SPC Wellness

The St. Petersburg College Wellness Program is offering a free smoking cessation program for all students, employees and their dependents. These lunch-time group sessions will be led by a certified instructor at each campus. The sessions will include peer support, behavior modification, and learning to deal with the addiction. All sessions will last six weeks and meet weekly.

Fast Facts on Tobacco Use (provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention):

• Tobacco use causes lung diseases, cancer, and heart disease.
• Tobacco use causes more than 5 million deaths per year worldwide.
• Trends show tobacco use will cause more than 8 million deaths annually by 2030.
• On average, smokers die 13 to 14 years earlier than non-smokers.
• In the United States, tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death.

If you are a smoker and are interested in taking advantage of this opportunity, please contact Steve Malla, Wellness Coordinator at 341-3083.

For more information on the offered smoking cessation program and other ongoing activities, please visit the Healthy Happenings webpage on the SPC Wellness Web site.

Smoking cessation session schedule:

The Pinellas County Health Department and SPC College of Nursing have partnered to give all SPC students, faculty, and staff a free H1N1 vaccination.

Please sign up online for the vaccination.

H1N1 (sometimes referred to as “swine flu’) is a new influenza virus causing illness to people worldwide. It was first detected in April, 2009 and is spread in much the same way as the seasonal flu.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headaches, chills and fatigue. Some people may experience vomiting and diarrhea. Severe illness and deaths have occurred as a result of the illnesses associated with the virus.

On campus vaccinations will available on the following schedule:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

For more information about the H1N1 virus, see http://www.cdc.gov/

Margaret Miller believes she owes her life to SPC’s Wellness Challenge - and to drinking plenty of water.Miller, 59, an Administrative Specialist in the Dual Enrollment/Early College department at the Seminole Campus, decided the college’s Wellness Challenge would be a good way to get in shape and improve her health. She embraced the program, including the part that urged drinking eight glasses of water daily.

“I purchased a very big insulated water bottle and began drinking,” she said. 

What she didn’t know was that a stone was lurking in one of her kidneys - a stone that became dislodged as a result of all the water she had been drinking. The stone caused a great deal of pain, and it sent Margaret to a nearby emergency room in the middle of the night. 

That would have been bad enough, but the worst news was still to come; when doctors examined her, they found something much worse than a kidney stone - a very large mass on the left side of her abdomen, attached to her adrenal gland.

“It was already bleeding,” she said. “The doctors said I could have bled to death.”

Margaret’s story had a happy ending - the kidney stone was taken care of, and then doctors performed laparoscopic surgery to remove the benign tumor.

Margaret said she had been reluctant to take part in the Wellness Challenge, but she now believes it saved her life.

“I am so thankful for the Wellness Challenge,” she said. “I truly believe that this program saved my life.”

Margaret said she took part in last year’s wellness program that required her to wear a pedometer, something she didn’t like very much because of the inconvenience factor.

“When you are busy with work you hate to be interrupted to do something like that,” she said. “But I will never complain about that again. Plus, the wellness program almost challenges you to prove to yourself that you can make changes. I think people like challenges.”

Steve Malla, SPC’s Wellness Director, said the Wellness Challenge has had many good outcomes, but none as dramatic as Margaret’s.

“The Wellness Challenge has had many success stories, mainly with employees losing weight, getting more sleep and exercising more,” Malla said. “But Margaret’s success tops the list!”

As the gift-giving season rolls around, consider this sobering fact: In the last 20 years, nearly 400 children have lost their lives in the United States to unsafe and mishandled toys, according to U.S. PIRG, the federation of state Public Interest Research Groups.

Toys are supposed to be fun and an important part of any child’s development. However each year, even more children are treated in hospital emergency rooms for toy-related injuries. The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has reported thousands of such visits in the last 6 years.

Choking is a particular risk for children ages 3 or younger, because they tend to put objects in their mouth.

So how do you select a safe toy?
• Avoid toys that shoot or include parts that fly off. Slingshots and even water guns are dangerous because they invite children to target other kids.
• Inspect toys for solidness. Your child’s toys should be durable with no sharp edges or points. The toys should also be able to withstand impact.
• Look for the letters “ASTM.” This means the product meets the national safety standards set by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).

Steer clear of older toys, even hand-me-downs from friends and family. Those toys might have sentimental value and are certainly cost effective, but they may not meet current safety standards and may be worn from play. Older toys can easily break and become hazardous.

Loud toys also can be dangerous. The noise of some rattles, squeak toys, musical and electronic toys can be as loud as a car horn. According to U.S. PIRG, children that hold loud toys directly near their ears can damage their own hearing.

Children cannot be relied on to properly use toys. Adults must show them how – and monitor their play. There is no better way to interact with children then playing with them and teaching them safe practices.

While most toys on the shelves are safe, don’t assume that’s always true. Focus on safety first and fun second. Remember, kids are going to have fun with nearly any toy, so use good judgment and let the kids’ enjoyment be your reward.