to contact EDIS, parents do NOT need a referral from their pediatrician. They can contact at any time for any questions or concerns they may have. For contact information, e-mail coordinator@osanparentnetwork.com.

Elizabeth Schnobrich, Psy.D., ECSE - Licensed Psychologist, EDIS, Seoul, Korea

Disaster: Would You Survive?

Back in my pre-baby life, I worked for the Army Corps of Engineers, running emergency construction projects. In the spring of 1999, I was in Kellogg, Idaho, building a chute to channel some anticipated floodwaters away from the town. This required digging a trench for a large culvert in a narrow canyon. The culvert sections had to be fastened together inside the trench. If you don't know a lot about trenches, they are extremely dangerous. Dirt is very heavy, and someone inside a trench can be crushed to death even without being buried. So, whenever the workers were in the trench, I was watching very carefully, ready to warn them if I saw any movement on the sides. Sure enough, one of the sides caved in. And, I stood and watched the dirt fall in slow motion and said nothing. Why? I had no idea, and it has bothered me ever since. But guess what? It turns out I was in denial, and it's a common, but surprising, response when something disastrous happens. Luckily, that day only a small part of the trench wall fell in, the workers jumped clear and everything was fine.

I just read 'The Unthinkable; Who Survives When Disaster Strikes and Why' by Amanda Ripley, and it was an absolutely fascinating look into risks and how the human brain and body respond to, well, the unthinkable: plane crashes, shooting rampages, and natural disasters.

The author studied many different incidents, from ferry sinkings to Virginia Tech to fires to 9/11, and found that in every case, survival depends on regular people at the scene, not on professional responders. By the time emergency personnel arrives, it's too late. But there's no training for regular people, so we have to be responsible for ourselves. The good news is that our risk of facing some catastrophic incident is much lower than our risk of say, having a stroke. But for various reasons related to our humanness, we dread disasters much more than the common diseases that we're much more likely to suffer from. So, eat your vegetables, get your exercise, quit smoking, meditate! And there's more good news: there's also plenty we can do to up our odds of survival in a disaster.

Some common reactions are not what you might expect: In disaster after disaster, investigations have shown that many people don't react; they simply fall into a stupor, as if paralyzed. It takes a jolt to snap them out of it and get them moving. For this reason, flight attendants are trained to shriek at people in airplane evacuations to get them moving. 'Milling' and 'Gathering' are also common responses. In the WTC attack, people in the towers were slow to evacuate for several reasons, but many of them stopped to gather belongings, and to discuss the situation with others. Group dynamics are always interesting, but in a disaster, people tend to herd up and wait to be told what to do. And that's fine if there is someone there who knows what to do, but that's not often the case.

When something happens, survival depends on you and those around you. And, like everything else in life, it's the simple things: Read the safety card on the airplane. Find the nearest exits and count the number of rows to get there. When you enter a high-rise, find the stairs and know where they go. Drive defensively. In general, have some situational awareness. Make a habit of looking around you and pay attention to what's going on. And breathe. Studies have shown that the same breathing patterns that help you meditate or soldier through labor can keep you calm in an emergency.

Living here at Osan, I am pretty complacent, but the reality is that there is a constant threat of aggression or terrorism. How would you react? Think about it, and make a plan. It might save your life.

Anna, guest blogger

Confessions from chaos: Stop the Insanity!

My house is a chaotic mess. My dishes are never done, my laundry is piled in the hallway, my kids have runny noses and long, dirty fingernails. My kids watch too much television and I drink too much wine and not quite enough coffee. I never go to the gym and spend way too much time and money online. My husband is neglected and my house plants are dead. My important papers are piled haphazardly in a bin in the closet and I can never find anything I need. I am forever buying new stuff because I can't find the three or four I already have: flashlights, umbrellas, stewed tomatoes, gloves, sunglasses, batteries, whiteout, blank cd's.....

Enough is enough! The new year is coming and I'm considering a radical resolution: To boldly impose order where none has existed before. Trouble is, I have no idea how to go about it. Oh, I've read all the organization books and checked out flylady and all the rest, but nothing has ever helped for long. But this time, it's different. I mean it this time. Really.

So here's where you come in: I need some help! If you can walk through your house without a Lego injury, if you aren't able to collect enough earwax from your kids to start a bonfire, if you can put your hands on your will within five minutes, give me some tips! If not, wanna come over for some wine? Any night is good for me.

Anonymous, guest blogger

Thinking about Obesity in American Children

“America has a pandemic obesity problem. Although a widespread overweight condition is present in all industrial countries, the United States now has the highest occurrence, with estimates of more than one half of its population currently overweight or obese” (Tillotson, 2004, p. 617). The trend of obesity in America first came to my attention when the book and movie Supersize Me came out a few years back. Though it was not a book or movie that I actually read I did listen to the pundits as they discussed the substance of the author and film makers’ story. It caused me to pause the next time I had a craving for a Big Mac and some greasy McDonald’s fries. However, the pause was short lived and I like many other Americans have since gone on to gain more weight and eat more junk food with less exercise. Recently I listened in shock as the airline industry announced a plan to possibly consider charging passengers by their individual weight rather than just the single seat they purchased.

When I was a young child we had television and later in my adolescences the emergence of video games came with Atari. I distinctly remember being told by my mother to turn off the television and go outside and play. I also recall being forced to come back inside when the Sun began to set and Mom called my brothers and me in for dinner. About 20 years ago, and some years after my Mom called me in for dinner, I recall babysitting for my nephews and when I told them to turn off the TV and go outside they simply elected to go in their rooms and play computer games. Both of my nephews have struggled with obesity and this struggle continues today. They are in my opinion examples of a growing trend among America’s youth. “A constellation of social changes, including the rise in the use of pre-prepared and fast food as well as soft drinks, the decline in everyday activity such as walking to school, the extensive availability of computers and videogames, and increased amount of television viewing, has been linked to the increase in obesity among children and youth” (Belsky, Bradley, Friedman, Houts, Nader, O’Brien, & Susman, 2007, p.1469).

In 2001 the U.S surgeon general David Satcher claimed that obesity was a major problem and could lead to as many at 300,000 deaths per year and even cause more preventable disease than cigarette smoking(Oliver, 2007). Although the numbers seem to be larger than can actually be possible, it would seem that obesity has increased health risk to Americans. Part of this problem lies in Americans choice of a more sedentary life style and part reflects the growing pattern of eating food prepared outside the home. Fast food was not the only item noted to cause obesity to increase; the authors also drew parallels to the prepared foods bought and then eaten at home after being heated. “Currently, nearly half of Americans’ total annual food purchases are for food that is fully prepared and consumed either outside the home or brought to the home for consumption”(Tillotson, 2004, p. 618).

In addition to selecting poor diet the articles also noted that physical activity had notably declined in America. “The decline in physical activity levels of young children seems to be combined with a high prevalence of obesity and overweight and a reduction in the number of young people wanting to take part in organized sport”(Al-Nakeeb, Duncan, Lyons, & Woodfield, 2007, p. 2). As a coach I have noticed a reduction in the number of kids willing to even try out for a team. My first year as a high school coach we created a middle school team to allow more participation among students interested in playing, just a few short years later we were forced to cut the junior varsity squad because the numbers of willing participants had dwindled to such a small group. When I asked students why they elected to no longer participate the responses ranged from not having enough time to not having any interest in sports; regardless of the reason it was clear that athletics were no longer a priority.

One study looked at the link between community parks and the activity level of residents residing within one mile. What was concluded was that the amount of activity depended on whether there were organized sporting events or whether it was merely an open park with any number of sedentary activities such as chess or picnic tables(Cohen, Golinelli, Lurie, McKenzie, Sehgal, & Williamson, 2007). Increased physical activity was a key in keeping me healthy and in shape as a young person and an adult. It appeared in the articles I researched that this aspect of life still holds true but that fewer children are electing to become active. “The increasingly robust evidence that emerges from recent research findings indicate that physical activity is an important preventive measure for avoiding unhealthy weight gain”(Al-Nakeeb, et. al, 2007, p. 3).

One really does not need to read lengthy studies completed on the obesity epidemic to find evidence that American children and adults are growing to an unhealthy weight. All that would be required would be a look around in the mall or the local restaurant to see that our waist bands have expanded beyond a healthy measure. The question at hand would be how to deal with the problem of obesity. “Considering the prevalence of the overweight condition today in the United States and its predicted future social and economic costs, obesity can no longer be considered as just the individual’s problem, but rather should be seen as a broad population problem requiring attention by government”(Tillotson, 2004, P. 638). It appears that once again Americans may find that their salvation will come at the hands of the federal government or can we for once take responsibility for our own actions and shake off the excess pounds?

References:

Al-Nakeeb, Y., Duncan, J., Lyons, M., & Woodfield, L. (2007). Body fatness and physicalActivity levels of young children. Annals of Human Biology, 34, 1, p. 1-12.

Belsky, J., Bradley, R., Friedman, S., Houts, R., Nader, P., O’Brien, M., & Susman, E. (2007).The ecology of childhood overweight: a 12-year longitudinal analysis. International Journal of Obesity, 31, p. 1469-1478.

Cohen, D., Golinelli, D., Lurie, N., McKenzie, T., Sehgal, A., & Williamson, S. (2007). Contribution of Public Parks to Physical Activity. American Journal of Public Health, 97, 3, p. 509-514.

Oliver, E. (2007). Fat politics: the real story behind America’s obesity epidemic. Journal ofHealth Politics, Policy and Law, 32, 1, p. 132-138.

Shannon G., Guest Blogger

Itsy Bitsy Spiders & Other Local Creepy Crawlies

If you're like me, when you PCS'd here you've found lots of little critters running around in/outside of your home. Since my son has no fear of anything creepy and crawly I decided to try and identify some of the most common ones we see in our home (We live in Hallasan Tower). The good news, it looks like all of them are more or less just scary looking.

Tent Caterpillars:

In the spring, the caterpillars took over the playgrounds (and our balcony). There was a lot of confusion and worry among the kids and parents over whether they were "stinging" caterpillars or not.

From what I've been able to find, these are a version of Tent Caterpillars. You can read about them here .

In general, the following seems to be a good rule of thumb that I found in a few different places:

"Many species of caterpillars are variously armed or clothed with setae and spines; however, only a relative few actually possess venomous or urticating structures. Thus, there are "stingers" and harmless "look-a-likes", and distinguishing one from the other solely on appearance is difficult. Determining which is which by "hands-on" personal bio-assay is foolproof but could be foolhardy and painful."

However, my husband, 2 year old, and I all handled these things all summer (even without washing our hands after wards) and never had any adverse reactions to them. So, I personally believe our Osan Tent Caterpillars are harmless. It did make our dog sick when she ate one though.

Earwigs:

I've found several Earwigs (they look like beetles with pinchers on their butts) in the house and unfortunately they meet an untimely death when we cross paths. Here is some general information and pictures.

"Earwigs are considered harmless to people, though they may emit a foul smelling liquid when disturbed. Larger earwigs might use their abdominal "pincers" to "bite" someone, but no venom is present. Though potentially unpleasant and perhaps disconcerting, no harm is done. Because earwigs hide during the day in dark places, they often get transported along with the object they hide in, and are easily overlooked. Most of our species are introduced, and new ones are constantly being introduced."

Seed Bugs:

Seed bugs are the bugs that look like stink bugs. A kind of slim body with triangle head. Here is a picture of a similar one.

"These bugs do not bite, sting, feed, carry diseases or otherwise cause harm to people, pets, the house or its contents. They cannot reproduce inside the house, as egg laying and development are restricted to the host plants during the summer months. They will, however, give off a pungent odor if you handle them, which is part of the insect's defensive strategy. They also may make a buzzing sound when flying."

We have personally squished these and they do stink when squished.

House Centipede:

These are by far I think the scariest looking. I can't stand to even get close enough for a shoe stomping. Here is a picture.

"Indoors they are likely to be found at all times of the year provided they have warmth and available prey. To the North they will only be found outside during Summer. Predatory on other arthropods, including cockroach nymphs, flies, moths, bedbugs, crickets, silverfish, earwigs, and small spiders. In short, they'll eat many things you'd probably much rather not have in your home. Consider these beneficial in your home, since they rid you of other pests.House centipedes are aggressive predators to things their own size but are not considered dangerous to humans. Their small jaws (actually modified front legs) cannot easily pierce human skin. In the rare event you were bitten, pain and swelling may result, but it would probably be no worse than a bee sting."

Golden Orb Weaver Spiders:

You know those big nasty green spiders hanging all over the place that seem to get bigger and bigger as the summer goes on? They seem to be a kind of Orb spider (named because of the types of webs they make) and, while they will bite if provoked, they aren't dangerous to you or your dogs.

For great info and pictures go to whatsthatbug.com or bugguide.net

Lauren, Guest Blogger