Do you really care?

When the popular Nollywood actor, Muna Obiekwe, died some years ago, the story that made the rounds was that he had suffered a kidney disease and needed funds, but was too scared to reach out to people for help. Some of you blamed him for dying in silence and some judged it as pride! 

I have also seen on FaceBook where some motivational speakers will be posting things like "speak out, don't die in silence, we are here for you’’, blah blah blah! And, I laugh!                    

                      You know what's missing in today's world? 

Genuine things, Genuine thoughts, Genuine care, Genuine affection, Geniune intentions, Genuine love and mostly importantly Genuine Humans - Emiliya

A few weeks ago, I made a post on Facebook and What’sApp, saying that “I needed help in this period of the lockdown due to COVID19 pandemic”. I can bet, a lot of folks probably saw this post but ignored it. Only a handful of people actually reached out to find out if everything was okay with me. Just a very few of them actually! They went the extra-mile to call and text, and I really appreciated it!

Over time, I have come to observe that as a people, generally, we are far from being as kind-hearted as we want to project ourselves to be. Oftentimes, it is all about ‘’showmanship”. That is why your neighbour knows that they'd rather eat their cold food in peace than come to knock your door to ask for a box of matches, on that rainy afternoon when theirs suddenly goes too wet to strike or is exhausted.

This is why your friend who has had a bladder failure and wet her bed, would rather keep the mattress indoors (even at the risk of it getting rotten!), than bring it out to air dry. That is why some would rather stay indoors and drink garri without milk or sugar for days and keep smiling, pretending that everything is great, rather than opening up to the next person.  

You, yes you that says you care, do you really care? Are you not just saying it to sound relevant? That woman (single mother of three) that approached you for assistance last term towards paying her children's school fees, didn't you turn her down after preaching a long sermon about why women should keep themselves? Didn't you throw in some 'useful' pieces of advice to her about 'how not to be lazy'? That pregnant girl that died having an abortion, would you have taken her in had she come to you for help?

During this pandemic, did you reach out to anyone? Were you able to give out a cup of rice from the one you have? Yes, you that gave out food packs to the less privilege and took a picture of them (without their consent), do you really care? Do you really care or was it just for a good PR and approval ratings from the public especially on social media? Do you really care? The last time you saw that stranded man/woman on the road; did you bother to reach out? Or, did you just assume that the stranded man/woman is one of those co-operate beggars on the road? 

Well, we need a change! What we need is love, real love! That kind of love that is never enough! That kind of love that is so compassionate! So merciful! The kind of love that understands what empathy is.

Let us really have a change of attitude. Let us endeavour to DO GOOD!

xoxo

Gpland

House_of_GP

Contributions from

Emmanuel Ohia and Godspower Dickson

The real value of money

Money has become such an important aspect of our everyday existence. Round the clock, people all over the world are engaged in various kinds of work in order to get money. Subsequently, this money would be used to provide basic needs of life to get by or can be invested to get ahead.

Overtime, the value of money has often been weighed by the measure of what it can buy i.e , it's purchasing power. However, I'll like to take a slightly different approach and explore the value of money from how it is got instead. This might give a new perspective to the value of money and might help improve how we spend money, invest it or even help improve how some people perceive gifts, especially when viewing such on a percentage basis taking into congnizance how much hard work was put in to getting that money.

Some weeks ago, I was privileged to visit a site where some construction work was on going. It was such a wonderful experience. The work men had to work so hard for their wages. Each mason man had to lay 120 blocks for about N3500. While , their respective laborers had to carry the 120 blocks to their individual mason man , measure out the required quantities of sand  to be mixed with the cement,  fetch the water that would be used for the mixing ,and finally carrying  the mortar to their respective mason for about N2000 or less ( depending on the negotiations). Sometimes, laying that amount of blocks can span for a period of over 5 hours. If the sun is intense on the day, the workers would feel the total effect of the heat from the sun while working. Indeed, the money made by these men isn't in any way easy. 

Have you ever seen those guys selling sachet water (popularly called pure water) or bottled water on the roads? Have you noticed how much distance they run to sell the water on the roads? These water sellers have to get up early to secure the water and get ready for the rush hours where sales are at its peak. Some of these sellers usually begin the day with just N200, which is equivalent to two bags of water or even N100 for a bag of sachet water. Usually, with every bag sold, the money is doubled. You see, these sellers have to work so hard, run so hard and take the risks of been hit by a vehicle, just to make a profit of N100. 

Understanding the process and the effort some people actually invest in making money can actually improve our own valuation of money . Understanding that some amongst us work so hard for just so little can change our view of money . Now, this here is the real  value of money ! 
I am guessing you might be familiar with other people around your neighborhood that might have to work so hard for so little. Please, feel free to add to the list of workers who work so hard for so little. They are the real deal! 

This write up is dedicated to all the people out there that work so hard to make ends meet. To all the people that work so hard just to get by. To all the hard workers that hustle even under the scorching heat of the sun to feed. You are the real gem! You are not alone!

Well done guys

I salute!

Gpland  

From

The House_House_of _GP

Hepatitis B Virus Infection

What is Hepatitis B Virus Infection?

Hepatitis B is a potentially life-threatening liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). It is a major global health problem. It can cause chronic infection and puts people at high risk of death from cirrhosis and liver cancer.

Facts

• Hepatitis B is a viral infection that attacks the liver and can cause both acute and chronic disease.
• The virus is most commonly transmitted from mother to child during birth and delivery, as well as through contact with blood or other body fluids.
• WHO estimates that in 2015, 257 million people were living with chronic hepatitis B infection (defined as hepatitis B surface antigen positive).
• In 2015, hepatitis B resulted in an estimated 887 000 deaths, mostly from cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (i.e. primary liver cancer).
• As of 2016, 27 million people (10.5% of all people estimated to be living with hepatitis B) were aware of their infection, while 4.5 million (16.7%) of the people diagnosed were on treatment.
• Hepatitis B can be prevented by vaccines that are safe, available and effective.

Transmission

·         hepatitis B is most commonly spread from mother to child at birth (perinatal transmission)

·         through horizontal transmission (exposure to infected blood), especially from an infected child to an uninfected child during the first 5 years of life.

If you enjoy giving a head (oral sex), thinking of getting a tattoo, if you like swallowing of sperm, and  unprotected sex , this might interest you:

·         Hepatitis B is also spread by needlestick injury, tattooing, piercing and exposure to infected blood and body fluids, such as saliva and, menstrual, vaginal, and seminal fluids

If you are LGBT or you have multiple sex partners, this might interest you:

·         Sexual transmission of hepatitis B may occur, particularly in unvaccinated men who have sex with men and heterosexual persons with multiple sex partners or contact with sex workers.

Health care and veterinary workers, please note:

·         Transmission of the virus may also occur through the reuse of needles and syringes either in health-care settings or among persons who inject drugs. In addition, infection can occur during medical, surgical and dental procedures, through tattooing, or through the use of razors and similar objects that are contaminated with infected blood

Vaccination is key, sterilization is key and having protected sex is also crucial.

Symptoms

·         Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice), dark urine, extreme fatigue, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

·         A small subset of persons with acute hepatitis can develop acute liver failure, which can lead to death.

·         In some people, the hepatitis B virus can also cause a chronic liver infection that can later develop into cirrhosis (a scarring of the liver) or liver cancer.

Who is at risk of chronic disease?

In infants and children:

• 80–90% of infants infected during the first year of life develop chronic infections; and
• 30–50% of children infected before the age of 6 years develop chronic infections.

In adults:

• less than 5% of otherwise healthy persons who are infected as adults will develop chronic infections; and
• 20–30% of adults who are chronically infected will develop cirrhosis and/or liver cancer.

 HOT!!! 

HBV-HIVCOINFECTION

According to WHO, about 1% of persons living with HBV infection (2.7 million people) are also infected with HIV. Conversely, the global prevalence of HBV infection in HIV-infected persons is 7.4%. Since 2015, WHO has recommended treatment for everyone diagnosed with HIV infection, regardless of the stage of disease. Tenofovir, which is included in the treatment combinations recommended as first-line therapy for HIV infection, is also active against HBV.

Treatment

There is no specific treatment for acute hepatitis B. Therefore, care is aimed at maintaining comfort and adequate nutritional balance, including replacement of fluids lost from vomiting and diarrhoea. SEE A DOCTOR. NO SELF MEDICATION!

 Unfortunately,

In most people, however, the treatment does not cure hepatitis B infection, but only suppresses the replication of the virus. Therefore, most people who start hepatitis B treatment must continue it for life.

Challenging Realities

There is still limited access to diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis B in many resource-constrained settings. In 2016, of the 257 million people living with HBV infection, 10.5% (27 million) were aware of their infection. Of those diagnosed, the global treatment coverage is 16.7% (4.5 million). Many people are diagnosed only when they already have advanced liver disease.

Among the long-term complications of HBV infections, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma cause a large disease burden. Liver cancer progresses rapidly, and since treatment options are limited, the outcome is generally poor.

Prevention

•          Vaccination is the most assured preventive measure against HBV.
•          All children and adolescents younger than 18 years and not previously vaccinated should receive the vaccine
•          In addition vaccination, implementation of blood safety strategies, including quality-assured screening of all donated blood and blood components used for transfusion, can prevent transmission of HBV.
•          Safe injection practices, eliminating unnecessary and unsafe injections, can be effective strategies to protect against HBV transmission.
•          Safer sex practices, including minimizing the number of partners and using barrier protective measures (condoms), also protect against transmission.

Stay safe guys!

xxx 😘 ❤️❤️

Gpland  

From

The House_House_of _GP

Random Tips From a Rich Pool

Marriage / relationship is an interesting topic. Consequently, there are a lot of advise out there about marriages and relationships. A lot of folks have expressed their opinions in diverse ways on the above. Still , it's not exhaustive! In this article, I will drop a few bullet points which might be useful in the bid to do marriage / relationship right. 

• Marry your friend. This is so key!
• Build memories and create family rituals rather than comparing your marriage with someone else’s.
• Be willing to learn and unlearn things.
• Be vulnerable and teachable.
•  Please both parties should learn to say "sorry" even though you are not the offender because two wrongs can’t make a right.

• Never say things out of anger. Control your emotions!
•  Never compare yourselves with others. Every relationship has its own unique challenges.
• Don’t go into marriage with expectations like a man should always provide solely or a woman should always be the one to cook. Be open-minded and flexible. This will save you a lot of troubles.
• Two people can’t understand love the same way, it is rare!  However, both should be ready to learn what love means to each other. Communication is key!
•  It’s not like men or women are right all the time. I’m not saying the husband isn’t the head. However, there are times the wife needs to understand the thought process of her man respectfully. Generally, communication can help create understanding and partners should endeavor to run things by each other.

•  We should all be ready to play the fool at some point. Swallow your pride! It won’t take you anywhere as you guys might be fighting and sleeping on the same bed.
•  I believe marriage is simply two forgivers living together. Do right, be right, forgive!
• How you pass a message across is very vital irrespective of the gender. There should always be understanding between both parties though. It makes everything easier.
•  Have a joint account where you save and from where you pay your bills. But also have your personal money.
• Can you guys just concentrate on knowing and finding yourselves first?
• Enjoy your company; take care of yourselves first. Love yourself(ves). And,  don’t stop after marriage.

I close with this :

• You can’t learn everything .  A lot you’ll learn while being married/ or in a relationship.

Again, this is far from being exhaustive. And, feel free to add yours to the unending list and share with your family and friends please 🙏.

xxx 😘 ❤️❤️

Gpland ( and contributions from AHS 2006 set ) 

From

The House_House_of _GP