Book of the Month: My Sister's Keeper

My Sister's Keeper is a story about family, life, and death. Step inside Anna's world, where she has gone her whole life having surgery after surgery in order to keep her sister, Kate, alive.  Kate has leukemia, and Anna is the bone marrow match for Kate.  Anna was conceived to keep her sister alive.  Now that Anna is thirteen, she has had plenty of transplants to say enough is enough.  Anna has hired a lawyer to testify against her parents so she will never have to have another surgery, transplant, or transfusion again. Thoughout the book you will follow the trial and even read back in time to understand more about Kate and her disease. Told through the eyes of many characters, My Sister's Keeper will keep you on the edge of your seat full of many twists and turns.  It is a story about how we learn who we are and what our purpose in life is.  My Sister's Keeper will leave you in tears and mixed emotions.

If you finish My Sister's Keeper and want more, there is a movie based on the book as well.  There is a fair warning: the movie has been drastically changed. Personally I was very upset after I watched the end of the movie. So, if you choose to watch the book and see the movie one after another, don't say that I didn't warn you.

The Midlife Crisis

Orange is usually one of the colors that represents the season autumn.  This color can seem bold and exciting, but there is a whole other side to this one color.  It can represent the progression of adolescence to adulthood, or the famous “midlife crisis” in “The Masque of the Red Death” by the author Edgar Allen Poe.  Orange is one of the seven colors used for different rooms in Prince Prospero’s castle.  Each room represented the seven stages of man.  When the sun rose throughout the day, the orange room was full of light and showed the readers of the story that this room was a representation of the middle of human life.  In “The Masque of the Red Death,” Edgar Allen Poe writes to the readers that the color orange represents the midlife crisis. 

            The color orange is a symbol of re-evaluation of a person’s life.  The middle of the human life, or ages 21- 50, is usually referred to as the midlife crisis.  A midlife crisis is when adults will look back and evaluate what they have done with their life.  Some people will want to change their career, grieve about their children leaving home, or re-evaluate their marriage.  During these years of your life, many people have gone to college, started a family, or may have done something totally outrageous because some people think that they have wasted parts of their life not doing things they wish they did when they were younger.  The ebony clock in “The Masque of the Red Death” represents death.  When people are middle aged, they are not near death yet, but they do sometimes psych themselves into a temporary psychological depression or mental turmoil.  Even the fear of aging can persuade people to make themselves look younger with the miracles of medicine and health to help them.  This condition is always treatable, but it has to take a lot of sense to know that a person happy the way he or she is.

The color orange, or midlife crisis, has not really effected me yet.  I hope that during that time of my life, I will be happy where I am and I will not reget the choices I made that I know would effect me the rest of my life.  The color orange is like the “middle of the road” stage of life and you should feel confident and happy about the decisions you had made when you were younger.  This color is impotant to the story because it was one of the middle rooms.  The rooms were set up right to left, or east to west.  When the sun rose everyday the rooms and the light would shift just like life would.  So the sunlight would be in the orange room near the middle of the day, just to represt the middle of our lives.  The color orange can be tricky when it comes to what is best for us.

Facts About O. Henry!

1) William Sydney Porter, or more commonly know as O. Henry, was born on September 11, 1862.
2) He lived in North Carolina during his childhood years.
3) His aunt did her best to give him a decent education. During that time he became very interested in reading and drawing.
4) His uncle owned a pharmacy and when he became older, O. Henry became a licenced pharmacist.
5) When O. Henry turned twenty, he moved to a sheep ranch in Texas.
6) Porter's pen name came about after the constant calling of the family cat. he would always call, "Oh, Henry!"
7) In 1895 O. Henry became a columnist for the Huston Daily Post.
8) O. Henry was accused of embezzling funds from First National Bank, the only place where he ever had a job.
9) In 1898, he was sentenced guilty from stealing from the bank and spent five years in Ohio prison.
10) O. Henry died from alcoholism on  June 5, 1910. He faced many challenges and wrote many short stories during his lifetime.

All facts found from: http://www.lsjunction.com/people/porter.htm
Picture from: http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=o.+henry&form=QBIL&qs=n&sk=&sc=8-8#focal=c385192838d43a1dabf2daeeff0a798a&furl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.esperanto.org%2FOndo%2FO_henry.jpg

Edgar Allan Poe

                                                      http://poestories.com/view.php?photo=42bfacea44500

Answers About Edgar Allen Poe

1) Edgar Allen Poe was born on January 19, 1809 in Boston Massachusetts.  He died on October 7, 1849.  The reason of his death was unknown, although, there are many theories about why he died.
2) Poe's parents died when he was only three years old, so he moved in with a foster family in Richmond. His foster mother died as well and his foster father was consumed with debt.
3) Some theories of Poe death was that he died from alcoholism, murder, suicide, or disease. Some say that he was found on the street unconscious and was taken to Washington College Hospital and died there.
4) Poe said that his "home" state was Virgina.
5) Baltimore was one of the places where he spent most of his life and the city is his finalresting place.
6) In the year of 1831, Poe was dismissed at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
7) Poe married his thirteen year old cousin, Virginia, in the year 1836.
8) I think that the marriage is uncivilized. In our modern world, it would have been against the law to marry someone as young as Virginia. An act like that would seem to give someone a bad reputation. I find it quite sickening to marry someone within your family. As an average person I would say, "Ew!"
9) In 1845, "The Raven" was published.
10) The "Tale-Tell Heart" and " The Black Cat" was written in 1843.

I am very familiar with Edgar Allen Poe's work. In middle school, we read some of his short stories and I have read some of his work on my own as well. I love reading his poems because it is so fascinating to read all the eerie scenarios this man has created. Edgar Allen Poe is one of the scariest storytellers I will ever know. He lived in Baltimore for a time in his life and it exciting to know that a mastermind writer had lived so close to Bel Air. I would love to visit the Poe house and his grave. May the spirit of Edgar Allen Poe live on!

I Survived!

Welcome back!

Do you like the new look? I chaged the template and added Harry Potter facts and quotes to the top of the blog.  My research paper is finished and JC is quickly moving into the second quarter.  I am happy to say that I have survived the first semster of high school.  High school has been an amazing yet challenging experience so far.  Our english class is working on parts of speech and short stories, so there will be many posts coming!  

My Postition Research Paper

Amanda                                                                                                       

Mrs. Zurkowski

Purples

10/5/10

It’s Okay to Come Outside!

   

     Imagine never being able to walk outside your door to get your mail or paper.  Your body would lack nutrients from vitamin D and fresh air.  Just turning your doorknob could put you into a state of panic and cause you to faint.  This is what life would be like if you had agoraphobia.  This disorder affects your life drastically.  It affects 3% of Americans and will change the way to live your life.   Although agoraphobia is a disabling disorder, doctors are finding many treatment options proven effective to help victims with this disorder.  No matter what triggers this disorder, your whole life can change because of a fear that’s right outside your front door.

     Did you know that more women than men suffer from agoraphobia?  According to Gale Student Resources, more women than men suffer from agoraphobia.  David H. Barlow from the State University of New York at Albany says that “the term is derived from the Greek word phobos, which means ‘fear,’ ‘terror,’ ‘panic,’ or ‘flight’.”  Agoraphobia literally means “fear of the marketplace.”  A couple of examples of why people might have agoraphobia because they have a fear of big, wide open spaces like malls or airports.  Agoraphobia usually develops between the ages of 15 and 35.  There are many different theories on how it can be developed.  It can be hereditary, or form as a result from a panic attack.  Even an overactive nervous system can contribute to the development of this disorder.  If an agoraphobic has a panic attack then they will retreat into comfort of their home and may never come outside again if treatment is not sought out.

     If stepping onto the porch everyday caused someone to think that they were dying or going crazy, wouldn’t seem like a horror movie?  Well that must be how it feels to an agoraphobic.  Agoraphobia puts many “road blocks” in a person’s daily life.  They can’t buy food, socialize with friends, or go on with living their life.  Living a life of seclusion would have to get boring at some point.  In the book So B. It, by Sara Weeks, one of the characters had agoraphobia and she stopped living her life.  She always had an excuse to not go outside.  The World of Health reports that:

A person with agoraphobia may have a panic attack at any time, for no apparent reason. Then they begin to avoid the places or situations in which the panic attack occurred and their fear generalizes. For this reason, people with agoraphobia avoid places where they might not be able to escape if a panic attack occurs. As the fear of an attack escalates, the person's world narrows. Eventually the person completely avoids public places. 

 In some cases, not only will they stay in a “safe zone,” but they won’t leave the side of someone they trust.  If your parents ever sent you to your room when you were a little kid and you could never leave.  Well it’s almost as if agoraphobics are punishing themselves inside their own home, because they are afraid of the outside world.

     There are treatment options that can help victims of agoraphobia.  There are drugs to reduce anxiety and psychotherapy that has been proven to help agoraphobics.  Today’s Science says, “Psychotherapy, especially cognitive-behavior techniques, has proved successful in treating phobias. One technique, systematic desensitization, involves gradually confronting the phobic person with situations or objects that are increasingly close to the feared ones. Exposure therapy has proved effective in some cases. In this technique, people with a phobia are repeatedly exposed to the feared situation or object so that they can see that no harm befalls them; the fear gradually fades.”  There are two popular anti-anxiety drugs Paxil and Zoloft that can help as well.  If agoraphobia is not treated, it will get worse over time. 

     A combination of drugs and therapy has been proven most effective because the therapy gradually introduces the person to the world again because they are learning that there really is no fear and the drugs will reduce anxiety.  There are techniques that people can learn like deep breathing to control themselves when they are outside.  In the movie Nim’s Island, one of the characters has agoraphobia and she conquers her fear of going outside to rescue the main charater alone on the island.  

     If agoraphobia victims are willing to change the way they live, then their disorder will go away.  A treatable disorder like agoraphobia can be conquered because it really is okay to go outside.

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Agoraphobia&FORM=BIFD#focal=9ca5c5bf8e59f1dc66ecc83429cbf414&furl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.anxietydisordersontario.ca%2Fimages%2Fpanicagoraphobia.jpg

Works Cited

Barlow, David H. "Phobia." Encyclopedia Americana. 2010. Grolier Online. 22 Sept. 2010

"Phobia." Encyclopedia. Today’s Science. Facts On File News Services, n.d. Web. 27 Sept. 2010.

"Phobias." World of Health. Gale, 2007. Gale Student Resources In Context. Web. 22 Sept. 2010.

Rais, B. Theodore. Agoraphobia. 2008. Jan. 2010. Web. 18 Sept. 2010.

My Research Paper Outline

1. Thesis statement- Although agoraphobia is a disabling disorder, doctors are finding many treatment options proven effective to help victims with this disorder.
2. Reasons why agoraphobia is a treatable disorder. (Will be 3 paragraphs in essay)
1. Reason 1- Facts and statistics of agoraphobia, how this disorder is developed. 
2. Reason 2- How this phobia affects the victim's everyday life.
3. Reason 3- Treatment options proven effective to help the victim with this disorder.

3. Opposing views:
1. What is proven more effective-- therapy or drugs?
2. Some researchers believe that you can never be fully treated for agoraphobia.     

Notes For My Research Project: Agoraphobia

Amanda

Mrs. Zurkowski

Purples

9/24/10

Agoraphobia

Notes

·         The most common "phobia" in America is agoraphobia.

·         There are more women than men who suffer from this disorder.

·         3% of the U.S. population suffers from agoraphobia.

·         Agoraphobia is the most serious and renown "phobia" case

·         Agoraphobics are afraid to leave the house and/or afraid to leave a partner due to anxiety issues.

·         Panic attacks are very common if the victim is left alone or put in uncomfortable surroundings.

·         Most phobias are developed between the ages of 15-35.

·         Agoraphobia is the most difficult to treat, but there drugs that reduce anxiety.

·         Psychotherapy and medication has been proven quite effective to reduce the phobia level.

·         Agoraphobia is sometimes described as having a "fear of fear."

·         Some experts think the brain chemistry or genetics changes and causes the development of agoraphobia.

·         “Phobia, an irrational and exaggerated fear of an object or situation. The term is derived from the Greek word phobos, which means "fear," "terror," "panic," or "flight."

·         Agoraphobia is the most difficult phobia to treat.

·         Paxil and Zoloft are the more know drugs to help relieve some anxiety for patients.

·         Sometimes agoraphobia can develop due to an over sensitive nerve system.

·         Heart rate and physical changes can contribute to the development of agoraphobia

·         “During the early 1950s a South African psychiatrist, Joseph Wolpe, discovered that encouraging direct confrontation with feared objects and situations was more effective in treating phobias. His approach, known as systematic desensitization, involves a process of defusing fear by repeatedly introducing the client to the feared stimulus in a careful, systematic progression.”      

Summer Reading Questions

So B. It   by: Sarah Weeks

Social Issues: Agoraphobia victims, Mental illness, Mother/daughter relationships  

The Book

1. The main character of So B. It is 12 year old, Heidi It of Reno, Nevada.  Heidi is described as a brave, outgoing, and determined girl who will stop at nothing to uncover the mysteries of her mother’s past.

2. After the discovery of some old photos of her mentally-disabled mother, 12-year- old Heidi embarks on a cross country road trip to uncover her family history not knowing that along the way she would experience the joy of discovery, the sadness of death, and a new beginning with a family she didn’t know she had.  

3. Sarah Weeks is expressing the many definitions of family and all of them are based on love.  Although non-traditional, Heidi grew up with a “family” of women who loved her and also was fortunate to experience the love and acceptance of the blood relatives she meets in New York. 

The Issues

1. Heidi has lived with her mentally-disabled mother and agoraphobic neighbor her whole life.  Her mother’s brain never worked properly so she could never explain to Heidi who her father is or the meaning of a word she never stops saying- “soof.”  Her neighbor, Bernie, is so busy taking care of Heidi’s mother that she can never focus on getting over her fear of agoraphobia.  Because her mother cannot communicate, Heidi goes off on her own to New York to find someone who tell her what really happened in her mother’s past.

2. Heidi and her mother have a loving relationship.  Despite her mother’s inability to communicate and function as a “parent” and as a “citizen,” Heidi still feels that love and affection given to her everyday.  After Heidi leaves for New York, her mother becomes very ill and passes away.  The sudden death of her mother is a significant event to the main character because her physical relationship is broken with her mother.  During her trip in New York, Heidi discovers who her real father is.  Her new relationship gives her a new start with her father who was never there during her childhood to watch her learn and grow.  The author provokes the reader to think about the relationships they have with their parents, just like Heidi does with her mom after she passes away.         

Research Questions

Questions:

1. What is the best way of treatment for mental disorders, drugs or therapy?

2. What is the most common mental disorder?

3. What is the best way to make people aware of the most common mental disorders?

Research Topic Paragraph

Book: So B. It by Sara Weeks

Topic: Metal Disorders

 Search Terms:

1.      “Agoraphobia”

2.      “Psychological/ behavioral patterns”

3.      “Psychiatric medication” 

4.      “Classification of disorders”

5.      “Peer Support” 

6.      “Causes”

7.      “History”

Mental Disorders

One of the big social issues in So B. It was mental disorders.  Heidi’s mother was mentally ill and she never got the proper treatment she deserved.  Wikipedia states that “A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern associated with distress or disability that occurs in an individual and is not a part of normal development or culture.”  It also states that “Psychotherapy and psychiatric medication are two major treatment options as are social interventions, peer support and self- help.”  “Commonly recognized categories include specific phobias, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, agoraphobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.”  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_disorders#Disorders)  This topic relates to me because I think everyone should have an opportunity to be treated for their mental illness because in my book, Heidi’s mother didn’t have the opportunity to be treated.  Heidi’s neighbor, Bernie, has agoraphobia and she wasn’t treated either.  Although, in So B. It, Heidi interpreted her neighbors illness as a fear, not a disorder. 

Eight women representing the different kinds of mental disorders

A Friendly Letter to My Summer Reading Book Character

703 Churchville Road

Bel Air, MD 21014

September 3, 2010

Dear Heidi,

My name is Amanda. I live in Bel Air, Maryland, and I am a freshman at John Carroll. Reading about your adventure in So B. It by Sara Weeks, gave me the idea of a real summer adventure. Over the summer, I swam on my pool’s swim team, the Rock Spring Racers. We had a great season! I even ran with the Harford County Track Club. I also went to Ocean City, New Jersey, with my family. We spent almost every day at the beach and went boogie boarding. It was a blast!

I thought your story was very inspiring. You were very determined to find your family. I couldn’t believe you were only 12 years old and you took a bus trip across the country by yourself. It must have been very hard to deal with your mother’s death. I’m sure it was very exciting to find out that you had a father and grandparents. A lot of important events shaped the story and made me think about the types of relationships I have with my parents right now.

I thought Sarah Weeks made your character very realistic. The story was believable because there are dysfunctional families like yours all over the world. The author put me in your shoes and made me think about the relationship I have with my mom. I know you had a very close relationship with your mother. Sarah Weeks did a good job showing the special bond you had with her.

On the way to New York, were you afraid that the bus would leave without you when you took stops on the road? If the bus left without me I would have flipped out! How is your relationship with your father now that you know who he is? I hope you have good relationship with him.

Mental illness was a major social issue in So B. It. You grew up in a loving home, but it probably wasn’t the most appropriate. Your mother never got the proper help she needed with her illness, but your neighbor Bernie did her best to take care of your mom on her own. A lot of children can relate to your issue and should get the proper help they need. The issue of mental illness has left me thinking. What happens to the children while their parents get help? Are they put in foster care? One way to raise awareness of mental illness is to tell people about your mom and how special she was.

I hope you have a safe, happy life with your “new” family. Your adventure taught you so much about life and I wish those memories will stay with you forever. You are a true hero and I will never forget your story.

Sincerely,
Amanda

All About Me!

My Unique Profile

My name is Amanda and I’m 14 years old. I attended St. Margaret School, pre-school through eighth grade. I was born on December 28th and have lived in Maryland my whole life. There are five people in my family- mom, dad, Adam, and Sarah, who happen to be twins, and myself. I am a runner and a swimmer. Two of my favorite things to do are listening to music and reading. My all-time favorite series is the Harry Potter books. My family and I are big “concert-goers;” Some of my favorite bands are: Paramore, Kings of Leon, Lifehouse, Coldplay, Bon Jovi, and Daughtry. In fact, I’ve seen all of them in concert! All summer, I’ve been anxiously waiting to start school at John Carroll! I think high school is great opportunity to meet new people and learn many new things. So far, I’ve joined John Carroll’s cross country team. It’s been hard work, but really fun to run with the team so far. This winter, I want to try out for the School’s swim team. My goals for the year are to stay on top of my work and earn really good grades. On the first day, I met all my teachers and they were very friendly and energetic about starting the new school year. I can’t wait to see how my first year will turn out.