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4BODYOFCHRISTNEWSNOVEMBER2013Iamstillamazedinhowquicklylifecanchange.Inamomentyoucangofromtheposterchildofhealthtothepersonwhoisovercomebyfearandconcern.InmyshorttenureasaFamilyServicecounselorItoohitabumpintheroadwhenitcametomyhealth.MayIprefacethiswiththestatementthatsicknesshasnoagerequirements.Leftuncheckeditcanleadtoseriousanddamag-ingresults.ThiscameaboutformeonFathersDayofthisyear.MysleepwasinterruptedwhenIrolledoverandfeltasharpshootingpaincoursingthroughmychest.AfterperformingaselfexaminationIfelttheforebodingintruderinmyleftbreast.Inthemiddleofthenightmanyofyoucanattestthatthewheelsgetturningandhowquicklyyoucanturnaminorsituationintoamajorcatastrophe.MymindasyouwouldimagewentthereinthedarkyouaskGodWhatdidIdotodeservethishowisitthatIhelpotherstoplanfortheirfuneralandnowat41Imustplanformyselfandallthethingsthatarestillonmybucketlistundone.AsyoumayhaveconcludedIdidlittletonosleepingthatnightandaftergettingmyselfreadyforanotherdayIplacedthedoctorsofficenumberonspeeddial.InthebackofmymindIwashope-fulthatitwasallabaddreambutthethrobbinginmychestsaidotherwise.LikeapitbulltoaboneIpouncedonthephoneandrequestedthatIbeenseenthesamedayandintruefashionofthemanagedcaredepartmentIwasinformedthesoonestIcouldbeseenwasintwoweeks.IthoughtforsureIwasgoingtobedeadbythensothentheonlygoodthatwastocomeoutthiswasIwouldnthavetomaketheco-pay.AftersharingmyconcernwithsomeoftheotherwomenintheofficeIwasinformedthatthepainwasagoodthingandthatitmorethanlikelyitmeantthatIhadacyst.Iwasgrate-fulthatitmeantthatIwouldliveandnotdieatleastnotonthatday.ThenmyconcernwaswhatiftheyneededtoperformsurgeryWhatthenNeedlesstosaytwoweekscanfeellikeaneternity.Iwashopingthatitwoulddissolveonitsownbutwhenthedoctordidtheexammylittlefriendwasstillthere.Upongoingforthemammographyexamwhentheysquishitdowntothesizeofapancakeitwasstillthere.IhavehadtheexamperformedbeforebutthiswasthefirsttimethatIwantedtosmackthefireoutoftheradiologistandnotevenaskforforgiveness.Whentheultrasoundexaminercameitwasstillthereandwhenthreeoth-ershadtoweighinontheimageitwasstillthereagain.Ihaveoftenwonderedifsomegetinthebusi-nessjusttolookatbodiesallday.Ishouldhaveaskedforapapersacformyheadtogowithmyopenedgown.AfteralltheexaminationandcrossexaminationIwasplacedonthewatchlistandinstructedtocomebackinsixmonths.ThegoodnewsismylittlefriendisgoneandwhenIreturninDecemberIintendtoreclaimmytitleastheposterchildofgoodhealth.Theexperiencedidhelpmetoputthingsintoperspectiveandtostartre-evaluatingwhatisimportantinlife.TolovetheLordyourGodwithallyourheartmindsoulandstrengthtodountoothersasyouwouldhavedoneuntoyouandtohaveyourhouseinorderlifeisstillshortevenifyouliveahundredyears.KendraCottonFragileHandleWithCareHEALTHByKendraCottonInthebackofmymindIwashopefulthatitwasallabaddreambutthethrobbinginmychestsaidotherwise.LikeapitbulltoaboneIpouncedonthephoneandrequestedthatIbeenseenthesamedayandintruefashionofthemanagedcaredepartmentIwasinformedthesoonestIcouldbeseenwasintwoweeks.DidyouknowthatMontbelloGreenValleyRanchMBGVRneigh-borhoodscurrentlyhavethehighestrateofNeisseriagonorrhoeaeandsec-ondhighestrateofChlamydiatracho-matiswithinColoradoamongyouthages13-24DatafromtheColoradoDepartmentofPublicHealthenviron-mentshowsthatColoradohasarateofgonorrheaamong15-29yearoldsthatistwicethenationalrate.BasedonavailableinformationitisalsonotedthatthemostdisproportionatelyaffectedpopulationsareLatinosandAfricanAmericans.Toputthisissueinperspective1in10youthinMBGVRwillcontractasexuallytransmittedinfectionSTI.Forsomethisisanuncomfortablesubjectsomethingtheywishcouldbesweptunderthecarpet.SomemayaskwhyteensareevenhavingsexSomemayblameitonthescantilydressedwomenontelevisionoronvideosoralackofreligiousdiscipline.Regardlessofthecauseorwhetheroneagreeswithyouthhavingsexuntreatedsexuallytransmitteddis-easecanleadtopelvicinflammatorydiseaseinfertilityincreasetheriskoflifethreatingectopicpregnancypreg-nancyoutsideoftheuterusepididy-mitisapainfulconditionofthetes-ticlesandincreasetheriskofgettingortransmittingHIV.Ouryouthshouldnotbeshunnedorridiculedbutneedsupportandguidancetoavoidthesecomplications.Thesedisparitiesinsexuallytrans-mittedinfectionshavebeenatrendformanyyearsintheMBGVRneigh-borhoods.SeveralmembersoftheColoradoBlackHealthCollaborativeCBHCdecidedthattacklingthisissuerequiresthecollectiveeffortofthecommunity.Ratherthancomplain-ingbehindcloseddoorsbadmouthingtheyouthorthrowingstonesattheneighborhoodsCBHChasdecidedtotakeanactiveleadershiproleinhelp-ingtoresolvethisissue.Westronglybelievethatachievinghealthequityisafamilyaffairandrec-ognizethattheseneighborhoodshavevaluableassetsthatcanbetappedtohelpclosethegaps.Theseareouryouthandthefamilyneedstoworktogethertoinsuretheyhaveahealth-fullife.Wearepassionateaboutwork-ingtogethertoimprovethehealthofthecommunity.ThereforeCBHCinpartnershipwiththecommunitywillembarkonacampaigntoeducateanddevelopamodelthatwillhelpgetmoreyouthtreated.TheBootsontheGroundCampaignwillbeunleashedonNovember102013startingat130p.m.CBHCwillbeloadingupwithvolunteerswhowillputontheirbootsrolluptheirsleevesandgotowork--marchingthroughtheneighbor-hoodstoraiseawarenessaboutthehighratesofSTIs.CBHCalsohopestorecruitmorevol-unteersandseeksolutionsfromneigh-borhoodresidents.AsweenterthisseasonofthanksgivingCBHCencour-ageschurchesschoolsgovernmentofficialsandcommunityorganizationstojointhiscampaign.HelpstopthespreadgetouryouthcheckedandtreatedJustfortheHealthofitFormoreinformationabouttheBootsontheGroundCampaigncon-tactusat720-579-2126oremailColoradobhcyahoo.com.ThefirstsessionwillbeNovember102013at130pm.2othersessionswilloccuronfuturedatesinNovember.TheColoradoBlackHealthCollaborativeCBHCisanon-prof-itorganizationthatisdedicatedtoachievinghealthequityinColoradosBlackcommunity.Asagrassrootscommunity-basedorganizationCBHCcollaborateswithahostofpartnersincludingothercommunity-basedorganizationsnon-profitorganiza-tionspublicandprivateprovidersgovernmentagenciesandcommunitymemberstoachieveourhealthequitymission.DidYouKnowByTerriRichardsonRatherthancomplainingbehindcloseddoorsbadmouthingtheyouthorthrowingstonesattheneighborhoodsCBHChasdecidedtotakeanactiveleadershiproleinhelpingtoresolvethisissue.TerriRichardson