Many people know someone who has struggled, but the stories of overcoming hardship are not heard enough.

September is National Recovery Month, designated by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). And it’s a great time to listen to how one individual first found — and then beat — addiction. 

“My father was a struggling alcoholic when I was a kid, so I ended up moving in with my grandparents,” said Drew O’Connell, a West Virginia University student. “They were fantastic, just about as picture-perfect, white-picket-fence as you could imagine.” 

“But I was introduced to drinking when I started high school.”

 After a severe car accident in college, Drew was introduced to painkillers.

“Opioid addiction had me. I was a full-blown addict and didn’t know it. Pills went to needles and things got really bad.”

“I went from college student to homeless. I was able to shake opiates and find work that provided me housing, but I still struggled with alcohol.”

Although Drew overcame opioids for about three years, a severe swimming incident in Hawaii would hospitalize him and reintroduce painkillers to his life.  

“After I came back, I decided enough was enough. I went into treatment, and at the same time had the opportunity to continue my schooling. It really helped me stay straight. I was in for six months, and then spent five months in outpatient care.”

Drew has decided to further his studies in West Virginia, and is now a part of West Virginia University’s Collegiate Recovery Program. He devotes his time to helping other students who are recovering. “I haven’t regretted a single thing since,” he said.

“The biggest thing I would say to others who are struggling is to find who you look up to. There are people who want to help and have been in the same position. People who have recovered know what you are going through, and they can guide you through it.”

Drew speaks to both high school and college students about recovery. He plans to continue the same work after graduating.

“Substance use disorder was something I didn’t even know I had until I recognized there was a problem to fix. To all those struggling, know that there’s a better way to live life.”

Stories like Drew’s remind us that recovery is possible. National Recovery Month is observed with a focus on informing people of substance use disorder and celebrating those in the recovery process. Reaching out for help can reopen the door to fulfilling, healthy lives. 

It’s not easy and requires nothing short of hard work and complete dedication, but the Monongalia County Quick Response Team (QRT), established through a grant received by Monongalia County Health Department, shares that same initiative. The QRT is a collaboration among MCHD employees, peer recovery coaches, MECCA 911, law enforcement, EMS, local faith leaders and more. 

The team continues to work around the clock to help individuals during a crisis, and to provide support for those in recovery. Calling 304-602-3305 will connect you to a member of WV PEERS, who also are members of the Monongalia County QRT. The peer recovery coaches at WV PEERS have lived experience with substance use disorder and can connect others to a variety of resources, from treatment to naloxone, which reverses the effects of an opioid overdose.

As part of the QRT, PRCs take overdose reports submitted by law enforcement, EMS and MECCA 911 and make all attempts to reach that individual within 24-72 hours to offer help. 

The QRT is always looking for ways to provide more resources and help to others. Mark Liptrap, a counselor who specializes in helping those who have been exposed to substance use disorder, is one of the newest additions to the team as well as to Monongalia County Health Department, where he sees patients. 

“Camaraderie and social interactions are very important,” Liptrap said. “One of the big struggles is not having that connection and helping each other through these hard times.” 

He stresses that people are not alone in this process. The relationships you build are a vital step in recovery.

Medically assisted treatment (MAT) is another one of the possible steps to combat substance use disorder. This involves the prescription of a drug such as buprenorphine or methadone. In combination with recovery programs, this treatment can be helpful in stopping opioid use and retaining sobriety.

The theme for 2020’s NRM is “Join the Voices for Recovery: Celebrating Connections.” Successful treatment is not a solo journey. By sharing stories and building relationships with others who are or have been in a similar situation, the chances of a full recovery become more likely.

Returning to a healthy life is possible, and it’s rewarding to reach that goal.

To see if you or someone you know qualifies for counseling from Mark Liptrap, call 304-598-5160 or email him at Mark.A.Liptrap@wv.gov.

What are you doing Wednesday? Or the Wednesday after that? Have you gotten a COVID-19 test yet? If not, what are you waiting for? 

Monongalia County Health Department has stepped up its free community COVID-19 testing. In the past two weeks, we’ve conducted 1,520 tests on three different days.
 
And now, for the foreseeable future, MCHD, in conjunction with the West Virginia National Guard and WVU, will be at the WVU Rec Center from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Wednesday. 
It’s fast, safe and socially-distanced. And, as I mentioned, free. 

Now that we are more than six months into the pandemic, the ability to test has greatly ramped up. And the consideration of when to test has evolved. 

On Sept. 18, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention clarified its position on testing: “Due to the significance of asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic transmission, this guidance further reinforces the need to test asymptomatic persons, including close contacts of a person with documented SARS-CoV-2 infection.”

And now it’s time to convince members of the community that even if they feel OK, they should come out and get tested. It’s estimated that up to 40% of individuals with COVID do not have symptoms. Finding those people and isolating them would help us decrease the number of cases that we are seeing in Monongalia County.

But we understand that it’s not just the people who need convincing that getting tested for COVID-19 isn’t necessarily a red flag for illness. Some businesses require anyone who has had a COVID-19 test to quarantine until they get the results. That will keep certain individuals from getting a test. 

It’s also a question asked at medical appointments. That makes sense, but maybe the question should be expanded so people feel comfortable saying that yes, they got tested for COVID-19 even though they have no symptoms and no known exposure to the virus.
To be clear, anyone who does have symptoms and/or who has a known close exposure to COVID-19 do still need to quarantine.

And everyone else should wear a mask and practice social distancing when they go anywhere.

But as noted by Dr. Lee B. Smith, MCHD executive director and county health officer, the policy of insurance only reimbursing for testing symptomatic individuals has kept a lot of people from submitting to the COVID swab.

“We’re trying to change that narrative to where everyone understands that they can be tested,” he said. “This will help drive the COVID-19 numbers down by identifying as many infected people as possible so they can quarantine and avoid passing the virus on to others.”

After all, nearly five months ago, when Los Angeles County officials announced that anyone could get tested for free, whether or not they had symptoms, it seemed revolutionary,
As we approach flu season, now it seems like the obvious approach to fighting the pandemic.

And if there are other issues holding anyone back, we’re trying to solve those as well. 
First of all, the test is not painful. The swab will only go up mid-nasal, not to the back of your throat. It might tickle a little bit, but it’s over very fast.

We also understand that it can be difficult to leave work to come get a test, so the plan is to add some later hours soon. 

Some individuals posting on our social media have asked about drive-through testing. As encouragement to those who have expressed reluctance about getting tested indoors: The space at the WVU Rec Center is very large and open, with lots of room to social distance. Sometimes there are no lines, but even when they do form, it’s not crowded.

Comments from individuals on our social media who have gotten tested have stated that it’s efficient, fast and painless.

And for now, this is where the testing will be held. Logistically, it’s difficult to set up a different operation at a new location every time. That’s one of the issues we have to consider as the pandemic takes a toll on MCHD staff and the volunteers who give their time to help out. 

Because while we’re still very busy fighting the pandemic, we’re also still keeping the health department up and running as we perform other duties.

That includes flu vaccines. MCHD is now offering flu vaccines by appointment. Each year, we noted that everyone ages 6 months and older, including senior citizens, those with underlying conditions and pregnant women, should get the vaccine. We also have the high-dose vaccine for anyone 65 and older. 

Anyone who wants to get one at MCHD Clinical Services can call 304-598-5119 for an appointment.

Getting vaccinated is more important than ever as we head into flu season during a pandemic. We’re even looking to see if logistically, MCHD could offer flu vaccines during our Wednesday testing days.

​And while MCHD is happy that 1,520 tests have been done in the past two weeks, Dr. Smith has another number as a goal: 105,612. That, of course, is the entire population of Monongalia County.

Salt-N-Pepa said it best: Let’s talk about sex, including “all the good things and the bad things.” Of course, the latter includes STDs. 

Although Salt-N-Pepa may not be at the top of the charts anymore, STDs certainly are, and what better time to discuss them than in September, which has been designated Sexual Health Awareness Month by the American Sexual Health Association. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s latest STD surveillance report, sexually transmitted diseases are at an all-time high. Furthermore, according to the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, half of these new diagnoses are occurring in those 15-25 years of age. With STD rates continuing to climb, it’s essential to learn the facts. 

So, let’s bust some commonly believed myths. 

• Myth #1: If you or your partner have an STD, it will be visible and/or noticeable. This is one of the biggest and most dangerously believed myths. In fact, many STD patients don’t show symptoms at all. The CDC reports that some diseases, like chlamydia and trichomoniasis, are asymptomatic roughly 70-95% of the time. This is why it is so crucial to get tested after every sexual partner. Chlamydia, by the way, is the most common STD, with 1.758 million cases diagnosed in 2018. It's easily treated. If not, it can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, which can be painful and also make pregnancy difficult.
• Myth #2: You aren’t likely to get an STD if you’ve only had a couple of partners. Nope! Just like it’s possible to get pregnant after your first time having sex, STDs don’t care how many times or partners you’ve had either. Some people can even be born with STDs and not know it. So even if you and your partner have only been with each other, you should still get tested. 
• Myth #3: You can only get STDs from vaginal sex. Again, this is incorrect. The Urology Care Foundation states that oral, anal and vaginal sex all carry the same risk of contracting an STD. 
• Myth #4: STDs aren’t that common; you don’t have a good chance of getting one. Absolutely not. Even if people don’t talk about it often, it’s a common diagnosis, with the CDC reporting millions of Americans diagnosed each year; and as we mentioned before, that number is only rising. 
• Myth #5: STDs aren’t that serious. Unfortunately, this is not the case; STDs are very serious. The CDC states that although chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis can all be treated by antibiotics, if left untreated, they can pose major lifelong health complications such as HIV, chronic pain and severe reproductive health complications, including infertility, congenital disabilities and ectopic pregnancy. 

Keep in mind that many STDs, when caught early, can be easily treated with antibiotics. That's true of syphilis, which can go unnoticed and can move into three different stages without treatment. The last stage can damage organs and even lead to death.
And then there are those STDs that are treatable but not curable. These include HIV and herpes. 
Now that we’ve brushed up on our STD knowledge, it’s clear that sexually transmitted diseases are incredibly serious and common. So what you can do?
First of all, you can limit your sexual partners. Individuals that do have several sexual partners should be tested for STDs frequently. 
Also, remember that alcohol and drugs can lower your judgment and cause you to make choices you might regret.
Finally, even if you are using a different form of birth control — and unless you want to get pregnant, you should be — also use a condom correctly every time you have sex.
Monongalia County Health Department's Clinical Services offers free STD testing and treatment. Our friendly and non-judgmental public health nurses will not only help you through the testing procedure, but, depending on your income, can also set you up with free or low-cost birth control.  
So while STDs are not fun to think about, it's a lot better to play it safe and also get tested when need.

What comes to mind when you think of September? Maybe the start of the school year, burning your favorite fall candles or ordering pumpkin spice lattes enter your mind. I can pretty much guarantee sepsis is not your one of your first September related thoughts, but let’s change that! After all, September is Sepsis Awareness Month. 

So what is sepsis? To put it simply, sepsis is the result of an infection gone wild. The Mayo Clinic reports that to combat infections, our bodies release chemicals into the bloodstream. Oftentimes, our bodies are doing us a favor by doing this. However, sometimes our bodies don’t react well to this response and the chemicals released into the bloodstream can become unbalanced. That poor reaction and unbalanced chemicals then become sepsis. 

Sepsis is incredibly dangerous and can even lead to death. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1.7 million Americans develop sepsis each year and nearly 270,000 will die from it. 

Considering how threatening and scary this diagnosis is, it’s essential to recognize the symptoms in order to take fast action and prevent such drastic results. Understanding these symptoms is something I failed to do three years ago. 

One April morning of my freshman year, I woke up feeling extremely sick. The only thing I could attempt to relate it to was the flu. I figured I would try to sleep it off, and maybe I’d feel better the next day. However, by that afternoon, I was taken to the hospital nearly unresponsive. A couple of hours after arriving at the ER, I began slipping in and out of consciousness for the next three days. 

When I was cognizant again, I was informed that I had sepsis, which resulted from an untreated UTI. I had no symptoms of the UTI and was seemingly healthy until the day I was taken to the ER. 

What I didn’t realize at the time was how close I had come to death. According to the Sepsis Alliance, the chance of dying from sepsis can increase up to 8% for every hour left untreated. Luckily, my friends noticed how ill I was and insisted on taking me to the Emergency Department. If not for them, I likely would have waited until it was too late. 

Understanding the symptoms of sepsis is one of the most important factors in your ability to act fast. The CDC lists high heart rate, low blood pressure, fever, shivering, feeling very cold, confusion/disorientation, shortness of breath, being clammy or sweaty and extreme pain or discomfort all being symptoms sepsis patients may experience.   

Obviously, a sepsis diagnosis is no one’s idea of a good time. So let’s discuss some preventative measures. The CDC advises that taking good care of pre-existing conditions, getting recommended vaccines, washing your hands and keeping cuts clean and covered until they’ve healed are all great steps to lessen the chance of sepsis. 

With your new knowledge of what sepsis is, the symptoms, severity, and preventative measures, you should be prepped and ready if faced with this beast. 

​National Preparedness Month is recognized each September to promote disaster planning not just during this month, but throughout the year. The theme for 2020 is: “Disasters Don’t Wait. Make Your Plan Today.” And as we know, 2020 has really driven home the need to be prepared for whatever may come our way.

As COVID-19 continues to influence our lives in new ways and as wildfires and hurricanes continue to plague the coasts, this year greatly highlights the importance of preparation. Make a plan, have emergency supplies and be ready, because disasters don’t wait until you’re done for the day.

There are four stages to follow when preparing according to Ready.gov, the official website of the United States Department of Homeland Security.

1. Make a plan
2. Build a kit
3. Prepare for disasters
4. Teach youth about preparedness

The first step of preparation is to make a plan. Consider the types of disasters that could hit your area. It is likely that disaster will strike when your family is in separate locations, so designate a known meeting place everyone will go to. 

Have methods of communicating other than traditional phones, like a two-way radio set. Ensure that you have a shelter or “safe-house” location. If you do need to leave the area, be sure to have an evacuation plan. 

Consider if your family has any specific needs to look out for. This can range from special dietary needs to physical care such as disabilities or health problems. Make room for these things in your supply stash. 

Create specific emergency guidelines in case the disaster does reach you. This way you and others around you know how to react if things don’t go entirely as planned.

After all of your planning is done, practice with your family! Be sure that everybody knows what to do, how to access supplies and what to do in case of emergency.

The next thing to do is build a kit. These are sometimes referred to as “bug-out bags.” They are what the name suggests; easily transportable bags filled with essentials to survive on your own. They should include preserved food, water, flashlights, batteries, radios and other such materials.

With these steps checked off, it’s time to actually prepare for disasters. Similar to initial planning, be conscious of what disasters your area is susceptible too. Be sure that you will be able to receive emergency alerts and updates. And most importantly, set up your survival kit accordingly.

Lastly, teach others about preparedness. Once you’ve done all of the planning, share that information with your family. It’s equally important that everyone in your household knows what to do in case of disaster. This ensures individual and group survival, and further preparation for the future.

So with all of this, it can absolutely seem like copious checklists and planning are required, but that’s the name of the game with preparedness. It is all about being prepared. 

Disasters don’t wait for you. Always being ready can ensure your own as well as others’ survival. Take the time this September to evaluate how prepared you really are. It can save you in unpredictable times.