Life with Vision Loss Due to MS
Joyce Bohen recently wrote a book about her experience with multiple sclerosis. She told about her battle with multiple sclerosis and one of her major symptoms, optic neuritis. In this book, she told each individual to imagine life from one day being able to see bright colors and distinct pictures to only realize that as each day goes by the world is beginning to look darker and darker until you can see nothing but black. Not only did she experience blindness but also came the intense pain. After seeing a neurologist many times and continuously being treated with steroids to help her vision return, she finally gave up her battle and began to accept the idea that she would never be able to see again. The goal of her book was to help those with low vision accept the idea that life will never be the same and that there are strategic ways to get around this disability. One of the coping mechanisms she suggested was to outline doorways, steps, and wall switches with high contrast or textured tape. This story of one woman's dedication and perseverance to get through her disability should give researchers all the persuasion needed to continue on discovering permanent treatments or even preventive methods for optic neuritis (Cohen, Dinerstein, & Katz, 2001).
Another woman's determination went beyond coping mechanisms. After being touched by her brother's battle with multiple sclerosis Silvia Lawry created the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Her goal was to begin research that could help end the suffering of all those individuals who were diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Her dream is to try to help discover a cure for symptoms such as optic neuritis (Scott, 2001).
Multiple sclerosis can be defined as an inflammatory, autoimmune, and demyelinating complex disease of the central nervous system (Kidd, 2001). More common in women than men, the disease can strike at an early age, "especially when reproduction is a major consideration" (Sadovnick, Guimond, & Dwosh, 2001 p374). It is known to be the most common cause of "neurological disabilities in young adults" (Kidd, 2001 p540).
The most common type of multiple sclerosis is the relapse remitting which later turns into secondarily progressing. This means that the patient will no longer go into relapse but rather begins progressing farther into the disease. There is a disability scale called Kurtzke's Extended Disability Status Scale that determines the status and progression of the disability.
Mairs’ piece is a careful examination of her experience with MS and her perspective towards her future. In contrast, Soyster writes humorously of a particular incident he had with MS and artfully weaves his ideas about the disease in with his story. In both instances, the authors share the purpose of narrating their encounter with MS to the world to raise awareness.
Optometrists have accepted vision therapy, which is a medical treatment for optical muscle disabilities, as a feasible treatment used for eye related problems; claiming the treatment can strengthen vision and give the patient the opportunity to understand visuals quicker and clearer (Press). Vision therapy originated in the 1950s and over the past 25 years, has gained popularity, mainly because of new technological innovations in the field of treatment. Generally, vision therapy is prescribed as a measure mainly for people between the ages of 3 and 18. With the results from a comprehensive series of eye tests, the optometrist can work with the patient using special instruments—prisms, filters, occluders, and eye lenses—and strengthen the eye muscles, thus improving sight. According to optometrists in favor of vision therapy, these methods of treatment using these instruments function as safer routes to repair eye disabilities. Although vision therapy can yield favorable results, the practice as a treatment for innate eye disabilities has been in hot debate lately; as it can exceed $8000 and insurance companies do not cover the treatment. For decades, insurance companies have refused to accept vision therapy as a legitimate method for repairing eyesight (Boink). Concomitant with lack of insurance, the cost for a full treatment can exceed $8000, and doctors cannot guarantee a successful outcome. Recently, parents of children with eye related disabilities, such as amblyopia (lazy eye) and strabismus (cross-eye), and doctors have attempted to cooperate with public schools to allow families access to school-funded doctors to practice vision therapy. With a tight budget, most schools cannot afford to supply vision therapy, and a...
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.
Her essay is arranged in such a way that her audience can understand her life - the positives and the negatives. She allows her audience to see both sides of her life, both the harsh realities that she must suffer as well as her average day-to-day life. According to Nancy, multiple sclerosis “...has opened and enriched my life enormously. This sense that my fragility and need must be mirrored in others, that in search for and shaping a stable core in a life wrenched by change and loss, change and loss, I must recognize the same process, under individual conditions, in the lives around me. I do not deprecate such knowledge” (Mairs, 37). Mairs big claim is that she has accepted herself and her condition for what is it, yet she refuses to allow her condition to define her. Through her particular diction, tone, satire, and rhetorical elements, Mairs paints a picture of her life and shows how being a cripple has not prevent her from living her life. She is not embarrassed nor ashamed of what she is, and accepts her condition by making the most of it and wearing the title with
Montel Williams is a true fighter and refused to let any of his adversities hold him back. He has never given up and still today informs his audience and the people about this disease and makes them aware that they are not invincible from it. Williams has made it through the recognition, the pain, the press, and the suffering. He has become one of the worlds most well-known and accomplished star and philanthropists. He has dedicated his life to helping others and informing others about multiple sclerosis. He knows the heartaches and the pain these people have been through, go through, and will go through. He knows what these patients need to fight back and win. He knows because he is a fighter himself and he defeats his illness everyday and in his eyes reigns victorious.
In 2013, Peter Berg made a movie version of Marcus Luttrell’s novel Lone Survivor. Both the book and the movie are set in Afghanistan and tell the story of Operation Redwing. In both versions, four Navy SEALs head to northern Afghanistan for the mountainous Pakistani border to capture or kill a notorious al Qaeda leader. Throughout the film version of Lone Survivor, what happens to Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell is very similar to what happens to him in the novel. However, the movie is different from the book because it leaves out certain details, is told mostly through dialogue instead of narration, and ends in a different way.
What is Multiple Sclerosis? Ms is an Autoimmune disorder. When the disorder progresses the nerves will be damaged and so the damaged is caused by inflammation. Another thing is the cells that were protected by a layer will be damaged as well. So when you have the damaged cell this will lead to the brain and the spinal cord. So that is what MS is.
In Brooklyn: A Novel, Colm Toibin narrates the experience of a young woman named Eilis Lacey, who leaves behind Enniscorthy, Ireland to start a new life in Brooklyn, New York. Like many other novels about migrants, Eilis’s relationship to “home” and Brooklyn is represented through her experiences and feelings. Eve Walsh Stoddard states that “Home points at rather than determines its referent. Thus we may say that ‘home is where the heart is’ or home is where one’s family is,”’ in her essay “Home and Belonging among Irish Migrants: Transnational versus Placed Identities in The Light of Evening and Brooklyn: A Novel,” (156). This makes readers constantly question where Eilis’s heart lies and where she believes home is. Throughout Brooklyn: A Novel, the concept of home is prominent and represented in more than a physical location; but a meaning, a state of mind, and a feeling of belonging.
I am deeply committed to social activism; the words of Desmond Tutu inform my actions every day: “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” At Phillips Academy, I am active in Women’s Forum, BOSS Magazine, and GSA.These activities give me the opportunity to speak out on issues such as race, feminism, LGBTQ+ rights, and intersectionality, but as much I value discussion, I would like to move beyond mere conversation; I want to do something. I want my life and my work to make a difference in the world.
“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it,” says Charles R. Swindoll. This statement, although seemingly inaccurate, is brought to life by the testimony of Nancy Mairs. After being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Mairs had every reason to give up on life, but in “On Being a Cripple” she shows her audience that pushing forward was worth the challenge. Her life as a cripple isn’t easy, but through her writing, Mairs hopes to explain and create awareness about her life living with MS. Through her personal experience and positive attitude, Mairs shows her audience that not only is she a source that others can trust but that life is exactly what you make it, no matter what cards you are dealt.
My father made a successful recovery and I became inspired. I realized that having the gift of sight is something people take for granted. Therefore, when I embarked on my undergraduate journey, I partook in several activities to help foster my thirst for knowledge about optometry. For instance, I became the treasurer of the pre-optometry club at the University of Florida. As an executive board member, I opened doors for others to find their passion for optometry through managing our budget and finances to sponsor trips and activities. Meanwhile, I also worked as a secretary and shadowed at the Eye Associates of Orlando, where I gained practical knowledge. I also volunteered for the KidSight Vision Screening Program where I entered data of visio...
Despite the many obstacles that Uganda’s people must overcome, this extraordinary country has a rich history filled with remarkable traditions and devastating conflicts that give it the distinct character it has developed over time.
Robert, a 65 year-old male, has trouble reading fine detail, especially out of his central vision. He complains that his vision is blurred and that it is harder to see while operating a motor vehicle. In addition, sometimes objects appear wavy or crooked, which impairs his vision. His worst symptoms were that he occasionally lost the ability to distinguish between the features of familiar faces and he had a localized blind spot. Robert is not alone; many people suffer from symptoms related to loss and distortion of the visual field. He suffers from macular degeneration, the leading cause of decreased vision loss in the United States, especially for people over the age of 50 (Philippi, 2000).
Clearly, the country of Uganda is growing despite the many challenges it has faced over the years. From being a country of many spiritual trials to becoming a country where many missionary nurses would like to go Uganda has a come a long way. Although the people of Uganda are viewed as poor in the eyes of the world, they are spiritually rich in more ways than anyone can imagine. Now around most of Uganda is Christian and “Christianity is the largest religion.” (“Uganda.” Operation World)
Stutzky suggests that cyber bullying is the use of modern communication technologies to embarrass, humiliate, threaten, or intimidate an individual in the attempt to gain power and control over them. Bullying has been around since the beginning of time. These days however, bullying isn’t just happening on the playground, it’s happening on the internet and mobile phones, making it possible to bully a child 24 hours a day. Cyber bullying follows children around the clock and into the safety of their own bedrooms. A recent survey by MindOh!, an educational company that follows youth trends, reported that nearly 80% of the 5,500 teens that were surveyed said that they had been exposed to cyber bullying. Cyber bullying affects the mental health of so many young adolescents around the world, and the issue is steadily increasing as more and more ways to bully are created.In extreme incidents, cyber bullying has led teenagers to suicide. Most victims, however, suffer shame, embarrassment, anger, depression and withdrawal. While technology continues to evolve, new means of communication enable today’s bullies to become more effective in terrorizing and tormenting their victims. The aim was to increase awareness and decrease the prevalence of cyber bullying- Year 9 at Meridan State College being the stakeholders (people involved).