Incarcerated by Cancer

By Shawn Harris
From PHN Issue 53, Summer 2023

“There is a list of 132 inmates diagnosed with cancer,” announced the psychologist assigned to my block. She was sitting in front of her computer as the Psychology Department head and I discussed the commencement of the first-ever Cancer Support Group at my prison. I had for the past year been stressing the importance of having a cancer support group at my facility. We were having a meeting to finalize the date and time when the group would start. We weren’t certain if there were even enough inmates diagnosed in the prison to warrant a support group. In fact, the Psychology Department head specifically asked me how many inmates I knew were currently battling the illness. He even struggled to recall one or two he remembered working with in recent days. So, when the psychologist said the number, we were all stunned.

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Ask PHN: HEMORRHOIDS

By M. Ali
From PHN Issue 53, Summer 2023

Dear Prison Health News,
I was wondering if you could do an article on the topic of hemorrhoids. Some points of interest might be:
What causes hemorrhoids?
Is bleeding a common occurrence?
What are the treatments for them?

– Sincerely, Pete B.

Dear Pete B.,

What are hemorrhoids?
Hemorrhoids are swollen veins that can develop inside the rectum and around the anus. There are two types of hemorrhoids: external hemorrhoids, which occur beneath the skin around the anus, and internal hemorrhoids, which occur inside the rectum. The symptoms depend on the type of hemorrhoid.

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Recognizing LONG COVID

By Kirby Sokolow
From PHN Issue 53, Summer 2023

Three years have passed since the World Health Organization first declared COVID-19 a pandemic. However, people worldwide continue to suffer from this novel coronavirus’ devastating effects. Among them are an estimated 65 million people with symptoms of Long COVID.

Long COVID—also called post-COVID syndrome or post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection—is when someone keeps having COVID-19 symptoms or gets new symptoms that last weeks, months, or years after they get COVID. Anyone infected with COVID-19 can develop Long COVID, even vaccinated folks and people whose initial symptoms were mild. However, vaccination does lower your risk of both getting COVID and developing long COVID.

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Convict Chronicles: FEELING OFF? You’re Not Alone.

By Leo Cardez
From PHN Issue 53, Summer 2023

I read an article in Men’s Health that really struck me. It wasn’t specifically written for the inmate community, but it should have been. In the piece, Dr. (psychiatrist) Gregory Scott Brown is discussing something called adjustment disorder (AD).

In layman terms, AD is a disproportionate reaction to something stressful in one’s life. AD may make one feel worried, hopeless, or a general sense of unease. Sound familiar? Post-COVID inmate issues are pretty similar across the U.S.: anger over job/program/assignment loss, despair about the difficulty in staying in touch with loved ones, sensitivity over race relations, and general malaise over extended lockdowns brought about by anything from quarantine protocols to staff shortages. In time, all these tiny attacks to your routine and well-being add up.

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“MARCH” of the Legionella

By Thomas Michael Simmons
From PHN Issue 53, Summer 2023

Many baby boomers recall 1976, when people attending an American Legion convention fell gravely ill to a form of pneumonia later named “legionnaires disease.” Legionnaires disease is caused by the bacteria Legionella pneumophila, which is among the most common causes of pneumonia. Legionella can be attributed to biofilms found in plumbing and water storage systems, construction, and water temperature fluctuations. They thrive and grow quickly in 98.6-degree Fahrenheit environments. Legionella grows best in large, complex, and poorly maintained water distribution systems, such as air conditioning and cooling systems.

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A Word About Syphilis

By Thomas Michael Simons, IPE
From PHN Issue 52, Spring 2023

While its origin is not completely known, the earliest evidence of syphilis was found in the Pre-Columbian Indigenous population of South America. Syphilis is caused by the Treponema pallidum spirochete bacterium, and it can cause serious health problems if not treated. It is transmitted by coming into contact with a syphilitic sore during anal, oral, or vaginal sex. These sores appear on or around the anus, penis, or vagina (they’re found in the rectum, on the lips, or in the mouth). It can be congenitally (present before birth) spread from a pregnant person to a fetus or baby.

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Prisoners Surviving Mental Illness

By Wayne Thomas
From PHN Issue 52, Spring 2023

There is an increasing restriction of constitutional rights and other safeguards on people with mental illness in prison. The punishment of individuals with psychiatric problems in prisons might affect the perception of people impacted by mass incarceration.

We are troubled by the punishing of people who suffer from mental and emotional disorders, who are often forced to take antipsychotic drugs during the trial or pretrial setting. There are a large number of instances in prisons and courthouses when a person with mental illness is forced to take medications against their will. The person is incapacitated by being put in a medication-induced stupor and then removed to a courtroom where they are sentenced to a term of incarceration. This is a process that maintains physical control over the mentally ill persons, forced by law to subject themselves to take antipsychotic medications when released. Often they are threatened with the possibility of return to confinement—to ensure medication adherence for formerly incarcerated people who are categorized as mentally ill.

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Ask PHN: Prostate Problems

By Seth Lamming
From PHN Issue 52, Spring 2023

Dear Prison Health News,
Would you please send any and all information on an enlarged prostate? What is the end result if I have to have it removed?

– Sincerely, Mr. Tracy

Dear Mr. Tracy,
Prostate health is an important topic for anyone who has a penis. The prostate is a gland about the size of a walnut that sits below the bladder and in front the rectum. It wraps around the urethra, the tube that pee and semen come out of. When the prostate is big, it squeezes the urethra and makes it harder to pee. Its main purpose is to make some of the fluid that goes into semen. In this article, we will discuss benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer.

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Medications for OPIOID USE DISORDER

By Hannah Calvelli and Dan Lockwood
From PHN Issue 52, Spring 2023

Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) is a term used by addiction and medical professionals when referring to the three medications (buprenorphine, naltrexone, and methadone) that are approved by the FDA for the treatment of opioid use disorder. You may have heard of Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), which is a similar term that refers to the use of FDA approved medications for both alcohol use disorder and opioid use disorder. The difference between MOUD and MAT is that MAT is part of a larger treatment and recovery plan that includes counseling and behavioral therapy, whereas MOUD is treatment with medications only.

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What to Know About COVID-19 Tests

By M. Ali
From PHN Issue 52, Spring 2023

COVID-19 is an illness caused by a coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2. It spreads when a person with the virus (symptomatic or asymptomatic) releases droplets and particles from their mouth or nose. This can occur when they breathe, cough, or sneeze in close contact with another person. It can also occur in poorly ventilated or crowded indoor settings, such as correctional and detention facilities. The best way to prevent COVID19 infection and reinfection is to practice basic hygiene like washing your hands with soap and water, wear a well-fitting mask, stay up to date with vaccines, and avoid contact with individuals who may have the virus. While the use of masks to prevent the spread of this virus has been politicized and debated, randomized controlled trials have found that community-level mask wearing does reduce COVID-19 infections and may be an especially effective resource in crowded facilities.

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