Watching someone’s health deteriorate in front of your own eyes can leave you feeling helpless. This is exactly how I felt when I saw my grandfather’s genetic disorder progress to the point where he could no longer live a normal life. Trying to help my grandfather maintain is quality of life despite his physical health is the most daunting challenge I’ve ever faced. Since he was unable to leave the house his favorite past time became sitting in his chair watching any and every sport on TV. However, he then became unable to get in and out of his chair. Seeing this devastation in my grandfather not only hurt me but inspired me to help.
At the time I was only in eighth grade and had very little knowledge of building and designing. However,
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I bought plastic stands meant to go under a bed in a dorm and I tried stacking books under each leg in search of the perfect height. Each time I put something new under the chair I had to lift up my grandfather, place the item, and then help guide him back down. Finally, I found the perfect height and a near perfect design and I went to work. My father took me to the hardware store and I picked out the wood and fasteners for the job. I wanted this done quickly so my grandfather could get back some sort of normalcy in his life. Early in the morning I drug out the saws and began cutting my lumber, gluing, and adding finishing nails. After the structure of the box was done I made sure to color match my stain to the legs of the existing chair. When I gave my grandfather the box to go under his chair he was overjoyed and so was I. This piece of furniture that I made was a part of his daily life for years until he passed away. Every time someone came into his home it was the first thing he showed off. Helping my grandpa by building him accessible furniture birthed my interest into engineering and my passion to make a tangible difference in others’ lives with my time. Facing the challenge of helping my grandfather through his disability was one of the most difficult things I have ever faced but it has given me a new direction in
It is truly remarkable how Randy Pausch and Morrie Schwartz stories are so similar but yet so different. They both seem to have an outlook on life in a positive way, not sad or demeaning. The only crippling difference is the fact that Morrie was at the age that wasn’t abnormal to be sick and Randy was just dealt the cards for a short life. One of Professor Randy Pausch’s many quotes during The Last Lecture makes a similar point between his experience and Morrie’s when he says, “…it’s hard to raise awareness of pancreatic cancer – people who get it don’t live long enough.” ALS is such a rehabilitating disease that scientist have issues pinpointing the causes to even get close to a cure, which didn’t hinder either of their strive to keep going as far as they could.
Being diagnosed with a chronic illness is a life-altering event. During this time, life is not only difficult for the patient, but also for their loved ones. Families must learn to cope together and to work out the best options for the patient and the rest of the family. Although it may not be fair at times, things may need to be centered on or around the patient no matter what the circumstance. (Abbott, 2003) Sacrifices may have to be made during difficult times. Many factors are involved when dealing with chronic illnesses. Coping with chronic illnesses alter many different emotions for the patients and the loved ones. Many changes occur that are very different and difficult to get used to. (Abbott, 2003) It is not easy for someone to sympathize with you when they haven’t been in the situation themselves. No matter how many books they read or people they talk to, they cannot come close to understanding.
I admire the fact that my grandfather resumed a normal life-style after being released from the hospital two years after his accident. Not only did he get married, but he raised six children.
As he’s getting older age, his life starts to off balance of his health status. But he continue
in the first place and was suffering from other major illnesses. The society does not
When my father-in-law had to undergo cervical spine surgery, due to complications and months in ICU, he had to receive physical therapy treatment. I was able to experience his recovery and how with the help of physical therapy he surpassed physicians’ expectative of him losing his life or, being the best case scenario, being in a wheelchair and needing assistance on his daily activities. Watching him, from his weakest into the stronger and independent individual he is now, sparked that desire in me of being able to have that impact in someone’s life, helping them overcome the physical obstacles they might present at some point that limit them from going back to their normal life and activities.
One very special case can be displayed by none other than David Beckham, the famous international football star. He says that he has tried various treatments, but the biggest success came from learning to live with the disease (Healthguru, n.d.). His family is also very supportive of his condition, which shows how important family support is. Quoted by Victoria Beckham, his wife, “We've got three fridges - food in one, salad in another and drinks in the third. In the drinks one, everything is symmetrical. If there's three cans, he'll throw one away because it has to be an even number” (Frith,
Family history possesses valuable information about a person’s past and future life. It can be used as a powerful screening tool to help conduct decisions about genetic testing for you and family members at risk. Family history can identify potential health problems that an individual has an increased risk for in their lifetime. With early identification, you can begin taking steps to reduce the risk with things such as lifestyle changes of diet and exercise. In many cases, just by adopting a healthier lifestyle can reduce your risk for diseases that run in your family.
During the summer or even on weekends my mom would take me with her to go help out her patients. Which included bathing them, feeding them, and caring for them. Not only did I help my mom with her patients but I would always help rake leaves, pick up trash and make their yard look nice. I can’t even image how they would’ve done all the things I did for them with their fragile bodies. I’m glad I was there for them and made a difference. Aside from helping my mom’s patients. I helped an elderly man who was on fire in his backyard. It was around spring time and I heard someone screaming yelling “help” so I went around to look and there he was on fire. I tried so hard to put out the fire and it felt like mission impossible but I did not give up even though the ambulance were on the way. He was burnt pretty bad, but I was so glad I found him. Who knows it could’ve been worse! He is still alive till this day and sits on his porch waiting for me to pass by his house every morning to say good morning. It’s such a wonderful feeling to know that I not only changed a life but I saved
In conclusion, health issues are worried about all throughout a human’s lifespan. We cannot help, but wonder why these illnesses must continue to hurt the ones that we love. However, it helps for people to know and understand the types of illnesses that their loved ones could be faced with within their lifetimes. In this essay, you were informed of a few different types of health issues that occur through the eight different stages of a human’s
Putting into words how I feel when I’ve made a difference in someone’s life is almost impossible. It’s something I feel deep inside and very passionate about. Working with geriatrics and terminal patients is where my passion lies. Maybe it’s because of my close relationship with my grandparents. I honestly don’t know. One thing I know…I’ve always loved the elderly. I was always the little girl wanting to visit and talk with them when my friends were off being typical children. Nearing the end of one’s life is a difficult and emotional time for everyone involved, and it’s my desire is to make this transition as smooth as possible. Applying to the social work program is the first step of my journey to achieving my ultimate goal…becoming a geriatric social worker.
With this in mind, it requires an empathetic approach to ensure that the patient feels the support of those around him or her. In light of this, motivational interviewing was chosen to determine the behavioral changes and lifestyle choices that Mr. Thomas had resolved to take to manage the illness better. In motivational interviewing, the respondent reveals the changes and goals he or she is willing to make to control and manage a terminal illness (Longtin, Sax, Leape, Sheridan, Donaldson & Pittet, 2010). It includes an investigation into the eating habits, lifestyle choices and social dynamics of the patient that will enable improved care and continued therapy to reduce the adverse effects. In Mr. Thomas’ case, motivational interviewing entailed asking questions about his lifestyle choices, his dietary modification and the way he interacts with his family and friends. The end result of this investigation is to determine whether Mr. Thomas has taken a resolution to change the aspects of his life that would aggravate his condition and lead to more severe health outcomes. In so doing, it is possible for the patient to accept the illness and tailor his or her lifestyle and dietary needs according to the requirement of the
One aspect of life that most individuals take for granted is physical health. Most people assume that an individual cannot lose physical health or if somebody becomes sick the health care system will be able to recover one’s health with the new medical advances that are always happening around the world. However, this is not always the case some individuals have to face a chronic loss of health and deal with the implications of this on their life. The loss of health I will be talking about today is not a direct loss of personal health, but a loss of health that my father experiences and how different components of this loss affected my family and I’s life.
It took me eighteen years to realize what an extraordinary influence my mother has been on my life. She' s the kind of person who has thoughtful discussions about which artist she would most want to have her portrait painted by (Sargent), the kind of mother who always has time for her four children, and the kind of community leader who has a seat on the board of every major project to assist Washington' s impoverished citizens. Growing up with such a strong role model, I developed many of her enthusiasms. I not only came to love the excitement of learning simply for the sake of knowing something new, but I also came to understand the idea of giving back to the community in exchange for a new sense of life, love, and spirit.
Up until a few years ago I never thought that one of my grandparents would be in a nursing home. I had always been lucky to have them healthy. However, this changed about a year ago when my grandfather had a mini-stroke, which caused him to require extra care my grandmother could not provide. Watching my family deal with my grandfather made me aware of the care and services the elderly need and has made me realize how important it is to volunteer at a local nursing home.