Imagine coming home and finding your mother on the floor. Not knowing what was going on and feeling confused about how to help your parent. This was often an everyday occurrence when I was growing up. Many have grown up with both parents who are healthy and in good shape. However, some are not as lucky. My siblings and I were those unlucky children. I do not think the thought ever crosses a child's mind of the day that the responsibility of taking care of their parent would come. It is always the other way around. My mom has been diagnosed with MS (multiple Sclerosis). According to the (NMSA) National Multiple Sclerosis Association, MS (Multiple sclerosis) which is a chronic, often disabling, long lasting disease that attacks the central nervous system (CNS). The Central nervous system is made up of the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. Symptoms are mild at times, such as numbness in the limbs, or severe, such as paralysis or loss of vision. The progress, severances, and specific symptoms of MS are unpredictable and vary from one person to another. This topic is so important to me because dealing with an ill parent is sometimes intolerable and very hard to cope with. She has been unable to take care of us since we were younger. Before she was diagnosed with her illness, she was the best parent anyone could have asked for, but my grandmother and aunt had to pick up the responsibility of taking care of my siblings and I afterwards and never once hesitated. The purpose of me doing this project is to inform people about how children cope with having an ill parent or family member and the effect that it has on the family. Working with my mom has been a rollercoaster. She has her good days and her bad days. On her bad days, she fa... ... middle of paper ... ...sions. In the African American community, more people have chronic illnesses than in the white community. The most common illness that people of African Descent deal/ struggle with is MS. Its majority in the female sex than in males because of the fiber breakdown of the protective coating in their nerves. Some researchers found that over an average year, 10 out of every 100,000 blacks developed the disease, compared to seven white patients, 3 Hispanics and just over one Asian per 100,000, (Langer-Gould, Huffington post 2013). MS symptoms typically start with numbness and tingling from the waist down or weakness on one side of the body - such as after a stroke. Because of the notion that they are at lower risk, many black patients are initially misdiagnosed. (Langer-Gould huffingtonpost, 2013). It is an increase in black’s risks than whites, Hispanics, and Asians.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease affecting the myelination of the central nervous system, leading to numerous issues regarding muscle strength, coordination, balance, sensation, vision, and even some cognitive defects. Unfortunately, the etiology of MS is not known, however, it is generally thought of and accepted as being an autoimmune disorder inside of the central nervous system (Rietberg, et al. 2004). According to a study (Noonan, et al. 2010) on the prevalence of MS, the disease affects more than 1 million people across the world, and approximately 85% of those that are affected will suffer from unpredictably occurring sessions of exacerbations and remissions. The report (Noonan, et al. 2010) found that the prevalence of MS was much higher in women than in men, and that it was also higher in non-Hispanic whites than in other racial or ethnic groups throughout the 3 regions of the United States that were studied.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is generally thought to be an autoimmune disease that attacks the myelin sheaths, or oligodendrocytes that cover nerve axons in the central nervous system (PubMed Health 2013). This immune response causes inflammation, which triggers immune cells to destroy axons “along any area of the brain, optic nerve, and spinal cord” (PubMed Health 2013). When the myelin sheath “is damaged, nerve signals slow down or stop” thus hindering the propagation of action potentials and limiting function (PubMed Health 2013).
Well what causes MS? When you have damaged nerve signals that is one way you can get it. Another way is you is it could be genetic or environmental. The other way you can cause it is by infections. Woman would be more common to get MS than a man. The ages
According to National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that disrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body. The central nervous system (CNS) comprises of the brain and the spinal cord. CNS is coated and protected by myelin sheath that is made of fatty tissues (Slomski, 2005). The inflammation and damage of the myelin sheath causing it to form a scar (sclerosis). This results in a number of physical and mental symptoms, including weakness, loss of coordination, and loss of speech and vision. The way the disease affect people is always different; some people experience only a single attack and recover quickly, while others condition degenerate over time (Wexler, 2013). Hence, the diagnosis of MS is mostly done by eliminating the symptoms of other diseases. Multiple sclerosis (MS) affects both men and women, but generally, it is more common in women more than men. The disease is most usually diagnosed between ages 20 and 40, however, it can occur at any age. Someone with a family history of the disease is more likely to suffer from it. Although MS is not
Back in the day when I was very little, I remember that my dad used to take care of me. He would never let me run around the house when glass could off break and hurt me. As I kept growing up my father started to give more freedom but also gave me more responsibilities; like he wanted me to do the chores of the house, not all of them but some. I knew they were not mine to do but I still help. When I went off to college and I had to do all by myself, I realize that my father did good on making me do my laundry, chores and etc., when I was young. Besides I knew that I had to do my chores for me to go out with friends. Although I had this kind of responsibilities at a young age I can say that it helped in life. But because some parents overprotective their children and they are not exposing to real life, children might not know how to function in society when their parents die.
The body’s inflammatory process is facilitated by T-cell and B-cell responses to autoantigens within the CNS. The inflammatory process that happens within the CNS causes declining changes in the brain. Some changes include the axonal loss and immobilizing neurological damages. The remaining damage that transpires is irreversible and permanent in the brain and spinal cord. The symptoms of MS depend on the type and the severity of the disease. If the type and severity of the disease is severe then the symptoms will be more extreme. Some of the more common symptoms that are experienced include sensory symptoms; like numbness, tingling or pain, fatigue, visual disturbances, elimination problems like frequency or urgency and depression. There are many methods to diagnosing MS. There has been an increase in treatment options available and they are continuously testing new drugs yearly.
Primarily, the term MS refers to a chronic disorder that attacks the central nervous system (CNS). It is most common in temperate continents such as Europe and Australia with Asiatic and African continents having a lower risk of the disease (Wiley Online Library, 2013). A search organised by the Multiple Sclerosis Society (2013) has estimated that there are 127,000 people living with MS in the United Kingdom. Further research by Chipps, Clanin, and Campbell (1992, pp. 158-167) shows that MS disorder more likely affects women than men with its symptoms occurring between the ages of 20 and 40 in most cases and is quite uncommon in childhood and old age. The nerve cells known as neurons in the brain constantly transmit and receive signals. They invoke emotions, activities and cognition that constitute the day to day experiences of humans. Under normal circumstances, these signals travel on a protected insulation path known as the myelin sheath. This insulation is vital as it enables signals to reach their target. In Multiple Sclerosis, the myelin sheath gets disintegrated causing the nerve fibre to be damaged leading to a disruption in the abili...
Also, the whole family needs to come to term with the health condition, make change in priorities and schedule, and keep the family. For example, it can be much more stressful for a young or a newly married couple because they may have more experience to overcome life's difficulties. As a result, as with individual maturation, family development can be delayed or even revert to a previous level of functioning (Hockenberry, p 762.) Therefore, health care providers need to apply family development theory while planning care for a child and family with chronic health condition. Indeed, family centered care should be a part of that intervention. Parents and family members have huge and comprehensive caregiving responsibilities for their chronically ill child at home or at hospital. Moreover, the main goal taking care of chronic ill child is to “minimize the progression of the disease and maximize the child’s physical, cognitive, psychological potential” (Hockenberry, p 763). Therefore, it is essential to family being part of the child care to give highest quality of care. On the other hand, we are as a part of the health care provider need to give attention to all
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease of the central nervous system. It is understood as an autoimmune disease, a condition where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks normal tissues. In Multiple Sclerosis, the patient’s own cells & antibodies attack the fatty myelin sheath that protects and insulates nerve fibres in the brain and spinal cord, the two components of the CNS. This ultimately causes damage to the nerve cells and without the insulation the myelin sheath provides, nerve communication is disrupted. Hence, Multiple Sclerosis is characterized by symptoms that reflect central nervous system involvement (Luzzio, 2014).
Wittenberg, E., Saada, A., & Prosser, L. (2013). How illness affects family members: A qualitative interview survey. The Patient: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, 6(4), 257-268. doi:10.1007/s40271-013-0030-3
...concerns appropriate interventions were assigned to each one. For the priority concern of the family’s ability to cope and their risk of depression commendation and interventative questioning were the chosen interventions. For the priority concern of Gilberts care giver burnout and risk for compassion fatigue commendation and encouraging respite were chosen. The Grape family is a fitting example of the complex difficulties a family can have when they are faced with the difficulty of dealing with a chronic illness and tragedy. This paper demonstrates the importance of assessing and creating interventions for a family in a way which includes every member of the family not only the ones with complications. Raising the question should patients who are suffering from chronic illnesses better off to be treated as an individual or as a member of a functional family unit?
Fortunately, my mom has gotten better, but the environment around her is physically and emotionally draining, nonetheless I will continue to support her throughout my life. While at UCLA, I was physically there for my mom and it was one of the greatest feelings in the world. This reflects the determined, focused, and motivated person I am because I take part in school clubs and organizations that aid students who have similar problems, so no one else would have to endure experiences like mine. Being there for my mom made me a stronger person and it pushed me to continue fighting for problems that are set aside in our
The intent of this interview was discussed with the family, namely, how the data would be used to discuss family experiences for an assignment in Family and Societal Nursing for RNs at State University. Most importantly, I mentioned to the family that I hoped to provide them with interventions and support to...
Many people, as well as myself, believe that a mother’s influence is one of the most important influences that one will ever come in contact with in their lives. A mother’s love, comfort, and support will often help to shape a child and allow them to become the person they need to be later on in life. My mother has had a great influence on my life from day one. I often refer to her as my “rock” because she is definitely a solid foundation in my life. Being that she is a great role model, my mother’s support and presence in my life has allowed me to grow as a person, keep my spirits high through hell and high water, prosper in all that I have done, as well as mold me to be a great person in the future.
While in school, Mom didn’t have it easy. Not only did she raise a daughter and take care of a husband, she had to deal with numerous setbacks. These included such things as my father suffering a heart attack and going on to have a triple by-pass, she herself went through an emergency surgery, which sat her a semester behind, and her father also suffered a heart attack. Mom not only dealt with these setbacks, but she had the everyday task of things like cooking dinner, cleaning the house and raising a family. I don’t know how she managed it all, but somehow she did.