Medicine in Technology

985 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Essay on benefits of robotic surgery

Dick Mora knew something was happening, but he didn’t want to think about it. Whole conversations would vanish from memory as though they never took place. It was frightening. “We’d gone through quite a bit with my mother who had Alzheimer’s disease,” he said. “She wouldn’t know who I was. So when things started happening to me, I was very, very nervous. I really kind of kept it to myself.” When he was finally diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2003, the Laguna Niguel man thought it was the beginning of his personal fade to black. “I really believed I was going to be going down like Mother, that I wouldn’t know my children, and I wouldn’t know my wife.” But Mora, who retired from the pharmaceutical industry, was lucky. His doctor told him about an off-label use of an existing drug to stop the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Now, five years after his diagnosis — an amount of time normally marked by steep cognitive decline — Mora’s disease has barely progressed. “He can still drive a car,” said his wife Nancy. “He is very self-sufficient.” “Without aggressive treatment, my life would have been much different,” Mora said. “That’s why I’m a very strong supporter of research and anything that could bring about a cure for this cruel and unforgiving illness (“Quotes”). In the past century humans have become very dependent on technology, especially in the area of medicine. The question here is, "How much technology is too much?" (Ghadially 799). Technological advances are constantly being made in all areas of medicine. Scientists can now manipulate chemical compounds to create new drugs and even have robotic surgery, but this technological manipulation is most notable in genetic and stem cell research. The potential benefits offered by... ... middle of paper ... ...urce. Web. 22 Nov. 2013 Podberezin, MarkWen, JianguoChang, Chung-Che (Jeff). "Cancer Stem Cells." Archives Of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine 137.8 (2013): 1111. Advanced Placement Source. Web. 4 Nov. 2013. "Quotes on Stem Cell Research." Pew Research Centers Religion Public Life Project RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2013. West, Michael D. "How Engineered Stem Cells May Enable Youthful Immortality."LifeExtension.com. Life Extension Magazine, Feb. 2013. Web. 03 Dec. 2013. Young-Mo Kim, TacGhee Yi, Jeong-Seok Choi, Songyi Lee, Yun Ho Jang, Chul-Ho Kim, Sun U. Song, Jae-Yol, Lim. "Bone Marrow-Derived Clonal Mesenchymal Stem Cells As A Source Of Cell Therapy For Promoting Vocal Fold Wound Healing." Annals Of Otology, Rhinology & Laryngology 122.2 (2013): 121. Advanced Placement Source. Web. 2 Dec. 2013.

Show More
Related

  • Analysis of Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

    1282 Words  | 3 Pages

    Keiger, D. (2010, June 2). Immortal Cells, Enduring Issues. Johns Hopkins Magazine. Retrieved from http://http://archive.magazine.jhu.edu/2010/06/immortal-cells-enduring-issues/

    Read More

  • Still Alice by Lisa Genova

    1265 Words  | 3 Pages

    Lisa Genova, the author of Still Alice, a heartbreaking book about a 50-year-old woman's sudden diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, graduated valedictorian from Bates College with a degree in Biopsychology and holds a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Harvard University. She is a member of the Dementia Advocacy, Support Network International and Dementia USA and is an online columnist for the National Alzheimer's Association. Genova's work with Alzheimer's patients has given her an understanding of the disorder and its affect not only on the patient, but on their friends and family as well (Simon and Schuster, n.d.).

    Read More

  • Summary Of The Age Of Globalization

    718 Words  | 2 Pages

    Technological revolution was greatly contributed by the integration of personal computers. Computers did not only contribute to existing businesses, but also created new businesses and jobs. With the emergence of the internet was created a boundless source of information and a new way of communicating. Internet, being a fairly young communication medium, is has just started to influence our lives and its full impact has not been completely sensed. With the help of computer technology came numerous breakthroughs in genetics. Discoveries in the field led to development of new medical treatments and hybridization of animals and plants. With the introduction of DNA testing it became possible to identify individuals’ relationships and aided in criminal investigations. However, certain new scientific directions became subjects of great controversy; one of which is stem cell

    Read More

  • Stem Cell Therapy

    1269 Words  | 3 Pages

    Imagine that there is a cure for nearly every ailment that affects the human race. Imagine that you could help the terminally ill, put those you love out of pain, and cut the healing time of an enormous number of serious illnesses in half. Imagine a world in which pain and suffering would be nearly nonexistent, and the people you love can live safe from the fear of crippling injury. Now what if I told you that this utopia was a fast approaching reality? Everything from serious life threatening burns to lymphoma, AIDS, Alzheimer’s, Muscular Dystrophy, Parkinson’s Disease, Spinal Cord Injury, and Strokes could, in the very near future, be eliminated through the simple culturing and implementation of stem cell therapy . These diseases are no small component of the myriad of conditions that plagues the human race, and yet, the end for these horrible maladies could very well be in sight. Man has always sought to end suffering, largely without success, until now. the promise that stem cell therapy holds could completely change our world for the better. Already, stem cell therapy is being used to treat leukemia, immune disorders, hodgkins and non-hodgkins lymphoma, anemia and a profusion of other ailments. As you all know, this is no small accomplishment. One day i believe that we may look at alzheimer's and diabetes and other major illnesses much like we look at polio today, as a treatable illness. Right now, our research with stem cells is providing us with new light into how we look at and model disease, our ability to understand why we get sick and even to develop new drugs. In 2008, a researcher from the New York Stem Cell Foundation Laborato...

    Read More

  • Alzheimer's Disease Essay

    1509 Words  | 4 Pages

    Alzheimer’s disease is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that becomes more prevalent with age. Discovered by German psychologist Alois Alzheimer in 1906, it is associated with a memory loss, speech impediment, and dementia. In Canada alone, 500,000 people suffer from this terrible disease and the number of cases is predicted to double by 2031[7]. Worldwide, nearly 44 million people are believed to be experiencing Alzheimer’s disease and every 68 seconds, someone in the United States of America develops Alzheimer’s [8]. Alzheimer’s disease is also the sixth leading cause of death in North America. Furthermore, it is the only leading cause of death that is still increasing in prevalence. Not only fatal, Alzheimer’s is also severely crippling for all the friends and family that are affected by the patient. The memory loss and dementia that is directly linked to Alzheimer’s disease can cause the patient to forget the identity of their loved ones. For the people that have known the patient for many years, this can be very devastating. The long and terrible journey from an able-bodied and functioning member of society to a barely self-sufficient person is not a pleasant one. Undoubtedly, Alzheimer’s disease needs to be cured not only for those suffering from the affliction, but for their loved ones who have to endure the fateful journey as well.

    Read More

  • Alzheimers and Wellness

    2367 Words  | 5 Pages

    ...nal connection Alzheimer’s has to my life cannot see thorough fulfillment through research and garnering knowledge about the topic. I must follow in the steps of my grandmother and contribute to the cause to help those currently affected by the impairment but also look towards a future where a definitive treatment can slay the beast that is Alzheimer’s. Ways I can contribute to the cause include participating in Alzheimer’s Walks such as the one in Binghamton and continue my family’s dedication towards raising money for the Alzheimer’s association. In addition, knowing about the risk factors and causes gives me a better understanding of my personal risk for attaining the disease. However, this new knowledge does not frighten me or worry me about if my future will contain this diagnosis, but enables me to be prepared and ready to conquer any tribulation I encounter.

    Read More

  • Alzheimer's Speech Outline

    810 Words  | 2 Pages

    Slight Reminder of Credentials – In taking care of my mom, who was diagnosed with AD. I have learned first-hand that caring for a person with Alzheimer’s disease can be very stressful.

    Read More

  • Alzheimer's Disease

    2171 Words  | 5 Pages

    ...hed and streamlined to allow for earlier diagnosis. In the case of tertiary prevention, the pharmaceutical companies have a huge financial incentive to create a cure for Alzheimer’s but that is not enough. More government funded research should be dedicated towards finding methods to delay or cure Alzheimer’s disease. The baby boomer generation has already entered their 60’s. As people live longer, as a result of new treatments for common killers such as heart disease and cancer, the chances that they will succumb to Alzheimer’s increases. Failing to find preventative or curative measures will be costly. On a personal level, Alzheimer’s disease slowly attacks cognitive function-the higher thought processes; individuals degenerate into infantile dependents. The cost of caring for increasing numbers of such dependents will be a burden on both family and society.

    Read More

  • Genetic Engineering

    1882 Words  | 4 Pages

    Although humans have altered the genomes of species for thousands of years through artificial selection and other non-scientific means, the field of genetic engineering as we now know it did not begin until 1944 when DNA was first identified as the carrier of genetic information by Oswald Avery Colin McLeod and Maclyn McCarty (Stem Cell Research). In the following decades two more important discoveries occurred, first the 1953 discovery of the structure of DNA, by Watson and Crick, and next the 1973 discovery by Cohen and Boyer of a recombinant DNA technique which allowed the successful transfer of DNA into another organism. A year later Rudolf Jaenisch created the world’s first transgenic animal by introducing foreign DNA into a mouse embryo, an experiment that would set the stage for modern genetic engineering (Stem Cell Research). The commercialization of genetic engineering began largely in 1976 wh...

    Read More

  • Reflective Essay: My Personal Experience With Dementia

    772 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Difficult, depressing, and tragic” are a few of the descriptions generally associated with illness. Those who suffer from dementia, especially, undergo a realm of these characterizations. With this adversity in mind, most people generate a basic understanding based on education rather than personal experience. It is this preconception that can prevent us from gaining a true insight of one’s reality.

    Read More

  • Technology and Nursing

    1848 Words  | 4 Pages

    The goal of this literature review is to increase our knowledge about technology use in practice and to identify where there is need for improvement. Information technology seems to be a widely discussed topic these days and most nurses have no clear idea how it can transform the way we do things on an every day basis. We will also look at the impact technology has on nursing, patients, and colleagues. We will then focus on a specific nursing setting, in this case the emergency room. This literature review is organized to grow on each independent section so that you, the reader, can form your own opinion, but take with you the universal understanding of how information technology will lead us down a new and exciting career path.

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Human Enhancement And Biotechnology

    753 Words  | 2 Pages

    In order to fully understand the uses of human enhancement and biotechnology, one must first decipher their purposes. Human enhancement is typically referred to as improving the overall functioning of a human being, both physical and mental. Biotechnology is a process that often results in human enhancement and is often achieved through genetic manipulation, nanotechnology, and cybernetics. Because of their power to completely change the human race, there is a a very fine line when it comes to the proper use of such technological advances. A key point is the difference between this technology’s use for therapeutic purposes as opposed to the

    Read More

  • Analysis of the Bioethical Issues in Gattaca

    843 Words  | 2 Pages

    The controversy of these issues stems from the immense potential in genetic sciences for both positive use and harmful misuse. Though the questions and fears of critics reflect the wisdom of caution, the potentially unlimited benefits mandate that we pursue these technologies.

    Read More

  • The Future of Medical Science Is Now

    741 Words  | 2 Pages

    The procedures that will be the future of modern medicine currently fall into the realms of taboo and fictional. These procedures encompass every aspect of medical science, from exploration of the human body, curing diseases, to improving a person’s quality of life. Many of these procedures are not very well known, while a few have been in the spotlight. These procedures include cloning, nano-robotics, retro-viruses, and genetic manipulation via gene-specific medications. For any serious breakthroughs in modern medical science, we must embrace these new forms of treatment instead of shying away from them.      Second, I’ll attempt to explain how these methods and procedures could benefit mankind.

    Read More

  • Technology and Medicine

    667 Words  | 2 Pages

    Technology has had a great impact on society when it comes to medicine. Medical technology has been around since the cave man began using rocks as tools to perform trephening. Since then there has been many new advancements in medicine due to technology. From painless needles to robots used for surgeries technology is around to stay.

    Read More

More about Medicine in Technology

Open Document