Hwk 26

Sicko: Fifty Million Americans have no access to health insurance

Near Death: Doctors make every effort to make the ill patients family content, instead of doing what is best for the patient, life isn’t always the best option for the extremely ill.

Class discussion and Beth’s presentation: We tend to keep illness and death hidden away in hospitals

Mountains Beyond Mountains: For an individual who pursues a career in the medical field it is always best to make every ounce of effort in order to keep one alive. At least at the end you wouldn’t be as regretful.

Near Death: We try to dance around the idea that one will die, so we turn to phrases such as: “it’s in God’s hands” to make it seem like there is still hope, when in reality there isn’t much left

I was able to benefit from all the sources used while taking part of this course titled illness and dying. The class discussions, guest speaker, book, and documentaries all assisted in making me mold the idea of how illness and dying is taken as in our community. It is hard to choose one specific source, but if I had to I would choose the presentation done by the guest speaker. I was glad to take part of Beth’s presentation while she discussed with us her personal experience with her husband’s sudden illness and death. Not only was it nice to have a new face in the classroom, but I was also glad to have her insights on such a topic. Not many of us are open about death or illness; we refer to it as we would for a private matter. Instead, Beth was brave enough to discuss a personal and horrific event that too place in her life with a room full of strangers. Having her come in definitely helped me form an idea of how illness and death is carried out in our culture.

I am sure that we are all clear that we are afraid of death; but why is this? I know we have touched on this a bit with the idea of taboo, but I want to dig deeper into this. Why are we oh so afraid about dying? I guess I am being hypocritical here because I too am afraid of death…but what causes this feel of apprehension? What is to blame for it? I think a class discussion about this would be nice. Or maybe we can question a seriously sick person about this matter. Why are we willing to do anything just so we can live in this obstacle course titled “life”? We are always struggling while we take a part of life; trying to learn how to ride a bike, stressing about doing well in school, trying to maintain a good profile, etc… But why are we willing to do all this just so we can grow old and have it all taken away with a blink of an eye. We are well aware that we will approach death one day, so why make all these struggles in life and waste all this time? Why not have your life taken away the instant it is given to you?

To be honest, I never took the time to think about illness and dying before taking a part of this unit. After hearing what Beth had to say, reading the book I was assigned to read and watching the documentaries in class I am now able to look at illness and death from a different angle. Watching Sicko was a unique way to see how our country compares and contrasts to other countries when it comes to health care. Near Death tended to take a different approach of illness and dying. By viewing what went on in the Beth Israel hospital located in Boston, I was able to see what goes on in the life of a doctor and a sick patient. The relationship they have and what not. It made me aware that society doesn’t really make the patient his or her first priority. I guess in some way they do, but as Beth said, sometimes you just have to let go. But why are we so damn afraid of letting go?

I feel as if in order to make a unit “complete” we should go on a trip as a class, so we can go out into the real world and see what we were taught in action for ourselves. I think a trip to a nursing home would be appropriate for this specific unit. It can be an all day trip, a one to one session with an elderly or sick person. Sometimes drugs are not the only cure for the sick and dying. Its always nice to see a new face, and know that someone is out there that is willing to spend their time helping another. I would also like to read the thoughts of more people about Illness and death in our culture.