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HPV is contracted by sexual or skin-to-skin (genital) contact. Condoms provide some protection, but are not 100% effective due to the fact that they do not cover the entire genital region. Having more than one sexual partner increases the risk of getting HPV, however it is possible to get the virus from just one person. It is estimated that 8 out of 10 women will catch HPV at some point before the age of 50. It is impossible to determine exactly when someone acquired the virus or how long they have had it.

If you are 30 years of age or older and have never had a HPV test, experts say that you should request one at your next PAP test. The tests are performed at the same time. If your HPV test shows you have a high risk type of HPV but your PAP is normal, then you should be re-tested in 6 to 12 months. However, if the HPV test shows a high risk type and your PAP is abnormal or inconclusive, experts recommend a colposcopy exam right away. If your HPV test comes back negative and your PAP was normal, your risk of developing HPV over the next three years is low and you do not need another HPV test for three years. Keep in mind that an annual PAP test is still highly recommended.

The good news is that there is now a vaccine available that protects against the two most aggressive forms of the virus (HPV-16 and HPV-18). The vaccine is called Gardasil and has been approved by the U.S. FDA (Food and Drug Administration). There is another vaccine being made called Cervarix that is expected to be released in 2007. In order for the vaccine to be fully effective, it is recommended that it be administered to young girls before becoming sexually active. Gardasil has been approved to be given to young girls and women between the ages of 9 and 26, however the recommened target is for young girls age 11 – 12. It is important to know that the vaccine is not effective if given after a woman has already caught HPV. Both the vaccine and screenings are essential tools in the fight against cervical cancer.

Even if a woman has received the HPV vaccine, it is still required to get an annual cervical cancer screening by the PAP test. The PAP test has reduced the cervical cancer rates in the U.S. by more than 70%.

Several years ago my Grandma Billie, started getting confused. She would call my moms house several times a day, each time forgetting why she had called or that she had already called four other times. We all wondered if it was Alzheimer’s. When Dr. Winthrum* finally told us that it was just normal “dementia” that comes with age, we all breathed a sigh of relief! I briefly thought to myself that I would like to spend time with Grandma writing about the story of her life, but I never did. I regret that now because things did not get better. They got much, much worse!

Throughout about a two-year time span, Grandma went from realizing that she was starting to forget things to not even being able to function. She and her husband Burton used to love to go to the casino every day. Throughout these past few months, he would still faithfully take her up there and put her in front of the slot machines. It gave them both a chance to get out of the house, kept her in a routine, and made him feel not so alone in her care.

They don’t do that anymore.

I’m pretty sure the casino asked him to not bring her back. The last time they were there, she needed to go to the bathroom. Burton waited outside the bathroom for a very long time before finally asking a casino worker to go in and check on her. When they went in, they had found that Grandma had pooped in her pants while sitting on the toilet. Yes, she had “forgotten” to pull her pants down before sitting down. Then in her attempt to clean herself, she got poop everywhere. All over the toilet, on the walls, on the floor, and all over herself. The casino staff helped wrap her in some trash bags and escort her out of the building. Talk about a de-humanizing moment. The saddest part is, she had no idea what was going on. Since that time, my mom and Aunt have managed to get home health care to come in and take care of my grandmother daily. Unfortunately, they drug their heels, waited too long to get Grandma to sign “Power of Attorney” and now she is not deemed capable of making decisions for herself, so that paper will never be signed.

I often ask my husband if he will love and care for me when my time comes. He assures me he will and says there is nothing to worry about because that isn’t going to be my future. Research says it will. My mom never talks about it, but I know it’s in her mind too. The other day my sister called because she could not remember the word “dispute”. We laughed about how silly it was to forget little words like that. Then after we hung up, I was pretty sure we both wondered if that was how it begins. I guess that’s the number one thing that bothers me about all this. No one ever talks about it! I think we’re all just too afraid. Maybe we’re afraid of what we’ll find out? Maybe we’re afraid of what we’ll hear the other person say? Maybe we’re just afraid of anything that is unknown? I do know this, if that is my future, I need to have some plans in place for my children so that they don’t have to be burdened with decisions about me. I found a wonderful site full of information for families affected by Alzheimer’s. It’s called Alzheimer's Association. They have a great link for the caregivers to click on and there is also a wonderful interactive slide show that shows the brain as it progresses through each stage of the disease. Once I muster up enough courage, I fully plan on writing down my final wishes based on the recommendations of that site. I hope too, that my mom will consider it as well.

I wonder how I can gently ask her what she wants me to do once she is unable to make decisions for herself. Does she want me to leave it all up to my father? Does she want me to bring her into my home? Does she want me to hire someone to come help her in her home? Most of all, I want to know all the stories that she never shared. I want to write down the stories of her childhood. I want my children to know how she and “Papa” met. I want to know about their time in Australia. I don’t want her memory to be reduced to the story of the lady that had poop all over herself in the casino or the woman in the old folks home that didn’t know anyone. My mom is full of love and life. I want people to remember that, even when she cannot. This the legacy I want to pass on to my children.
*name changed to protect identity

Baked goods are in no shortage this time of year either. Go in any grocery store or supermarket and you will stumble upon displays of already prepared desserts, enough sweet treats to feed a small town! Imagine the convenience right? Did you know that sugar (which is a theme ingredient in many of these treats) has 770 calories per cup?

Try picking up the ingredients you need to make these goodies yourself in the comfort of your own home. And while you are out purchase some Splenda to replace the sugar in your recipes. Splenda has only 96 calories per cup! By replacing regular sugar with Splenda you drastically cut
the number of calories and the grams of carbohydrates. ( and maybe the guilt too if you are anything like me).

Enjoy your holiday season, enjoy your family and make healthy choices. And remember if you ‘mess up’ then there’s no reason to beat yourself up over it. Just wake up the next day and start over with a healthy positive attitude, it takes less energy than a negative one.

Happy Baking!!