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Ask UHCS |
Ask UHCS provides general physical and mental health information only and should not be considered specific medical or psychological advice, a diagnosis, treatment or a second opinion. If you have an existing condition that could be adversely affected by information provided on this site, or if you have an urgent health problem consult with a health care provider before acting on information contained here.
How long do lab results take? (2-08)
Answer by Germaine Olm, MT (ASCP)
Senior Medical TechnologistLab result turn-around time varies depending upon the test ordered. Most in-house test results are available during the patient visit. If we must send the test/s to a reference lab, most results are available within 24 hours. Some may take up to a week, i.e. cultures or tests that the lab runs only on certain days of the week.
Previously submitted questions and answers:
Since I'm not a full time student anymore I am not under my parents health insurance anymore, and I was wondering if the UHCS offered any sort of insurance to a person like me in case something bad happens?
Answer by Marilyn Kile, LCSW, Wellness Coordinator
Student Assurance Services offers a policy available for purchase by UW Whitewater students. All registered undergraduates and special students taking 5 or more credits hours (3 or more credit hours during summer term) and all graduate students are eligible to enroll in this insurance plan. This policy is exclusively for U.S. college students and their dependents and provides good coverage at competitive prices. International students should contact the International Education and Programs office at 262-472-4992 for information about health insurance for them.
We strongly encourage all students to have adequate health insurance coverage. To learn more or purchase this policy, go to the insurance company's web site.
Is
there a service available for driving students to/from classes while they are
injured, for example, on crutches?
Answer by Ruth Swisher, RN, MS, Health Service Director
UWW offers services to students with temporary disabilities, coordinated by the Office of Student Life and supported by the Center for Students with Disabilities, (CSD), and other offices within the Division of Student Affairs. Students with temporary disabilities who need transportation should contact the CSD at 262-472-4711 for information about transportation available for a fee.
Temporary disabled parking permits can be issued for on-campus use. Contact the Parking Services Office, located in the Visitor Center, at 262-472-1011 for details .
How
long does it take for nicotine to get out of the body?
Answer by Judy Lembrich, RN,C, Nurse Clinician
The length of time it takes for nicotine to leave the body varies depending on the type of tobacco used, the depth and frequency of inhaling, etc.. It usually is gone within 24 hours.
The psychological addiction to nicotine is a much different story, and is the reason quitting tobacco use is difficult. If you or a friend are having difficulty with the quitting process, congratulations for trying! Beginning the process is the most difficult first step. I would be happy to assist you with the process: Judy Lembrich, RN. Call for an appointment: 472-1300.
You may also call the “Quit Line” 1-800-784-8669 (toll free assistance for the tobacco cessation process). They also are offering free Nicotine replacement therapy on a first come/first serve basis. As of 10:20 AM, Jan. 14th they still had supplies remaining of all 3 of the products.
Good Luck!!
How
do I avoid back and neck pain when working at the computer for long periods
of time?
Answer by Marilyn Kile, LCSW
First of all, it is important to have good posture when working at the computer. The CDC website on computer ergonomics will help set up your computer work area in the best manner for you. If you use a lap top, you need to be especially careful of your posture if you are not sitting at a table or desk in a good supportive chair.
Secondly, it is important to stretch every hour or two. Get up and walk a little, maybe get a drink of water. Try the following stretches. 1) Loosen up your wrists by shaking out your hands and making circles with your hands. 2) Alternately make a fist and stretch your fingers and thumbs out as straight as possible. 3) Sitting with your feet flat on the floor, stretch your arms overhead, fingers interlocked, palms to the ceiling for 5 seconds and then gently extend your arms back slightly until you feel a stretch. 4) Start with your right arm straight overhead. Then bend from the elbow and put your right hand on your back. Gently push your right elbow slightly to the left and down until you feel a stretch. Hold for 5 seconds. Switch sides. 5) Sit on the front of your chair with your feet flat on the floor. Place your palms with fingers facing forward on the seat of the chair behind your hips. Stretch up as tall as possible and then push your palms into the chair and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Hold for 5 seconds 6) Gently stretch your head from side to side, ear toward shoulder, keeping shoulders relaxed.
My
boyfriend back home and I were both virgins when we started having sex with
each other so we don't have to worry about STIs right?
Answer by Linda Lamont, APNP
On the surface,
the easy answer would be you are good to go.
But... the problem is the potential risks if one partner 'kind of' had sex before
(or since) but didn't consider it sex. Genital contact, even without penetration,
can potentially result in STI's as can mouth to genital contact. Some STI's,
including two of the more common ones, chlamydia and gonorrhea, can potentially
lead to an inability to become pregnant in the future. The human papillomavirus
(HPV) is commonly transmitted between sexual partners and has been found to
be the cause of some cervical cancers. HPV can take several weeks after exposure
before it is evident. Unfortunately several of the STI's cause no outward symptoms.
Let's play this situation out a bit further. Your partner tells you he has never been sexually active. You do believe him and don't want to start a relationship on distrust by asking him to go for testing. So what do you do? You could start being sexually active, wait a time, and then be checked to see if you got anything. But think about it... if you did get an STI you'd no longer trust him AND you would have an STI. What a lousy combination not to mention a major damper on a relationship.
Ideally, you would suggest that each of you go for evaluation before becoming sexually active. Explain that you really value the relationship and by going for testing, each of you demonstrates a commitment and respect for each other. Will all people agree to this? Hopefully. But if they won't go, it answers one question, how they view you and the relationship.
The bottom line is see your health care provider, discuss your risk factors, and follows their recommendations. It is time and money well spent.
Further questions? Contact the nurse at University Health & Counseling Services 472-1305 x2211 or call 472-1300 for an appointment.
Online resources:
www.4women.gov
I
think my roommate might have an eating disorder, and I'm concerned. What should
I do?
Answer by Jill Mallin, M.A.
This can be a very difficult and scary time for you and your roommate. Eating disorders are complex physical, emotional, and psychological conditions. Disordered eating is often a person's method of coping with or avoiding feelings and events. Your friend's attitudes about food, weight, and body image may be leading to strict eating and/or exercise habits that can have serious consequences. It may be difficulty to confront someone that you think has an eating problem, but I urge you to do so anyway. Your concern can make a difference, even if the person seems unreceptive at first.
Note: How many of you assumed from the question above that the writer was referring to a woman? Keep in mind, 5-10% of those suffering from eating disorders are men, and this number is constantly rising. Don't assume that just because someone is male that he can't have an eating disorder.
Explain
why you are concerned and worried about him/her
Tell him/her how you feel about what has been going on. Explain that your concern
comes because you care. List specific things that s/he is doing that have you
concerned; avoid giving generalizations.
Don't
attack the person, confront the behavior
Use "I" statements to express your concern. Say things like
"I get upset when you don't eat for two days."
Avoid
giving simple solutions and becoming the "food police"
Don't say: "If you'd just eat more, you'll be okay!"
Eating disorders are NOT about food. Improving nutrition is just one aspect
of a recovery process that also address underlying issues that are driving the
behaviors.
Take
steps to get help
Encourage him/her to seek counseling; even offer to go with him/her the first
time.
Be there
Be there for him/her with no judgment.
Remember: You CANNOT force someone to seek help or change their habits. The best you can do is to voice your concerns, provide support, and know where to go for more information.
Consult
with a professional
Talking with the professional counselors at Counseling Services can
help reduce the anxiety you may be feeling and provide a confidential space
to discuss these issues.
For further information or questions, or to meet with a counselor in person to talk more about these or other issues, contact Counseling Services at 472-1305.
Useful websites:
Anorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorders, Inc. http://www.andred.com
National Eating Disorder Association http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org
How
come the recommendations are for 5-9 servings of fruit and vegetables per day?
Why the range? It makes it kind of confusing.
Answer by Marilyn Kile, LCSW
The reason a range is given is because people come in a variety of sizes, ages, and activity levels. It may seem a bit confusing but it is more accurate than just recommending one number of servings for everyone. Basically a person who is larger and more active would need 9 servings per day and a person who is smaller and less active would need 5 servings per day.
How much is considered one serving? A cup of salad greens, an apple, 1/2 cup of peas, 1/4 cup of raisins are all examples of one serving of fruit or vegetables.
It is important to get to know yourself and your unique dietary needs. There is a website that can help you figure out what your needs are. www.mypyramid.gov will do the calculations for you. All you have to do is enter your age, gender and activity level and it will show you how many cups of each food group you should eat every day. For example, an 18 year old man who exercises more than 60 minutes most days should eat 4 cups of vegetables and 2.5 cups of fruit every day to maintain optimal health. A 25 year old woman who exercises less than 30 minutes most days only needs to eat 2.5 cups of vegetables and 2 cups of fruit.
Another way to get to know your unique dietary needs is to talk to your health care provider. If you have specific health problems your health care provider may recommend a special diet or encourage some foods over others. For example, if you have high blood pressure your health care provider may recommend more fruits and vegetables because they are high in potassium and can help lower blood pressure.
To end confusing dietary recommendations, discover the recommendations for your unique needs and stick with them.
What
are some tips to cope with stress during test times?
Answer by Gwen Hering, MS, LPC
Many college students experience increased anxiety when taking exams. Students
have said they feel as though their "mind suddenly goes blank", or
their chest feels tight and their heart begins to beat faster. Students sometimes
experience feelings of nervous tension in different areas of their body, often
accompanied by increased perspiration. The following is a list of Do's
and Don'ts for dealing with test anxiety:
To learn more about test anxiety, try looking at the following sites:
www.ulc.psu.edu/studyskills/test_taking.html
www.montana.edu/wwwcc/docs/test-anxiety.html
I've
been thinking about coming in for some counseling but I'm not sure what goes
on in counseling. What's it like?
Answer by Jill Mallin, Ph.D.
I have heard numerous questions over the years about what counseling is like.
We all have our own ideas about the answer to this question, often influenced
by the media's depiction of therapy. I would like to clarify what you might
expect if you decide to give counseling a try, whether here at UHCS or elsewhere.
It is my hope that providing this information will help eliminate some of the
fear associated with this unknown process.
Allow me to paint you a picture of what happens during therapy. After you have completed some paperwork, the therapist will often begin by asking you what is bringing you to counseling, ask you about your daily functioning (i.e., How is your sleep, eating habits, anxiety level, alcohol and drug use? Are you making it to classes or skipping work?) and take a short history.
The time it takes to become comfortable with your therapist varies. Talking to a complete stranger about personal issues takes some getting used to! Chances are, your counselor is well aware of this and will assist you in feeling as comfortable as possible during the process.
As you move further into therapy, your sessions may be different depending on your therapist's style and approach. For instance, some counselors may ask you to participate in experiential exercises, such as role-playing a conversation or drawing pictures. Others choose to focus on how your thinking about the situation is interfering with your functioning. Some therapists look specifically at how family and relationship dynamics are related to your presenting issue. Still others use a combination of these and other approaches.
Often, clients will be assigned homework to complete outside of session. Don't worry, this does not mean writing a ten-page research paper! A typical homework assignment might be to continue reflecting upon issues raised in your most recent session by journaling about it, or perhaps practice some new skill discussed in session (such as being assertive). Because most counseling sessions last for 50 minutes once a week, there is a great deal of time when you are NOT in therapy to be thinking about and incorporating issues raised in session.
How long does counseling normally last? The answer to this question is "it depends". The timeline of therapy is usually discussed at the beginning of counseling and depends on how long the client would like to devote to examining this concern, the length of time the client has been dealing with it, the complexity of the issues, etc.
I hope this information has helped take some of the mystery out of what happens behind therapists' closed doors. Please contact Counseling Services at 472-1305 if you would like to schedule an appointment or talk with someone further about how counseling could benefit you.
I
want to eat healthy but I don’t have much time. What are some easy dishes
to make?
Answer by Marilyn Kile, LCSW
It all starts in the supermarket. If you have the right ingredients on hand
it is easy to make quick and healthy meals. Keep staples like canned and frozen
fruits, vegetables, beans and soups; peanut butter; and whole grains like brown
rice, oatmeal, couscous, barley and whole grain pasta and bread available for
impromptu meals. Buy fresh fruits and vegetables and low fat dairy and lean
meats when you plan to use them.
One easy way to make one dish meals is to start with low sodium canned soups
and then jazz them up. Some examples are:
To Black Bean soup, add frozen corn and diced red bell pepper.
To Potato soup add, frozen shrimp and frozen mixed vegetables.
To Tomato soup, add rinsed canned black eyed peas or other canned beans, canned
diced tomato and sliced green onion.
To Cream of Broccoli soup, add micro-waved broccoli and cauliflower pieces and
canned or packaged tuna or salmon.
Heat through and serve with a salad or piece of fruit and whole grain roll.
Pasta and spaghetti sauce is a perennial favorite. Use whole wheat pasta and
make a more complete dish by adding to the sauce:
-diced fresh tomato, black olives, crumbled feta cheese and basil.
-sautéed broccoli, green bell pepper strips, shrimp and minced garlic.
-canned zucchini in tomato sauce and pieces of turkey breast.
-baked marinated tofu (in the refrigerated section), chopped plum tomatoes,
minced garlic and sliced green onion.
Don’t want to cook
at all? Try a salad. Start with pre washed bagged romaine or other leaf lettuce
and use a small amount of your favorite dressing. Add:
-Grapes, chopped celery, dried cherries or cranberries and rinsed canned garbanzo
beans.
-Canned or packaged tuna, cherry tomatoes, sliced onion and almonds.
-Rinsed canned black beans, drained canned corn, diced carrot and sliced banana
pepper.
-Canned or packaged salmon, canned artichoke hearts, walnuts and dill.
Happy eating!
Do
you have a psychiatrist on demand in case we need to talk to someone right away?
Answer by Steve Naymick, Senior Counselor
The University Health and Counseling Services (UHCS) is open Monday through
Friday, 8 - 4:30 and is staffed with licensed professionals, available for students
experiencing a crisis and needing to speak with someone, “right away”.
The Counseling Service schedules time for emergency appointments.
The Counseling Service is staffed with psychologists, social workers, and licensed
professional counselors. The Health Service staff includes Physicians and Nurse
Practitioners who can evaluate, and if appropriate, prescribe psychotropic medications.
In addition, students can be referred to the UHCS consulting psychiatrist who
is here approximately 2 days per month.
The Walworth County Crisis Line, 262-741-3200 or 800-365-1587, is available
24 hours per day.
Are
we able to come to the Health Center at anytime during the night?
Answer by Marilyn Kile, LCSW
The University Health and Counseling Services is open Monday – Friday,
8:00 am – 4:30 pm. There are other services available when we are not
open.
The Mercy Urgent Care Center at 519 W. Main St. in Whitewater is open Monday
- Friday 5-9 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. They can be reached by phone at
262-473-0400.
The Fort Atkinson Memorial Health Services Emergency Department is open 24 hours
per day. It is located at 611 Sherman Ave. E. on Hwy 106 in Fort Atkinson. Their
phone number is 1-920-568-5333.
In case of an emergency call
911 off campus and arrange for immediate and rapid transport to an emergency
facility, such as a hospital, where sophisticated equipment and resources are
available.
In the case of a mental health need or emergency call 1-800-365-1587 for the
24 hour Crisis Line. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-TALK.
For assistance following a sexual assault, call the UWW Sexual Assault Response
Team at 472-1060, 24 hours per day for support, information/referral and advocacy.
What
shots do sophomores need?
Answer by Donene Rowe, MD, Medical Supervisor
The answer to that is constantly changing, but I will give you the answer that
is accurate for 2006-07 for a college student who is otherwise healthy. The
immunizations we would recommend are:
If you are not current:
* Tetanus (Td) or tetanus plus pertussis (Tdap)
* Influenza
If you have
never had:
*Gardasil if female
* Hepatits B
* Varicella (chickenpox) if you did not have the disease
* Meningicoccal (meningitis) if living in the residence halls
Tetanus immunization needs to be boosted every 10 years. Most children finished their primary series - given as a component of DPT - with their kindergarten shots at age 5 or 6. So most students need a booster at age 15 or 16. If they received this booster, they are due for another at age 25 - 26, unless they get a particularly dirty cut. Then if 5 years has gone by since the last booster another is needed. If they have not received a booster in the past 10 years, one is needed.
If a student needs a tetanus booster, we suggest that they get a new (9/06') immunization that boosts both tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough). We have had yearly outbreaks of pertussis in Wisconsin for the last several years. Although this illness is usually just a severe, prolonged cough in healthy adults, it can cause more serious problems for the very young or old.
The vaccine will prevent most students from a nasty cough that gets in the way of all the things they need to do and from infecting more vulnerable people around them.
In 2006-2007 Gardasil was introduced. This is a vaccine to four of the many types of HPV virus. Two of these types are causes of cervical infection that can play a role in developing cervical cancer. The other two types cause genital warts.
Another vaccine we recommend is Hepatitis B. Most students will have received this vaccine as infants or in middle school. If they did there is no recommendation for further boosters. If they have not received all three injections they should get any remaining doses.
Although many students will have had chickenpox, if they did not, they should consider the Varicella (chickenpox) vaccine. If a student questions whether they might have had chickenpox, a blood test can be done to determine if they are immune.
Students with certain medical illnesses or those traveling to certain regions need several other immunizations. If a student has questions about their specific needs, the providers at UHCS would be happy to discuss this with them. Call 472-1300 for an appointment.
We recommend that students get an influenza vaccine yearly. There are two forms available to most students—an injection and a nasal solution form. They are equally effective. Influenza is a respiratory tract illness (not the vomiting and diarrhea that is commonly called “stomach flu”) and usually has significant fever, aches, headache and fatigue with it. It will considerably interrupt a student’s life for at least 1-2 weeks.
What
kind of services are free at UHCS?
Answer by Marilyn Kile, LCSW
All counseling sessions, whether individual or group, are free to enrolled UWW
students. The Employee Assistance Program provides UWW employees and their immediate
family members with a free opportunity to address personal and work related
concerns.
For enrolled UWW students, there is no additional charge for medical exams or office visits. If lab tests, medication, immunizations, supplies or procedures are needed, there are relatively low cost fees for those. UWW students enrolled in the spring but not the summer, can continue health services through August 31 for a one-time fee of $37.
All outreach educational programs, brochures, posters, and CD/DVD rental are offered free of charge.
How
many counseling sessions are allowed in one week or one month?
Answer by Steve Naymick, Senior Counselor
Following the initial consultation, the counselor and student will develop a
treatment plan. The counselor will recommend the frequency of sessions. To stabilize
a crisis, the counselor may elect to meet with the student more than once a
week.
UW-Whitewater students are allowed fourteen sessions during the academic year.
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