Monday, May 9, 2011

So what is Leprosy??

Leprosy (Hansen's disease)

Last Reviewed: November 2006

"Leprosy" is also available in Portable Document Format (PDF, 12KB, 1pg.)
Versión en español

What is leprosy?

Leprosy is a chronic bacterial disease of the skin and nerves in the hands and feet and, in some cases, the lining of the nose. Leprosy is a rare disease in the United States.

Who gets leprosy?

Anyone can get leprosy, but children seem to be more susceptible than adults.

How is leprosy spread?

It is not clear how the leprosy germ is spread, but household and prolonged close contact is important. The germs probably enter the body through the nose and possibly through broken skin. The germs get in the air through nasal discharge of untreated lepromatous patients.

What are the symptoms of leprosy?

Tuberculoid leprosy symptoms are a few well-defined skin lesions that are numb. Lepromatous leprosy symptoms are a chronically stuffy nose and many skin lesions and nodules on both sides of the body.

How soon after exposure do symptoms appear?

It usually takes about four years for tuberculoid leprosy symptoms to appear and about eight years for lepromatous leprosy symptoms to appear.

When and for how long is a person able to spread leprosy?

In most cases, a person will not infect others after about three months of starting treatment.

What is the treatment for leprosy?

Patients with leprosy should be treated by a doctor who has experience with the disease. Treatment is with multiple drugs for six months to two years.

How can leprosy be prevented?

The best way to prevent the spread of leprosy is the early diagnosis and treatment of people who are infected. For household contacts, immediate and annual examinations are recommended for at least five years after last contact with a person who is infectious.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Help raise a star in India

Hi there,

Lex Cowan here, working hard as usual. Hope this letter finds you well. I have been in Idaho since 2008 working on my Bachelors degree in Therapeutic Recreation. This degree will prepare me to work with individuals with “special needs” and that is the reason I am sending you this letter.

As you may know, I have a passion to help others as well as travel. Wouldn’t it be amazing to do both? Well I have that opportunity knocking at my door. I have the opportunity to travel to the east coast of India and work through an organization called Rising Star Outreach. You may have heard me talk about this, but just in case, here some information for you about the amazing work they do and the difference they are making in India.

Leprosy in India is considered a curse. Those who contract the disease are outcast from society and are often consigned to remote leprosy colonies where they have no choice but to beg for their survival. Rising Star Outreach helps these families by educating their children, offering medical treatment, and, using micro-credit; giving parents a way to go from begging on the streets to becoming self-sufficient. Can you think of any better way to spend your summer? I can’t! My sister and I will be traveling to India this summer to volunteer with Rising Star Outreach.

I’m writing to invite you to join me this summer as my stateside partner in my efforts to help families affected by leprosy. Each volunteer is expected to raise funds to help pay for the programs and initiatives of Rising Star like the children’s school, medical clinic, and colony support projects. A small part of that money also covers the cost of my stay. Please join me in making this happen! I know that many of you will feel similarly inspired by the work of Rising Star Outreach. Rising Star requires that I include at least twenty-five other people in my commitment to serve with the idea that everyone involved will share in the blessings of my service.

By contributing $50 or more, you will become a Volunteer Partner. I hope, while I’m in India, you will follow my blog at lexcana08.blogspot.com(this site) and keep up to date on the work I’ll be doing. As my stateside partner, you will be helping to facilitate that work.

I will be leaving for India on May 25^th and have been asked to have my money in to Rising Star by May 20th. If you would like to partner with me on this project, you can sponsor by:

CHECK - Leave a comment asking for the form and i will email it to you

CREDIT CARD - go to www.risingstaroutreach.org/volunteerpartners and follow the directions.

I hope you’ll be able to join me as a partner in this adventure! It will be an honor to have you along for the ride.

Together, we can bring hope to people in need.

Thank you,

Alexander (Lex) J Cowan

Lexc.ana@gmail.com

(760)559-1131

"lets get together and be alright"

Hey everyone, sorry for the inconsistent updates, i am now going to try again to make it a habit, each saturday i am going to update this blog. so wish me luck, lol.

So what is new with me?

Well, I am currently in California working as a auto mechanic and specialist at Marina(dad's company) saving up to go to INDIA. yeah, you heard me. I'm going to be going to INDIA at the end of May. I'm working with an organization called Rising Star Outreach (click for more info).

My sister and I are searching for State-side sponsors to help us help more children in India. Read my Blog titled "Help raise a star in India" to hear more information on what is going to be going on there and if you would like to become a State-Side Sponsor, click HERE or read for more information on the other blog post.

Other than that, life has been pretty simple. well, till next saturday.

Adios(bye)

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Life in a new place

So....

its been a while since i last posted on here. so i am here to tell you all i have moved apartment building. if you would like my new address please feel free to email/call me and ask for the address.

It is still in rexburg and i am still going to school at BYU-Idaho. The new place is a town house set up(two story) 3 bedroom, 3 full bathroom. 2 fridges, washer and dryer in the apartment and wait for it wait for it.... GARBAGE DISPOSAL. i know i shouldn't be that excited but for some reason people don't understand u cant put food down the drain when you don't have a garbage disposal. instead of cinder blocks for walls i have dry wall. and our lounge has a theater room for like 80 people, a game room, a small gym, a sitting area with a fire place, and a study room. it also comes with two grills on the patio.

So i am loving my new home.

So the past summer i was working with the BLM here in Idaho Falls and had an awesome time. my bosses were amazing and my co-workers at the Eastern Idaho Visitor Center were probably the best co-workers i have ever had. So know you are probably asking what the heck the BLM is or what my job was.

The BLM is the Bureau of Land Management, an easy explanation is that it is similar to the Forest Service but with out the forest, Government land without forest on there. I had 3 different jobs there. 1st was that i did Leave No Trace training. 2nd was working at The Eastern Idaho Visitor center where i got to help tourists with what to do in idaho, help with maps, and hunting areas. 3rd was to do compliance on the South Fort River of the Snake River.

It was a great summer. I had a great time. Unfortunately the season ended and i am back at school. so... now i get to go head on with muscles, bones, and psychology. yippee (sarcasm) lol