Dying For Transplants By: Melody Kirkpatrick Nearly nineteen people a day die wait ing for an organ transplant. Transplants are needed when one or more of your essential organs no longer work properly or stops work ing. Waiting lists are available but usually the donated organs go to the sickest patients first. Most experts agree that it may not be the best idea because either they are likely to die with or without the transplant or they might need anoth er transplant The truth is there is a shortage of donated organs because the demand for organs is much greater than what has been donated. Every organ in your body is indeed im portant but the kidneys are the most donated or gan and the most needed organ for transplants. Some functions of the kidney include; filtering waste from your blood by excreting it through your urine, regulate your blood pressure, and it maintains the volume of your body’s water. Even though you have two of them, and they are the size of your fist, you can survive with just one because they are codependent. A dangerous side of transplants is that you have a fifty percent chance of survival whether you receive them or not. The saddest news about receiving a transplant happened ear lier this year. There were four people to receive transplants from the same donor. The donor was infected with HIV (the virus that causes aids) and hepatitis C. All four recipi ents were also diagnosed with HIV and hepatitis C. The diseases in the donated organs were not detected in the donor at that time. The reason the disease were not detected was because the donor had the diseases for approximately three weeks and that wasn’t long enough for the test to prove a positive result. For now, one of the recipients of the af fective organ is being referred to as Jane Doe for privacy concerns. She received a kidney transplant at the University of Chicago Medi cal Center. The Gift of Hope Organ and Tissue Donor Network and the University of Chicago Medical Center allegedly knew about the po tential high risk of the donor because of his gay lifestyle. The organs were first tested by Gift of Hope Organ and Tissue Donor Network and then the organs were approved to be transplant ed. The only problem besides the organs being affected was the fact that the recipient was not told of this matter, according to her attorney. An organ transplant resulting in a patient receiving aids does not happen often. In fact it has almost never happened since 1986. The attorney for the U S Center for Dis ease Control and Prevention stated “that guide lines were violated twice. The first violation happened when Jane Doe was not told about the donors’ health condition. The second violation was that no test was done to check the health status of the patient after the transplant. Spokes man, John Easton for the University of Chicago replied by saying “We believe we follow guide lines”.. . If Jane Doe was told about the donor’s health conditions, then she could have made up her mind about receiving the transplant. It is a messy and sad situation but it will all unfold when both parties present this case in court. Transplants have probably saved mil lions of lives. Sometimes it’s the only chance to stay alive and well. Thousands and thousands of people wait months or years to get the news that they will receive their transplant. It must be a remarkable feeling to know you have a second chance at life. Transplants give people a chance to live longer than otherwise expected. Handling Holiday Stress By; Carmen Lentz Handling Holiday Stress: Even though most of us welcome the approaching holiday season, few of us are exempt from the stressors that accompany it. While trying to pull off the perfect holiday, we frequently find ourselves frazzled, stressed and facing a mind-boggling array of demands which include exams, travel, shopping, decorating, gift-wrapping, partying, and scores of related holiday activities. Peace and joy give way to stress, strain, and exhaustion! Advance planning and knowledge can help shrink stressors to a manageable level, and ward off problems before they arise. Here are some tips to help you enjoy your holidays. 1. Forget about perfection; Media por trayals of the holidays usually aren’t realistic. Standards that are too high set us up for holiday stress. Accept that it is ok if you can’t finance the “perfecf ’ gift, that you may forget some thing important, and that you may need to trim your holiday “to-do” list down to a more man ageable size. 2. Don’t abandon healthy habits: Some splurges are ok, but don’t make it a lifestyle over the holidays. Get plenty of sleep, keep up your exercise and physical activities, and don’t drink too much. Overindulgences usually add to our stress and guilt. 3. Give yourself a break: In all the hustle and bustle, be sure to take some time for your self. Plan some downtime into your schedule. Give yourself permission to listen to music, relax, and do nothing for a few minutes every day. 4. Stick to your budget: Decide what you can spend on gifts ahead of time and stay within your limits. Who needs the stress of trying to pay the bills for gifts sometimes months after the holidays? The holidays are about spending time, not money, on those we care about. 5. Plan ahead: Set realistic expectations about the time it will take to get things done. If you travel, plan for delays. Organize shopping so that you can minimize trips into crowded shopping areas. 6. Set differences aside: Try to accept oth ers as they are, even if it isn’t how you want them to be. Realize that friends and family may be feeling stressed out from the holidays too. Practice compassion and patience. 7. Seek support if you need it: As families grow and change, traditions and rituals may change too. Talk about your feelings to those people in your life who are suppod^jve. Consid er ways you can get involved and help others. Communicate & express your feelings. 8. Learn to say no: Only say yes to those things you really want to do. If you over agenda yourself, you’ll end up feeling irritated and overwhelmed. Be selective, and don’t feel you have to apologize for doing what works best for you. 9. Keep your resolutions realistic. Don’t resolve to make too many changes too soon. In stead, try to incorporate basic, healthy lifestyle routines. Set small, achievable goals, and then you can add new ones as you accomplish your original goals. 10. Enjoy your holidays!! Carmen Lentz, LPC, NCC Counseling Services Director KN16HTS SPORTS Lady Knights make big splash with three more wins From: Staff Reports December 2, 2007 ASHEVILLE, N.C.—Fresh man Sarah Supcoe (Charleston, W.Va.) had a perfect weekend winning 12 individual events for the St. Andrews Presbyterian College women’s swim team as the Lady Knights won a total of 30 events to earn victories in three of four meets on the road including a pair of victo ries over LaGrange College and a win at Warren Wilson College. SAPC started the weekend at Mars Hill College on Saturday losing to the Mountain Lions 65-176 but winning 11 events against LaGrange en route to the 129-31 victory. The Lady Knights capped the weekend by sweeping a double-dual meet at Warren Wilson defeat ing the hosts 94-53 and once again handing the Panthers a defeat by a 104-21 margin. Supcoe won all three of her trips into the pool on Saturday for a total of six wins. Supcoe set benchmark times for the youthful Knights in the 200 butterfly (2:18.82), 200 breaststroke (2:39.98), and 200 individual medley (2:18.54). The freshmen duo of Becky Branden burg (Swansboro, N.C.) and Amy Tripson (Pittsburg, Pa.) won a total of four events against LaGrange on Saturday. Brandenburg set a personal record (PR) in the 500 freestyle (6:44.70) while also winning the 100 butterfly (1:16.09). Tripson’s victories over the Lady Panthers came in the 1000 freestyle (12:37.68) and the 100 breaststroke (1:22.09). Tripson also had a PR in the 200 backstroke (2:27.71 Junior Kaley Rouse (Lexington, N.C.) and freshman Tara Barker (Kemersville, N.C.) also added individual wins on Saturday against LaGrange. Rouse finished the 100 backstroke in 1:21.93 while Barker concluded the 50 freestyle in 29.80. Rouse also had a PR in the 100 butter fly (1:28.37). Sophomore Leslie Firth (Charlotte, N.C.) chipped in with three new personal re cords in the 200 freestyle (2:53.99), 100 free style (1:18.91), and 500 freestyle (7:38.45). The Lady Knights capped Saturday’s ‘W’ against LaGrange by setting a pair of school records in relay events. Rouse, Supcoe, Barker, and Firth teamed up in the 200 medley relay (2:20.22) while Tripson, Brandenburg, Barker, and Rouse worked together in the 400 freestyle relay (4:27.11). On Sunday, Supcoe once again was the catalyst for St. Andrews as the Lady Knights earned their third and fourth victories of their inaugural season. Supcoe helped SAPC edge host Warren Wilson by 94-53 by winning all three of her races. Supcoe swam to a PR in the 500 freestyle by stopping the clock in 5:42.58 while also winning the 1000 freestyle (11:38:64) and 200 individual medley (2:23.40). Tripson, Rouse, and Brandenburg also all recorded wins against the Lady Owls. Trip son set a new school record in the 100 back stroke (1:08.58); Rouse was victorious in the 200 freestyle (2:24.46); and Brandenburg set a PR in the 100 butterfly (1:15.38). Barker, Brandenburg, Rouse, and Trip son capped the 41-point victory against WWC by winning the 200 freestyle relay in 1:57.76. The quartet also registered a second victory with that time against LaGrange. Supcoe finished the two days with 12 wins with all three of her finishes on Sunday easily defeating LaGrange. Tripson’s provided two more wins with her impressive time in the 100 backstroke while also winning the 100 breaststroke (1:20.90) for five wins on the weekend. Rouse’s third individual win of the road trip came by setting a new school record in the 100 freestyle with a blazing time of 1:06.85. Brandenburg totaled four wins in four meets by picking up the 100 butterfly victory against the Panthers. For the second straight day,Barker battled to the win againstLaGrange in the 50 freestyle with a speed of 29.77.
