For Kevin (T/W Team),
Great post and wonderful thoughts! It's most certain that we are offered plenty of alternatives but, unfortunately most decide to ignore such opportunities. Moving to Canada wouldn't be a bad idea either. I don't have any major criticisms about your post. Of course, these are your culminated thoughts on this unit. Maybe one thing would be to be more aware of the first, second, and third person uses/perspectives.
For Amber (T/W Team),
I loved that you took full advantage of the amount of writing you wanted to provide. Though I think a mere paragraph would've sufficed, your writing was most certainly appreciated. The questions you stated at the end of your last paragraph definitely proved to be thought-provoking. I also agree that we are selfish when dealing with such things like death and illness. I realize that these three paragraphs are your thoughts but, also keep in mind the consistency in your structuring. It's easy to digress from such a topic but, you did great.
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From Amber (T/W Team),
You did a nice job of weaving in some beauty throughout your post. It was interesting to read about your sum up of this unit. While reading this I became well aware of your thoughts about hospitals and how they present themselves as factories in our society. While reading through this I found myself shaking my head a few times; not because what you had to say was bad, but because most of what you had to say was true to some extent. You are right, there are many different ways one can look at hospitals and this can help shape up ones thoughts about illness and dying and how they intend to deal with their own death. I liked how you used this factory idea with hospitals and connected it to pupils in school. There are many nightmarish atrocities that fill up our society, may it be illness or dying, food or school.
From Kevin (T/W Team),
I think that this being the last assignment for the unit it was supposed to have a lot of insights you obtained from the unit. I read your piece for those insights. I like how you started with a quote from your peer, an insight someone else had and built off it. I like how you talked about hospitals being factories for dying. You gave good sensory detail and that brought out the insight because it gave a clear idea to what you meant. I think you made another good insight relating it to schools, but they kind of contradict themselves. You are saying that a hospital is an industrialized atrocity because it is like a factory, and then you say that schools are factories too, but they provide good. So keep in mind being clear about what you mean and keep up the good work.
From Spencer (Younger Friend),
I really like how you tied up all your posts into one final statement. You provided a lot of insight into the taboo topic of death and different perspectives on hospitals. In my opinion, hospitals do seem like a 'safe haven', as you said, since one would be so close to help in case of sickness. Hospitals and schools as factories is an interesting insight, I've never thought of that before. Great job on all of your posts and keep up the good work!
From Pam (Mentor),
Bianca, I appreciate your thoughts and musings about hospitals. While I suppose you're right about the "factory" aspect, I really dislike thinking about them this way. Being quite a bit older than you, the chances of my needing a hospital loom a little closer for me. I prefer thinking of them as warm, compassionate centers of healing, no matter how unrealistic that may be. But, that said, your writing was insightful and thought-provoking as usual. It made me consider my own thoughts about death and dying, as well as my thoughts about the results of fear in a "civilized" society. I have enjoyed reading your blog - thanks for sharing it. Your comments about school are a great arguments for homeschooling. Just wanted to throw that in...
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
HW 32 - Thoughts following illness & dying unit
Throughout this unit, I've come to understand the maxim that "culture is reflective of society" (John Tabor). Our dominant social practices that surround illness and dying not only reveal what we believe is acceptable but, also what we are afraid of. While death is certainly something we have all at one point in our lives feared, we are oblivious to the fact that we create nightmarish atrocities, that are possibly just as bad as death itself, to avoid death. An example of a nightmarish atrocities is our hospitals. Hospitals can be seen as safe havens or even disease ridden areas. Regardless of how one may view hospitals, hospitals are essentially factories. Factories in which specimen, in other words- us, are refurbished, placed in windowless rooms, hooked up to bulky machines, and made to be sufficient once more. Admittedly, viewing hospitals in such way is considerably morbid however, this doesn't change my view of how we deal with sickness and death. We would like to think that we, the masses, have the power to play death with our access to technology and expensive treatments but, our actions only reveal our need to cleanse what is dirty, as illness has been stigmatized by society. After realizing the uniformity we use to deal with death, the uniformity and nightmarish atrocities apart from this unit have become clear and most certainly scary. Schools, in which we are bound by law to attend, are the epitome of factories as students are trained and induced with knowledge essentially in order to be able to acquire a job that will more or less create the foundation of how a person will be able to sustain themselves when pertaining to either money or shelter. It goes without saying that school does provide useful knowledge and common sense but, the true incentive of society for its adolescents to finish school is to create fine, sophisticated, and ultimately model citizens that pose as our nation's pupils.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
HW 31- Comments 3
From Casey,
From Kevin (T/W) Team,
I read your post looking for insight. This post had a lot of it. It was very well written, and combined the research you did with your real life portion well. One of the top insights from your project was, "It's incredibly important, if not necessary, that we attempt to understand what influences our decisions dealing with illness and dying because in the future, we can spare ourselves from potential or maybe fatal consequences." This is an example of a good insight because it makes the reader think about their life, and what changes they can make to improve it. Along with making readers think personally about themselves, it can also be opened up to the bigger picture. You could ask questions like "Are we hit with any extra influences that we can eliminate from our society?" Another good thing relating to insights in this blog are that they aren't all your insights. In this post it talked about what other people thought. I thought this was a strong piece of writing, and overall well done.
From Spencer (Younger Peer),
I too think that a disease like ALS is frightening. I have not known anyone who was in that situation--the decision between death or suffering and death--but it seems like the most pivotal decision one can make. You really made me think about this issue what it entails.
From Amber (T/W Team),
I read your post while keeping beauty in mind. I personally think that you did a nice job with this assignment. You used a number of quotes from different resources and chose a topic that each and every one of us can do a well job of connecting to. Your sentences flowed well, and I was able to fully grasp all the concepts you were getting at while taking a part of this project. As a reader I was able to place myself in the situations you were referring to. One in particular was when you were talking about the fact that all of us will be near death at one point in our life and we will have to deal with it one way or another. It really made me stop and think about which choice I would prefer while being near death. Keep up the good work!
From Pam Smith (Mentor),
This was a fascinating post. ALS has always been a disease that I found particularly chilling, almost terrifying. To have no control over your body, and to know that it's coming in slow, cruel stages. Well, it's horrifying, to say the least. I enjoyed your writing, particulary your honesty about your changes in perspective. I especially enjoyed the paragraph about the dispute over the morality of committing suicide. I have no idea how I would respond in such an awful situation, but your blog sure maade me think about it in a new way.
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For Kevin (T/W Team),
The best part of your writing is that you provided great evidence and statistics that really backed up your overall persuasive point that health care needs reform. The modality I chose was Perspective. Maybe something you could try is relate how you would deal with the health system when it comes your time to take up the responsibility to pay for insurance among other things. You provided a well-thought out narrative perspective of the homeless man though, a video would have probably provided much more of a visual aid that would have made me even more interested. One thing that I would advise for you to do is to give your introduction some more brevity. Though it is concise, you want readers to have a sufficient background knowledge on how health care started and how it became the way it is.
For Amber (T/W Team),
The best part of your writing was when you reflected on how our society was gullible. We make choices and decisions without background information on the people that will be affected by such choices. I chose Proofreading as the Modality; I feel as though you provided a lot of thought-provoking work. However, you should work on your transitions from paragraph to paragraph. Refrain from sentence starters such as "I remember..." You're missing some commas here and there. One thing that I would point out for future reference is to always end your paragraphs with a concluding sentence that somehow reconnects back to your overarching point/thesis. Ending a paragraph with only a quote makes it seem like a cliffhanger or rather, a quote without analysis.
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Comments for Elevator Speeches
For Evan,
I honestly loved the topic you chose. It was surely original to the point! After reading your post, 100 years of living seems like a milestone I would love to make. It does seem our society puts a big emphasis on those who are present in our world's best and worst of times. Though I believe your post is cleverly written, a copy of the actual interview wouldn't hurt.
For Casey,
Your topic was most certainly interesting. To center some focus on the gender aspect of rippling was impressive. The best part of your post was "People who wish to be remembered are probably especially afraid of death." This provided more or less a sum up of what your entire experiential project was based upon. This was a considerably difficult topic to purse but regardless, you executed the topic well. I wish you had gone a little more in-depth past the 20 surveys you conducted.
This is an impressively organized and written project; every quote you included was relevant and beneficial to your exploration. You incorporated them very well by introducing them and explaining how they relate to your point about the morality of suicide and the horrors of ALS. I loved Craig Ewert's perspective about "playing God"; thanks for including it. I would have liked to read about an interview with ALS patients, but I realize that it would be difficult to interview a ALS patient personally
From Kevin (T/W) Team,
I read your post looking for insight. This post had a lot of it. It was very well written, and combined the research you did with your real life portion well. One of the top insights from your project was, "It's incredibly important, if not necessary, that we attempt to understand what influences our decisions dealing with illness and dying because in the future, we can spare ourselves from potential or maybe fatal consequences." This is an example of a good insight because it makes the reader think about their life, and what changes they can make to improve it. Along with making readers think personally about themselves, it can also be opened up to the bigger picture. You could ask questions like "Are we hit with any extra influences that we can eliminate from our society?" Another good thing relating to insights in this blog are that they aren't all your insights. In this post it talked about what other people thought. I thought this was a strong piece of writing, and overall well done.
From Spencer (Younger Peer),
I too think that a disease like ALS is frightening. I have not known anyone who was in that situation--the decision between death or suffering and death--but it seems like the most pivotal decision one can make. You really made me think about this issue what it entails.
From Amber (T/W Team),
I read your post while keeping beauty in mind. I personally think that you did a nice job with this assignment. You used a number of quotes from different resources and chose a topic that each and every one of us can do a well job of connecting to. Your sentences flowed well, and I was able to fully grasp all the concepts you were getting at while taking a part of this project. As a reader I was able to place myself in the situations you were referring to. One in particular was when you were talking about the fact that all of us will be near death at one point in our life and we will have to deal with it one way or another. It really made me stop and think about which choice I would prefer while being near death. Keep up the good work!
From Pam Smith (Mentor),
This was a fascinating post. ALS has always been a disease that I found particularly chilling, almost terrifying. To have no control over your body, and to know that it's coming in slow, cruel stages. Well, it's horrifying, to say the least. I enjoyed your writing, particulary your honesty about your changes in perspective. I especially enjoyed the paragraph about the dispute over the morality of committing suicide. I have no idea how I would respond in such an awful situation, but your blog sure maade me think about it in a new way.
---------------------------------------------------------------
For Kevin (T/W Team),
The best part of your writing is that you provided great evidence and statistics that really backed up your overall persuasive point that health care needs reform. The modality I chose was Perspective. Maybe something you could try is relate how you would deal with the health system when it comes your time to take up the responsibility to pay for insurance among other things. You provided a well-thought out narrative perspective of the homeless man though, a video would have probably provided much more of a visual aid that would have made me even more interested. One thing that I would advise for you to do is to give your introduction some more brevity. Though it is concise, you want readers to have a sufficient background knowledge on how health care started and how it became the way it is.
For Amber (T/W Team),
The best part of your writing was when you reflected on how our society was gullible. We make choices and decisions without background information on the people that will be affected by such choices. I chose Proofreading as the Modality; I feel as though you provided a lot of thought-provoking work. However, you should work on your transitions from paragraph to paragraph. Refrain from sentence starters such as "I remember..." You're missing some commas here and there. One thing that I would point out for future reference is to always end your paragraphs with a concluding sentence that somehow reconnects back to your overarching point/thesis. Ending a paragraph with only a quote makes it seem like a cliffhanger or rather, a quote without analysis.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Comments for Elevator Speeches
For Evan,
I honestly loved the topic you chose. It was surely original to the point! After reading your post, 100 years of living seems like a milestone I would love to make. It does seem our society puts a big emphasis on those who are present in our world's best and worst of times. Though I believe your post is cleverly written, a copy of the actual interview wouldn't hurt.
For Casey,
Your topic was most certainly interesting. To center some focus on the gender aspect of rippling was impressive. The best part of your post was "People who wish to be remembered are probably especially afraid of death." This provided more or less a sum up of what your entire experiential project was based upon. This was a considerably difficult topic to purse but regardless, you executed the topic well. I wish you had gone a little more in-depth past the 20 surveys you conducted.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
HW 30 - Illness & Dying - Culminating Experiential Project
Having explored a number of dominant social practices around illness and dying, I decided to focus on the morality factor of illness and the frameworks that a person must go through to make a decision that will determine his or hers existence on earth. In the duration of my vigorous hour of researching, I came across the Suicide Tourist, which is about Craig Ewert's profound experience with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, an incurable disease that influences one to lose the ability to control the functions of the body, which pertains to muscle movements and nerve cells. It is essentially a path towards paralysis and is ultimately a slow deterioration of your body's functions. Only a mere bystander, I can only wish to truly understand the painstakingly events that must occur for one to be free of a terminal disease, in Ewert's case, ALS.
Ewert's sad but riveting story allows us to gain insight on what we decide is morally right or wrong within the skirts of the controversial topic of physician assistance suicide and what is important to us. Craig had to weigh out the longevity of the pain and suffering he would have had to endure in the predicted 2-3 years, had he not chosen to die, and how this decision would affect his children and wife. In his last few days of living, he reasons, "At this point, I've got two choices. If I go through with it, I die, as I must at some point. If I don't go through with it, my choice is essentially to suffer and to inflict suffering on my family and then die--possibly in a way that is considerably more stressful and painful than this way. So I've got death, and I've got suffering and death." In an effort to better understand these words, I've interviewed five people, chosen at random, to ultimately reflect how one can make prudent decision, that is weighed downed by several variables: the suffering of the ALS holder, the suffering of family members, the desire for a "peaceful" death, the religious restraint that forbids committing suicide, stigmas, and several other aspects.
In the interviews I conducted, the pain and suffering of the victim of ALS seemed to be a recurring factor in the process of deciding whether one should choose to commit suicide or prolong one's death. However, the need for the ill person's caretaker to attend to tasks such as brushing one's teeth and moving one's limbs that should be done easily is somewhat of a burden among those who are given such responsibility according to Anna O' Connol, "I might feel as if I am compromising the life of the person who is taking care of me and feel a bit guilty about having to depend on others. Also, just the mere fact that I am unable to do very many things that I used to be able to do would most likely depress me." Through O' Connol's answer, we can see that the concept of having the depend on others, likely to be family members, is associated with a stigma because not being able to nurture oneself efficiently is considered a "physical deformity"(Goffman 4) and "an undesired differentness"(Goffman 5). Among the several stigmas, we strive for uniformity and control, and this strive is present in our obsessive or rather, prevalent need to survive as implied by Abdullah Sarwar, "I am scared of anything that I have no control over. So if the only way to stop my suffering is death, then so be it." Control over what happens to our body, the amount of pain that we receive, and the suffering that is inflicted onto our loved ones is of significance to us. To the extent that, it may cause a person to "be more inclined to stay alive until the last moment" said Anna. The absence of pain is what constitutes as a "peaceful death."
Lastly, the dispute of whether committing suicide is morally right or wrong plays a big role in society but, is of little importance to Craig Ewert, as he is agnostic. Ewert provides us with wise words that make us rethink the whether the dominant discourse of society, which believes physician assistant suicide is wrong, is correct: "There are people who will look at this and say: 'No. Suicide is wrong. God had forbidden it. You cannot play God and take your own life' But you know what? This ventilator is playing God. If I had lived without access to technology, chances are I would be dead by now." Having noted that, we can see how this connects back to previous insights made earlier in the unit, in that our society has made "biomedical research advances all in hoping to prolong dying and reduce the pain and suffering, loneliness, and humiliation that are perceived to accompany life prolonging" (Kaufman 26). We have made death taboo, burying it in soil and decorating it with engraved stones. Death is the cease of all thinking, functions in one's body, and most importantly, the nerves that allow us to perceive and feel pain. This is certainly a factor in which we struggle to incorporate into the frameworks that are the building blocks of our decisions dealing with sickness and death.
It's incredibly important, if not necessary, that we attempt to understand what influences our decisions dealing with illness and dying because in the future, we can spare ourselves from potential or maybe fatal consequences. By exploring the dominant practices of illness and dying in our society, we can better understand how our society began to shape itself to make canny decisions as well as the inept decisions that are the foundation of our morals and values. This culminating experiential project proved to be extremely enjoyable, productive, and helpful to me because I have "expanded my horizons," as cliche as it may seem. I've gained insight on how we develop mental arguments that contradict each other that somehow mesh to create an over-arching decision that will more or less impact our lives. Whatever decisions we choose to make in the event of something detrimental to our health, we are all headed to that obscure land of death.
Works Cited
-"ALSA." What is ALS?. N.p., 10/2008. Web. 15 Jan 2011. <http://www.alsa.org/als/what.cfm>.
-Lyon, Mary . "ALSA." Reasons for Living With ALS. N.p., 13/12/1998. Web. 15 Jan 2011. <http://www.alsa.org/patient/living.cfm>.
-"PBS." The Ewert Family Today Interview. N.p., n.d. Web.
<http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/suicidetourist/ewert/>.
-PBS." The Suicide Tourist. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Jan 2011. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/suicidetourist/view/>.
-Goffman, Erving. Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity. Prentice Hall. NJ. 1963.
-Kaufman, Sharon R. And A Time To Die: How American Hospitals Shape the End of Life. Simon and Schuster. New York. 2005.
Ewert's sad but riveting story allows us to gain insight on what we decide is morally right or wrong within the skirts of the controversial topic of physician assistance suicide and what is important to us. Craig had to weigh out the longevity of the pain and suffering he would have had to endure in the predicted 2-3 years, had he not chosen to die, and how this decision would affect his children and wife. In his last few days of living, he reasons, "At this point, I've got two choices. If I go through with it, I die, as I must at some point. If I don't go through with it, my choice is essentially to suffer and to inflict suffering on my family and then die--possibly in a way that is considerably more stressful and painful than this way. So I've got death, and I've got suffering and death." In an effort to better understand these words, I've interviewed five people, chosen at random, to ultimately reflect how one can make prudent decision, that is weighed downed by several variables: the suffering of the ALS holder, the suffering of family members, the desire for a "peaceful" death, the religious restraint that forbids committing suicide, stigmas, and several other aspects.
In the interviews I conducted, the pain and suffering of the victim of ALS seemed to be a recurring factor in the process of deciding whether one should choose to commit suicide or prolong one's death. However, the need for the ill person's caretaker to attend to tasks such as brushing one's teeth and moving one's limbs that should be done easily is somewhat of a burden among those who are given such responsibility according to Anna O' Connol, "I might feel as if I am compromising the life of the person who is taking care of me and feel a bit guilty about having to depend on others. Also, just the mere fact that I am unable to do very many things that I used to be able to do would most likely depress me." Through O' Connol's answer, we can see that the concept of having the depend on others, likely to be family members, is associated with a stigma because not being able to nurture oneself efficiently is considered a "physical deformity"(Goffman 4) and "an undesired differentness"(Goffman 5). Among the several stigmas, we strive for uniformity and control, and this strive is present in our obsessive or rather, prevalent need to survive as implied by Abdullah Sarwar, "I am scared of anything that I have no control over. So if the only way to stop my suffering is death, then so be it." Control over what happens to our body, the amount of pain that we receive, and the suffering that is inflicted onto our loved ones is of significance to us. To the extent that, it may cause a person to "be more inclined to stay alive until the last moment" said Anna. The absence of pain is what constitutes as a "peaceful death."
Lastly, the dispute of whether committing suicide is morally right or wrong plays a big role in society but, is of little importance to Craig Ewert, as he is agnostic. Ewert provides us with wise words that make us rethink the whether the dominant discourse of society, which believes physician assistant suicide is wrong, is correct: "There are people who will look at this and say: 'No. Suicide is wrong. God had forbidden it. You cannot play God and take your own life' But you know what? This ventilator is playing God. If I had lived without access to technology, chances are I would be dead by now." Having noted that, we can see how this connects back to previous insights made earlier in the unit, in that our society has made "biomedical research advances all in hoping to prolong dying and reduce the pain and suffering, loneliness, and humiliation that are perceived to accompany life prolonging" (Kaufman 26). We have made death taboo, burying it in soil and decorating it with engraved stones. Death is the cease of all thinking, functions in one's body, and most importantly, the nerves that allow us to perceive and feel pain. This is certainly a factor in which we struggle to incorporate into the frameworks that are the building blocks of our decisions dealing with sickness and death.
It's incredibly important, if not necessary, that we attempt to understand what influences our decisions dealing with illness and dying because in the future, we can spare ourselves from potential or maybe fatal consequences. By exploring the dominant practices of illness and dying in our society, we can better understand how our society began to shape itself to make canny decisions as well as the inept decisions that are the foundation of our morals and values. This culminating experiential project proved to be extremely enjoyable, productive, and helpful to me because I have "expanded my horizons," as cliche as it may seem. I've gained insight on how we develop mental arguments that contradict each other that somehow mesh to create an over-arching decision that will more or less impact our lives. Whatever decisions we choose to make in the event of something detrimental to our health, we are all headed to that obscure land of death.
BELOW IS THE ENTIRE PROGRAM OF THE SUICIDE TOURIST
I highly suggest that you watch the entire 55 minute program. It honestly proved to be informative and life-changing in my experience.
BELOW IS THE DOWNLOAD LINK TO THE DOCUMENTED INTERVIEWS I CONDUCTED
Works Cited
-"ALSA." What is ALS?. N.p., 10/2008. Web. 15 Jan 2011. <http://www.alsa.org/als/what.cfm>.
-Lyon, Mary . "ALSA." Reasons for Living With ALS. N.p., 13/12/1998. Web. 15 Jan 2011. <http://www.alsa.org/patient/living.cfm>.
-"PBS." The Ewert Family Today Interview. N.p., n.d. Web.
<http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/suicidetourist/ewert/>.
-PBS." The Suicide Tourist. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Jan 2011. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/suicidetourist/view/>.
-Goffman, Erving. Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity. Prentice Hall. NJ. 1963.
-Kaufman, Sharon R. And A Time To Die: How American Hospitals Shape the End of Life. Simon and Schuster. New York. 2005.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
HW 29 - Reading and noting basic materials
Medical Care: (historically and now)
Health insurance was believed to have started during the colonial era and then later, in the twentieth century, the idea of using health insurance to help people deal with illness became a necessity in society. With every new development, there are bound to be costs. In Sick, Jonathan Cohn analyzes the history of health care and had come to find that "By the 1920s, the bills were becoming more that any American could bear" (Cohn 6). Unfortunately, the expenses of insurance still condemn us and in result, "According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 45 million of us lack coverage" (Land Mark 65). In the future, Obama plans to enforce Patient and Affordable Care Act, which will take place in 2014, in order to expand social society and provide affordable care and economic security to cover a predicted 32 million across the United States. This Act will help insure most americans, lower health plan prices, and make federal subsides possible. If this act succeeds, a remarkable "95 percent of U.S. citizens and other legal residents will have insurance within six years" (Landmark 73). As societies become wealthier, our prevalent need to spend more money on trying to stay healthy and live longer is necessary in trying to maintain a nation.
Hospital Culture:
As a society, we have become obsessed with trying to control death under all circumstances. We have made biomedical research advances all in hoping to prolong dying and reduce "the pain, suffering, loneliness, and humiliation that are perceived to accompany life prolonging" (Kaufman 26). In And A Time to Die: How American Hospitals Shape the End of Life, Sharon Kaufman gives us an outlook on Patient Self-Determination Act of 1990, where a patient must be informed of their right to make treatment choices. However, decisions are "constrained by hospital rules" (Kaufman 28). The Patient Self-Determination act, bordered by hospital rules, is a perfect example of a contradiction present in hospital culture. When one is considered to be dying only then "does it need to be acknowledged by hospital staff" (Kaufman 29). This unfortunate event somewhat defines the hospital systems and techniques which shape the forms of dying that occur. An odd statement in whole because hospitals are institutions in which illness should be prevented yet, most deaths occur because some diseases are unintentionally exacerbated at the hospital.
Being Sick:
I never really constituted Asthma as a sickness but, I know I've had Asthma ever since I was born. I'm not sure at what level my Asthma is at but, I'd like to think it's not severe for the sake of my well being. I think there is a certain stigma associated with Asthma as, I remember certain times in my life where I felt embarrassed to say that I had Asthma. It meant to me, that I was weak and could not breathe well enough on my own. Though, I've never used an asthma pump, the entirety made me feel below others. I felt as if I had to compensate for this "defect" and this was reason enough for me to start to play basketball in the 6th grade to prove I could run, without having any respiratory trouble. Being sick means embracing what is presented before you and working around whatever obstacles come about, to make the best out of what seems to be unfortunate.
Health insurance was believed to have started during the colonial era and then later, in the twentieth century, the idea of using health insurance to help people deal with illness became a necessity in society. With every new development, there are bound to be costs. In Sick, Jonathan Cohn analyzes the history of health care and had come to find that "By the 1920s, the bills were becoming more that any American could bear" (Cohn 6). Unfortunately, the expenses of insurance still condemn us and in result, "According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 45 million of us lack coverage" (Land Mark 65). In the future, Obama plans to enforce Patient and Affordable Care Act, which will take place in 2014, in order to expand social society and provide affordable care and economic security to cover a predicted 32 million across the United States. This Act will help insure most americans, lower health plan prices, and make federal subsides possible. If this act succeeds, a remarkable "95 percent of U.S. citizens and other legal residents will have insurance within six years" (Landmark 73). As societies become wealthier, our prevalent need to spend more money on trying to stay healthy and live longer is necessary in trying to maintain a nation.
Hospital Culture:
As a society, we have become obsessed with trying to control death under all circumstances. We have made biomedical research advances all in hoping to prolong dying and reduce "the pain, suffering, loneliness, and humiliation that are perceived to accompany life prolonging" (Kaufman 26). In And A Time to Die: How American Hospitals Shape the End of Life, Sharon Kaufman gives us an outlook on Patient Self-Determination Act of 1990, where a patient must be informed of their right to make treatment choices. However, decisions are "constrained by hospital rules" (Kaufman 28). The Patient Self-Determination act, bordered by hospital rules, is a perfect example of a contradiction present in hospital culture. When one is considered to be dying only then "does it need to be acknowledged by hospital staff" (Kaufman 29). This unfortunate event somewhat defines the hospital systems and techniques which shape the forms of dying that occur. An odd statement in whole because hospitals are institutions in which illness should be prevented yet, most deaths occur because some diseases are unintentionally exacerbated at the hospital.
Being Sick:
I never really constituted Asthma as a sickness but, I know I've had Asthma ever since I was born. I'm not sure at what level my Asthma is at but, I'd like to think it's not severe for the sake of my well being. I think there is a certain stigma associated with Asthma as, I remember certain times in my life where I felt embarrassed to say that I had Asthma. It meant to me, that I was weak and could not breathe well enough on my own. Though, I've never used an asthma pump, the entirety made me feel below others. I felt as if I had to compensate for this "defect" and this was reason enough for me to start to play basketball in the 6th grade to prove I could run, without having any respiratory trouble. Being sick means embracing what is presented before you and working around whatever obstacles come about, to make the best out of what seems to be unfortunate.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
HW 28 - Comments 2
For Amber (T/W Team),
Amber, Your post is truly beautiful. The details you used posed as a perfect way to introduce this situation. The best part of your blog post was, " I watch as his chest repeats a countless cycle of slowly rising and falling." It really created a picture in my mind, an incredible visual aid. On this blog post, I am going to focus on the modality, Proofreading. Your punctuation is almost perfect, some flaws here and there. You should think about making your main points more concise, though I think your attention to detail compensates for that. BiancaFor Kevin (T/W Team),
Kevin, I am also commenting on your response based on perspective. Your story was very powerful. One thing that I would recommend for you to do next time is to write looking through your grandmother's perspective. I believe that this would further not only your understanding of your reactions but, your understanding of how your grandmother deals with illness. Another thing that I would suggest is to maybe elaborate on the setting of where your grandmother and provide details that would create a picture in my mind or something that I would not expect to read. I really loved the last two sentences of your last paragraph. "She's a fighter. She always said all she wanted was ten more years. And that was eleven years ago. " Although our culture presents death as inevitable and sometimes makes the idea of evading death ludicrous, these two sentences definitely induced some hope in me.Bianca
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Comment from Mentor (Pam Smith/Casey's Mom)
I also feel uncomfortable around the elderly. They make me feel awkward and pitying and superior - and even frightened sometimes.
And yet in spite of all that, I wish you had really spoken to Bernice. I wonder what a few questions from you would have meant to her, and when was the last time she had a real conversation with someone who didn't have to visit her.
Comment from Younger Person (Spencer)
Bianca, I really like your descriptiveness and depth in your writing. You made me feel like I was right there in the hospital hallway. I too wish that you had talked to Bernice, too find out who she was and who she had been. I liked your connection to the bigger picture: Does a person's sickness make it more difficult to have an interest in his or her life? I would have liked if you expanded on that idea more.
Comment from Kevin (T/W Team)
Bianca, I read your post looking for perspective. I figured this being a personal account that i would find this whole piece to be written from your perspective with your thoughts. But it wasn't. You questioned what Bernice was thinking. You tried to figure out what she was thinking looking up at you.
While reading this piece you feel like you are almost inside your head. You displayed your thoughts, what was going on, and the affects it had on you both in an interesting matter, and appropriately.
This post had a very strong readers voice, and simultaneously provided great insights and descriptions. This honestly one of the best posts I've read so far.
-Kevin
While reading this piece you feel like you are almost inside your head. You displayed your thoughts, what was going on, and the affects it had on you both in an interesting matter, and appropriately.
This post had a very strong readers voice, and simultaneously provided great insights and descriptions. This honestly one of the best posts I've read so far.
-Kevin
Comment from Amber (T/W Team)
Bianca, I am providing you feedback based on the depth and insight you provided in this assignment. Reading your response made me feel as if I was there with you while you were visiting Bernice. I can picture her frail body laying in bed, with nothing much left to do in this world. I enjoyed the descriptive details you used, while learning about your internship at Mount Sinai hospital. You gave some nice insights to the reader when you were connecting your experience of visiting Bernice to the presentation Beth gave us about her husband's death. Although, I would have liked it better if you had went a bit more further with these insights. I felt like your description overpowered your insights. For next time I would advise you to keep your insights proportional to your details. You left me with an urge to read more of how this can connect to other sources we referred to in this unit. Overall you did a nice job.
Amber
Amber
Saturday, January 1, 2011
HW 27 - Visiting an unwell person
I was never fond of the beige and white colored walls of the hospitals. Ironically, I pass these walls every thursday during my internship as Mount Sinai Hospital. During my one hour break, I took my time to choose a room, in which an ill person was situated, to observe. After a good minute, I had chosen a room and peeked slightly inside the room so my presence would not startle anyone. The wrinkles on her forehead told me she had spent a fair amount of time on this earth and the movement of her hands were slow and shaky. Admittedly, I felt like an intruder because I was observing a stranger in their most vulnerable state. I stood, leaned against the wall, looking from a distance through her door. I realize the distance I set between me and this frail old woman was because I was uncomfortable and thought my presence would be completely unwelcoming. The feeling of welcome fled as soon as a number of doctors and family members of patients gave me ambiguous looks and were probably wondering what I was doing just standing in a hallway. I'm not sure what to make out of my reaction. As the frail woman smiled weakly at me, I offered a pitiful smile and somehow felt I should explain to her why I was standing in the hallway and what my intentions of doing so were. Unfortunately, I didn't even though I should have. Soon after, I had learned her name as a woman greeted and asked the woman, "Hello Bernice, how are you feeling?"
The bed that Bernice was laying on looked uncomfortable and stiff, as I imagine all hospital beds are like. From her neck down, Bernice didn't move a bit. Her head would turn once in a while as she adjusted her view to something that caught her eye. I wondered what she spent her day thinking about; was it her grandchildren? Does she have grandchildren? The faces she saw? The white lab coats doctors wore? One can assume correctly that I never found out what she was thinking so, my thoughts wandered onto the next thing. The beeping sounds that had momentarily bothered me hadn't a observable influence on Bernice. Though it was remarkably quiet, the distinct beeping noises rang through my ears. Bulky machines, held up by some faulty tables, made little noises that I could only think would be heard in hospitals. As I tried to decipher what Bernice was thinking, her blank expression offered me nothing. It looked as if she was neither sad or happy.
In the time I spent observing Bernice, I had learned nothing of her past or her future. I saw the sickness of a frail women, the lack of personal items such as flowers, paintings, and get well cards in her room, the lack of windows, and the abundance of pitiful smiles from nurses and people alike. I believe when we see a person with a sickness, the ability to admire or have interest in their future and past is gone. I've come to understand this concept more through Beth Bernett's experience with life and death. Beth had said that it's difficult to look past a patient's illness to realize that they once had a colorful past. When Erik, Beth's now deceased husband, was sick in the hospital, Beth put Erik's paintings in Erik's hospital room to provide strangers a look into Erik's career, life, and family. By doing so, people could see Erik not just as a terminal patient but, a strong-willed man with a successful art career and a family.
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