For Bianca:
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.
For Amber:
I don't exactly agree with everything that you said, but I think your post was very thought provoking. Overall it was a well-structured post. Every paragraph stuck to one idea. This made it very easy to follow what you were saying, and ultimately get the points you were making. I think one of the best points that you brought up was the one where you were talking about how people react to others dying. While I don't think that everyone is selfish, that more people are confused then selfish. But you make the point clearly, and it's thought provoking. A lot of the blog posts I've read make me think a little. But by asking so many questions this gets me thinking a lot. Good work.
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From Bianca:
Kevin,
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.
Bianca
From Amber:
I agreed with what you had to say. You were able to sum up to the reader about all the insights you have about illness and dying in our culture. I liked the last part the most; you are right, we are not required to follow the dominant social practices that much of our society tends to follow. There are a number of alternatives out there, but society has raised us in a way so that we are accustomed to the general social norms. I feel the same way after taking a part of this unit; the next time I get sick I won't have the same thoughts as I did in the past. I was able to connect myself with much of what you had to say throught this post. Keep this up, because it really got me thinking. For next time though, I would advise you to proof read; you made a couple of grammar mistakes.
From Ryan (Brother, Younger):
I think that the best lines from your homework were, "While there are nightmarish dominant social practices, there's no law requiring us to follow them. I think that the most important thing I learned in this unit is that there usually are alternatives to the dominant social practices most of us follow. And sometimes the alternatives are better then what everybody else thinks is the best option. It's up to us to act on it. " Because it gives a good conclusion for all the points you made before it. One thing you could have done better was write more about all the points you made.
From Leon (Dad, Older):
I think that this is one of your least organized posts. Its a lot of information thats touched upon, but there's no real explanations. It is just hard to follow. But I also think that the ending of it was very strong, "And sometimes the alternatives are better then what everybody else thinks is the best option. It's up to us to act on it. " It shows that nothing is going to happen without you making it happen. That if you want something to happen one way, it's on you to make it that way.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Homework 32- Final Thoughts of the Unit
Over the course of our illness and dying unit I've realized something. Our dominant social practices suck. The U.S. government doesn't fund the right programs. Our health system is too money-based. Dying is kept separate from the outside world. We, for the most part, have no connection with our doctors. We have a system to try to cure diseases that could have been prevented. There's a lot of healthy alternatives to pathological medicine that are overlooked. The list goes on and on. Because our system is so flawed people fear death more then they should. The most nightmarish thing about this? That it won't change because have learned to follow the system we already have. That there is so much opposition to whatever anybody proposes that any small victories to reform (The heathcare bill that was just passed) the system are surprising.
Personally this unit has made me view illness and dying a little differently. Before I thought, I get sick, I go to the doctor, they fix me, yeah all better. Now I view it as I get sick, I think "Is there anything I can do to fix this without going to the doctor?", then I'll decide what to do. Oh it also inspired me to move to Canada (Not definite, looking at some colleges there.) From watching Near Death I now have a slight fear of hospitals. It turns out that they're just death factories. But it made me think that it may be better to just die naturally at home. That in-home care is less costly and can lead to a better quality of life.
While there are nightmarish dominant social practices, there's no law requiring us to follow them. I think that the most important thing I learned in this unit is that there usually are alternatives to the dominant social practices most of us follow. And sometimes the alternatives are better then what everybody else thinks is the best option. It's up to us to act on it.
Personally this unit has made me view illness and dying a little differently. Before I thought, I get sick, I go to the doctor, they fix me, yeah all better. Now I view it as I get sick, I think "Is there anything I can do to fix this without going to the doctor?", then I'll decide what to do. Oh it also inspired me to move to Canada (Not definite, looking at some colleges there.) From watching Near Death I now have a slight fear of hospitals. It turns out that they're just death factories. But it made me think that it may be better to just die naturally at home. That in-home care is less costly and can lead to a better quality of life.
While there are nightmarish dominant social practices, there's no law requiring us to follow them. I think that the most important thing I learned in this unit is that there usually are alternatives to the dominant social practices most of us follow. And sometimes the alternatives are better then what everybody else thinks is the best option. It's up to us to act on it.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Homework 31- Comments 3.
For Jasper:
Knowing that we were doing the same project, I thought I'd read yours. I think that we took different angles and focused on different aspects of it, but overall it was a good post. You did solid research and recapped well. I think that both of our projects were good even though we looked at the same topic from different standpoints. Good work Burt.
For Bianca:
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.
For Beatrice:
Personally, I thought that your speech was the best in the class. The project that you chose to do was very creative. The topic you picked was something I never really thought about. I guess it's just something that is brought up in our first-world society. Or that I'm just not politically aware. But either way it's very interesting. One thing that it brought to mind for me was "Well why aren't people aloud to sell organs? I bet it would encourage a lot more donors." Good post. I like your writing style.
For Amber:
I read your post for depth and insight. I found myself shaking my head while reading your post, not because it is bad, but because it made me think about all the times I blindly trusted someone. That we find ourselves trusting people we don't know all the time, to make our food, to treat us while were sick, to teach us, and the list goes on and on. I think if something is insightful it gets you thinking. That's what your post does. It makes you think, what if this is happening to someone I know. Based off of your research there's a 16% chance it could be. It opens your eyes to things. This project had a lot of depth, as well as great insights.
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From Amber:
I read your post while looking for depth and insight. I liked the topic you chose; to be honest I wasn’t really fond for learning about the HMOs and the health care flaws in the United States. But after reading your assignment, I was able to fully understand our flawed system and how it makes “bad things happen to good people”. I thought you made a great decision of interviewing a homeless man. Usually in our society we try to ignore the homeless and go amongst our daily lives as they live their lives on the streets as wallflowers. From what I can remember, I have never made an attempt to approach a homeless individual to ask about their personal life. While you were sharing the experiment you conducted in the outside world, I was able to learn that this was only one person out of the many who are suffering from a flawed health care system. While reading this I was able to understand where you stand at regarding this nationwide healthcare dilemma. For next time, I would advise you to proof read as there were a few grammar mistakes. Otherwise, nice job.
Amber
From Bianca:
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.
From Ryan (Younger, Little brother):
I wouldn't have thought of interviewing a homeless guy if I had to do a project like this. That's good creativity. I think your best line was: "Illness and dying are things that from the surface seem pretty straightforward. People think that you just go to the hospital, either get better or die. In reality there are many factors to illness and dying." I think this because it is a good introduction and gets the person reading it interested.
Knowing that we were doing the same project, I thought I'd read yours. I think that we took different angles and focused on different aspects of it, but overall it was a good post. You did solid research and recapped well. I think that both of our projects were good even though we looked at the same topic from different standpoints. Good work Burt.
For Bianca:
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.
For Beatrice:
Personally, I thought that your speech was the best in the class. The project that you chose to do was very creative. The topic you picked was something I never really thought about. I guess it's just something that is brought up in our first-world society. Or that I'm just not politically aware. But either way it's very interesting. One thing that it brought to mind for me was "Well why aren't people aloud to sell organs? I bet it would encourage a lot more donors." Good post. I like your writing style.
For Amber:
I read your post for depth and insight. I found myself shaking my head while reading your post, not because it is bad, but because it made me think about all the times I blindly trusted someone. That we find ourselves trusting people we don't know all the time, to make our food, to treat us while were sick, to teach us, and the list goes on and on. I think if something is insightful it gets you thinking. That's what your post does. It makes you think, what if this is happening to someone I know. Based off of your research there's a 16% chance it could be. It opens your eyes to things. This project had a lot of depth, as well as great insights.
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From Amber:
I read your post while looking for depth and insight. I liked the topic you chose; to be honest I wasn’t really fond for learning about the HMOs and the health care flaws in the United States. But after reading your assignment, I was able to fully understand our flawed system and how it makes “bad things happen to good people”. I thought you made a great decision of interviewing a homeless man. Usually in our society we try to ignore the homeless and go amongst our daily lives as they live their lives on the streets as wallflowers. From what I can remember, I have never made an attempt to approach a homeless individual to ask about their personal life. While you were sharing the experiment you conducted in the outside world, I was able to learn that this was only one person out of the many who are suffering from a flawed health care system. While reading this I was able to understand where you stand at regarding this nationwide healthcare dilemma. For next time, I would advise you to proof read as there were a few grammar mistakes. Otherwise, nice job.
Amber
From Bianca:
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.
From Ryan (Younger, Little brother):
I wouldn't have thought of interviewing a homeless guy if I had to do a project like this. That's good creativity. I think your best line was: "Illness and dying are things that from the surface seem pretty straightforward. People think that you just go to the hospital, either get better or die. In reality there are many factors to illness and dying." I think this because it is a good introduction and gets the person reading it interested.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Homework 30- Illness and dying project
Illness and dying are things that from the surface seem pretty straightforward. People think that you just go to the hospital, either get better or die. In reality there are many factors to illness and dying. The factor that I decided to explore for my final project is paying for care.
This aspect of illness and dying relates to two of the resources from the unit, Sick, by Jonathon Cohn, and Michael Moore’s documentary, Sicko. Both resources explain how caring for the illness and dying is usually paid for. In America, most people have healthcare. This is usually provided through their employers. The companies the issue healthcares are called HMOs (Health Maintenance Organizations) and they approve or deny certain treatments. What this means is that the HMOs can decide if they want to pay for operations. As we learned from Sicko, this system is flawed because the HMOs are all about maximizing profit. The less money they spend on unnecessary procedures, (and what turns out to be some necessary procedures too) the better.
One thing that I found interesting from the movie Sicko was when a man had to choose between paying $12,000 to reattach his ring finger or $60,000 to reattach his middle finger after he had cut the tips of each off with a power saw. I found it appalling that he had to make this choice. But then it made me think even deeper, what about the people that NEED amputations. They don’t have a choice; they’re paying that $60,000 no matter what.
To further my knowledge about healthcare coverage and amputation I researched what percentage of people have healthcare and how much amputations cost without insurance. The Daily News reported that the Census Bereau discovered there were 46.3 million Americans without health insurance in 2009. As well as the 15.4 percent people in America living without health insurance, 13.2 percent were living in poverty. Which correlates well because the leading cause of bankruptcy in America is because of health expenses. As well as the information above, I discovered that a amputation without health insurance costs on average $40,000 for the surgery itself. The total costs of it would be well over $100,000.
Taking these ideas in to the real world, I wanted to interview somebody that has been affected by these costs. I don’t actually know anybody that has gotten an amputation, and didn’t know where to look. But sometimes things just work out. Usually when you walk down the street you see homeless people, with dirty clothes and scruffy beards. Some you can see the effects of drug abuse and smell the alcohol. Luckily for me, I found one out of the ordinary. He had a clean shaved beard, fairly clean clothes, and smelt nothing of alcohol. Oh yeah, and he had no legs. I felt awkward approaching somebody on the street to talk about something that could be a sensitive topic. But I had no other options. He was reading the Daily News, so I assumed he was pretty educated. I explained to him about the class and then, I asked him what happened, and why he had his legs amputated. He wasn’t hesitant to answer at all. He said that he got into a car accident on the L.I.E a couple of years ago. He said the front end of his car was smashed and pushed up. It shattered his legs. When he arrived at the hospital (Northshore-LIJ) they explained that he had to have both of his legs amputated. But what he didn’t know is that his insurance wouldn’t cover the emergency surgeries. He explained that it cost $80,000 per leg. One from the knee-down, the other from above the knee. After his surgery he had to do months of rehab. This happened to him in 2009, when all the jobs were being lost. When he finished his rehab, he didn’t have a job to go back to. He went from making a steady salary at Chase. To being bankrupt living on the street. All because his health insurance (blue cross) didn’t cover his treatments. He said his name was Ryan, that he wasn’t all that bad off, as had places to stay, and he is currently looking for a job, and he thinks that he’ll be okay. I thanked him for his time and put a ten in his cup. He smiled thanked me and I walked away.
This experience taught me that sometimes things aren’t what they seem, that bad things happen to good people. That, and our health care system is messed up. I think that things need to be changed for our healthcare systems to be anywhere close to those of France or Sweden. It also shows the coorelation with the socioeconomic dived. 13.2 percent of people in America are living in poverty, 15.4 percent of Americans don’t have healthcare, there can be lines drawn between them. This matters because things are happening to people that don’t deserve it.
Sourceshttp://www.nydailynews.com/money/personal_finance/2009/09/10/2009-09-10_number_of_americans_without_health_insurance_rises_to_463m.html?page=0
http://www.costhelper.com/cost/health/amputation.html
http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/hlthins/hlthins.html
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Homework 29- Basic Reading Materials
Heatlhcare/History of Healthcare In America
The first health care system in America was developed in the 1880’s, and it was pay-for-service. People would pay out of their pocket to the doctor based on the type of service. (For example, $1 for a check-up, $5 for a house visit, ect.) This system remained until the 1920’s. In 1929, with the onset of the great depression, many hospitals were going broke. At Baylor Hospital in Dallas, they had a way to stay open. “The hospital would provide up to twenty days of care to any teacher willing to pay a monthly contribution of fifty cents, so as long as three-quarters of the systems teachers agreed.” (Cohn, 9.) This was the nation’s first health insurance. It covered teachers in the Dallas school system. It worked because the fifty cents from every teacher covered the costs of total care, plus extra to pay off debt.
After these single hospital insurance plans started becoming popular; multiple-hospital insurance systems started to rise. In 1934 there was a major insurance plan created. The “Blue Cross plan” was a plan where workers got insured from their employers. By 1938, 2.8 million people had signed up. By 1950, 20 million. This system was widely accepted, as by 1980 almost all of Americans working at major corporations were insured. It worked fairly well until companies could not afford to keep solid benefits for every employee.
In 1974, President Richard Nixon authorized HMO’s, or health maintenance organizations to be established. These organizations are basically middlemen in between patients and hospitals. The HMO’s authorize what procedures can and cannot be done for patients, and then the HMO’s pay for whatever procedures that are done. This system is created to maximize profit for the HMO’s. It has been used since 1974 until now.
There has recently been a health care bill passed that will reform the system. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (2010) tries to get as many people healthcare as possible. The new health care system will not be universal, just more affordable. It stops insurance companies from denying anybody who seeks and can afford health care. It will also set standards for who is covered under the government Medicaid system, extending it to many more then who have it now. It will cost around one trillion dollars in between 2010 and 2020.
Heatlhcare/History of Healthcare In America (Condensed)
Paying for treatment hasn’t been the same in America over the past one hundred years. Sick by Jonathon Cohn teaches that until the 1920’s all services were pay-per-service. (Page 6.) It also teaches that the first form of healthcare was at a single hospital, covering a single network of people. (Dallas School teachers) This system then became adapted by other hospitals and evolved to become a multiple hospital system. Then an insurance company, which provides health insurance through the employer, was created. It was called the blue cross and is still around today. The insurance through employers grew and it is still how most people get their health insurance. (Page 8-9.) We learned from Sicko, a film by Michael Moore, that in 1974 President Richard Nixon passed an act in 1973 to establish HMO’s Health Maintenance Organizations). These organizations are for profit, and play the middle-man between hospitals and patients. They approve (agree to pay for) and deny procedures/treatment. These company’s have been used ever since 1973.
According to Landmark, a book written by the staff of the Washington Post, there has recently been a health care bill passed that will reform the system. It is attempting to make healthcare available to anybody who wants it. (67) The major changes will take place between 2010 and 2020. (68-69) It’s main purpose to extend healthcare to the people who cannot afford it right now.
Being Sick
Being sick can be a tough time for anybody. In America there is two basic ways to get treated. Allopathically and homeopathically. Allopathically is the more “traditional” type of medicine. Antibiotics, over-the-counter drugs, and going to the doctor. Homeopathic medicine is more “Alternative”. It can include things like acupuncture, drinking soups and teas, and massage. It is a more natural way of healing. Based off of personal experience, I would say allopathic medicine is more efficient and effective, but trying to let my body fight disease on it’s own is preferred. There will be people defending both sides, but the allopathic medicine will carry the majority of supporters. This in part is due to the fact that people listen to scientists and doctors, and doctors usually support allopathic medicine.
The Process of Dying
Dying in America is usually done hospitals. A movie called Near-Death illustrates this dying, showing raw footage of doctors interacting with patients, discussing how to deal with patients, and handling their deaths. It shows that dying is emotional for families and that doctors try to stay as emotionally detached as possible. But it isn’t like that for everybody that is dying. In our Class we had a guest speaker who recounted the death of her husband for us. She explained how she made a home death for her husband, and how it may not have pleasurable, it was a more emotional and intimate then it would have been in a hospital. Dying in America can happen in many was, and some can be more pleasurable the others.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Homework 28- Comments
For my team.
For Amber:
I read this post looking for depth and insight. This post had a lot of powerful questions and great insights. An example of this from your first paragraph would be, "Atop the table besides him sits a bouquet of flowers. How will this contribute in making him feel better? Did placing these flowers here guarantee that he will be living another day? Why waste all this money to show pity?" When you ask questions like these, it makes the reader think. I know it made me think, and it kind of just made a common practice in our society look stupid. Questions like these keep the reader interested and engaged. Furthermore, when you answer the questions you pose it gets the reader back into the account and takes them deeper. This writing was very detailed, very vivid and very interesting. It is one of those pieces where I can tell you put a lot of effort into the writing. Good work, I can't wait to read more!
For Bianca:
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
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Thinking/Writing Teams:
From Andy (Teacher),
Kevin,
Great writing.
Powerful feeling, and a little scary, that your all's company saved her? Imagine if you hadn't gone.
I grew up in Venice, went to college in Sarasota, and taught for 2 years in Naples.
Great writing.
Powerful feeling, and a little scary, that your all's company saved her? Imagine if you hadn't gone.
I grew up in Venice, went to college in Sarasota, and taught for 2 years in Naples.
Kevin,
I am commenting on your response based on perspective. You shared an interesting story about your grandmother being ill for some time and how she made a dramatic recovery by the help of oxygen tanks. As a reader this raises my hopes for many things in life. Usually in illness and death related situations we tend to ignore the worst and hope for the best. By witnessing your grandmother go through a phase of being seriously sick, you and your family became worried which triggered them to prepare for the worst. Your mother thought that your grandmother would be dead by August, yet the outcomes proved her wrong. Having this story take place in your life makes me feel that you have a different approach to illness and death in society. Our culture tends to ignore the obvious signs of bad news, by trying to think positive. I feel as if doing so does not help much, but in your case it did. Your grandmother is much healthier when compared to the state she was in some time ago. By reading this I felt like I have changed some of my personal views on death and illness. Your work will cause many to take a new approach on illness and death. Keep it up :)
Amber
I am commenting on your response based on perspective. You shared an interesting story about your grandmother being ill for some time and how she made a dramatic recovery by the help of oxygen tanks. As a reader this raises my hopes for many things in life. Usually in illness and death related situations we tend to ignore the worst and hope for the best. By witnessing your grandmother go through a phase of being seriously sick, you and your family became worried which triggered them to prepare for the worst. Your mother thought that your grandmother would be dead by August, yet the outcomes proved her wrong. Having this story take place in your life makes me feel that you have a different approach to illness and death in society. Our culture tends to ignore the obvious signs of bad news, by trying to think positive. I feel as if doing so does not help much, but in your case it did. Your grandmother is much healthier when compared to the state she was in some time ago. By reading this I felt like I have changed some of my personal views on death and illness. Your work will cause many to take a new approach on illness and death. Keep it up :)
Amber
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
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
From Leon (Dad, Upper),
This is one of your better pieces of writing. It had lot of detail, and the writing was fairly simple. My favorite line was the ending where you said, "She always said all she wanted was ten more years. And that was eleven years ago." It gave an ominous feel, and at the same time it makes you think about what will-power alone can do for you. This post was good and it is clear that you put a lot of thought into it. It gets the readers attention and if they read this post, they definitely would want to read others. One thing you could do better would be adding more transitions between ideas.
From Ryan (Brother, Lower),
I liked reading about this story because i was there for it. Everything you said was true and that's good because stories are always better when theyre true. I think a good part of your homework was "The thing I found most weird about the situation was that nobody could find out what was wrong with my Grandma." It made me think of all the times when I had something wrong and couldnt figure it out. I could relate to you there. Write more next time.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Homework 27- Visit someone who is dying.
Last summer I lived with someone who was very ill. My grandmother. I spent my whole summer in Florida helping my grandmother out. In none other then Andy's hometown of Naples. My grandma got sick around April of last year. I went to visit her for a week in May, and then as she got progressively worse, my brother, my mom and I had to go back down to Florida as soon as school ended.
The thing I found most weird about the situation was that nobody could find out what was wrong with my Grandma. Not one doctor. It's frustrating to not know. But my grandma didn't care if they knew or not. To tell you the truth I don't think she cared about trying to cure what was wrong with her. But she also didn't have the energy to do the things she wanted to. She was getting progressively worse. She went from 140 pounds to 100 in just a couple of months. Things looked grim for her. Nobody could figure out what was wrong.I guess I watch too much House, where every medical mystey is solved. I guess I've never been in a situation where there is just no solution. And there was just a point where everyone was giving up. My mom thought at one point my grandma would be dead by august. And I started to believe it when my grandma, one of the strongest people I know was down and out.
But then there was a revilation. Someone had the idea to bring in a oxygen tank for my grandma. Now fortunately my grandma has good insurance and they pay for the oxygen tanks and everything. After learning about all of the horror cases there are, it'd be unimaginable for my grandma to have to cover all the costs out of pocket. Well with this oxygen, my grandma started feeling better,she was up more, eating more, and gaining weight back. Her blood levels which were low went back up and she felt a little like her old self again. More importantly she was acting it. But it's not like the oxygen cured her. She still had her downs And when she did it was hard to deal with. I had never seen her like that. My mom hasn't. I don't think anyone has. I think the only thin that kept her alive was out company. The security that we were there for her.
Things turned around with the oxygen and Now monthly blood transfusions. I think they've stopped looking for what's wrong. And I think everyone is okay with that. She's a fighter. She always said all she wanted was ten more years. And that was eleven years ago.
But then there was a revilation. Someone had the idea to bring in a oxygen tank for my grandma. Now fortunately my grandma has good insurance and they pay for the oxygen tanks and everything. After learning about all of the horror cases there are, it'd be unimaginable for my grandma to have to cover all the costs out of pocket. Well with this oxygen, my grandma started feeling better,she was up more, eating more, and gaining weight back. Her blood levels which were low went back up and she felt a little like her old self again. More importantly she was acting it. But it's not like the oxygen cured her. She still had her downs And when she did it was hard to deal with. I had never seen her like that. My mom hasn't. I don't think anyone has. I think the only thin that kept her alive was out company. The security that we were there for her.
Things turned around with the oxygen and Now monthly blood transfusions. I think they've stopped looking for what's wrong. And I think everyone is okay with that. She's a fighter. She always said all she wanted was ten more years. And that was eleven years ago.
Homework 26- Looking forward and back in the unit
Insights & Ideas from the unit so far:
-The American healthcare system isn't as good as it can be. (Source: Michael Moore's Sicko)
-Socialized healthcare CAN work (Source: Michael Moore's Sicko)
- Kobe Bryant is the best player in the NBA (Source: Really? Common Knowledge)
-There will always be people that are sick and dying, but it is always possible to reduce that number. (Source: Mountains Beyond Mountains, Tracy Kidder)
-When it comes to helping the sick, you have to focus on their needs over anything else. (Source: Mountains Beyond Mountains, Tracy Kidder)
-Sometimes, no matter how much you believe you think you can do to save someone from death, there's just nothing you can do. (Source: Fredrick Wiseman's "Near Death")
-Calling a code may look cool and save people in movies, but in real life it rarely works or happens (Source: Fredrick Wiseman's "Near Death")
The Unit so far:
I think I've learned a little from each source that we've used. They've all been on different topics, and at the same time intertwine. "Sicko" was about healthcare in america, and it took a very subjective point of view of things. I liked "Sicko" mostly because I agreed with a lot of what Michael Moore is saying. I think that it present some good valid points, but at the same time some of it was really biased and didn't show the other side, and that took away some of the impact of what the film was saying. Mountains Beyond Mountains follows a doctor in Haiti that makes a difference. It mostly praises Doctor Paul Farmer's work while telling his story. I liked this source because it told the story about how one person can make a difference. I liked this source because it gave some good insight about sickness and dying in third world countries. What I didn't like is at some points it felt repetitive and hard to read. "Near Death" gave raw footage of a hospital's intensive care unit. What I liked about it was you saw what is really going on. It doesn't BS you. What annoyed me about "Near Death' was it jumped around a lot and sometimes it was hard to really understand what was going on. These three sources were all good because when put together were three different styles of work on three different topics in illness and dying. They give a well-rounded take on what it's like to be ill and/or dying.
I think that we've covered a good amount of topics/information in the illness and dying unit so far. One of the topics I am really interested in is U.S. healthcare and how it stacks up to other healthcare systems. I also think we should explore what changes have to be made in order for there to be a reform. We can do this by looking at what type of healthcare systems other countries have, and the advantages and disadvantages of these systems. We would have to explore the type of governments countries have and how that affects the healthcare. For example a country that is run with a socialist government is more likely to accept universal healthcare then one run by capitalists. Another topic that I think would be interesting to explore is medicine in the third world. We could explore how it's improving (or not improving). The way we could explore that would be through looking at average lifespans, HIV/AIDS figures, the figures of other diseases commonly associated with third world countries (TB, malaria, ect.). Illness and dying are interesting topics and I think exploring almost any topic would interest me.
-The American healthcare system isn't as good as it can be. (Source: Michael Moore's Sicko)
-Socialized healthcare CAN work (Source: Michael Moore's Sicko)
- Kobe Bryant is the best player in the NBA (Source: Really? Common Knowledge)
-There will always be people that are sick and dying, but it is always possible to reduce that number. (Source: Mountains Beyond Mountains, Tracy Kidder)
-When it comes to helping the sick, you have to focus on their needs over anything else. (Source: Mountains Beyond Mountains, Tracy Kidder)
-Sometimes, no matter how much you believe you think you can do to save someone from death, there's just nothing you can do. (Source: Fredrick Wiseman's "Near Death")
-Calling a code may look cool and save people in movies, but in real life it rarely works or happens (Source: Fredrick Wiseman's "Near Death")
The Unit so far:
I think I've learned a little from each source that we've used. They've all been on different topics, and at the same time intertwine. "Sicko" was about healthcare in america, and it took a very subjective point of view of things. I liked "Sicko" mostly because I agreed with a lot of what Michael Moore is saying. I think that it present some good valid points, but at the same time some of it was really biased and didn't show the other side, and that took away some of the impact of what the film was saying. Mountains Beyond Mountains follows a doctor in Haiti that makes a difference. It mostly praises Doctor Paul Farmer's work while telling his story. I liked this source because it told the story about how one person can make a difference. I liked this source because it gave some good insight about sickness and dying in third world countries. What I didn't like is at some points it felt repetitive and hard to read. "Near Death" gave raw footage of a hospital's intensive care unit. What I liked about it was you saw what is really going on. It doesn't BS you. What annoyed me about "Near Death' was it jumped around a lot and sometimes it was hard to really understand what was going on. These three sources were all good because when put together were three different styles of work on three different topics in illness and dying. They give a well-rounded take on what it's like to be ill and/or dying.
I think that we've covered a good amount of topics/information in the illness and dying unit so far. One of the topics I am really interested in is U.S. healthcare and how it stacks up to other healthcare systems. I also think we should explore what changes have to be made in order for there to be a reform. We can do this by looking at what type of healthcare systems other countries have, and the advantages and disadvantages of these systems. We would have to explore the type of governments countries have and how that affects the healthcare. For example a country that is run with a socialist government is more likely to accept universal healthcare then one run by capitalists. Another topic that I think would be interesting to explore is medicine in the third world. We could explore how it's improving (or not improving). The way we could explore that would be through looking at average lifespans, HIV/AIDS figures, the figures of other diseases commonly associated with third world countries (TB, malaria, ect.). Illness and dying are interesting topics and I think exploring almost any topic would interest me.
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