Extra Credit for Semester

Volunteering at Henry Street Nursing home was one of the best experiences for me. But at the same time it was extremely heartbreaking. It's an eye opener to see people so broken, it's hard dirty work, but a rewarding experience.You learn in only a short time being their you can't save them all but for a brief moment you can put a smile on their face.It can be some real sepressing stuff , you cant talk to t about certain stuff. You're preaty much trained before you start into what you can ask and what you cant.

I found volunteering I did alot of talking , reading , and handing things to the residents their. I think this was because many residents in nursing homes have no one to talk to so the love to talk and just have someone listen.But what I loved about these older people , and I think older people in general is they love to hear my stories to, they listen so well. Maybe in a way they live a little bit of their youth again through me.

Volunteering their I wasnt able to do anything dirty or anything that would put residents in danger.I would see some of these people being wheeled around in wheelchair's and just sit and wonder how they must of felt. I would see the staff have to touch blood, urine, feces or anything that looks dirty.It was the serious side of the situation.It would be almost surreal at one moment to see that then in the next to be sitting with them play cards or bingo .

HW 33

Javon Blog:

"This process can be easily overwhelming , taking this slow will get your body and mind prepared for the task making things more straightforward. " I found this to be a very intresting statemet. I think this sums up illness and dying as a whole because the process is indeed for most overwhelming. Most cant even ddress the topic.I think Javon you had some great insights, and a overall good post.I wonder are making healthy relationships as important as living a health life or are they even one in the same ?

Rigel Blog:


This make me think of a quote by Martin Luther King , Don’t let anybody make you think that God chose America as his divine messianic force to be a sort of policeman of the whole world. God has a way of standing before the nations with justice judgment and it seems that I can hear God saying to America “you are too arrogant, and if you don’t change your ways, I will rise up and break the backbone of your power, and I will place it in the hands of a nation that doesn’t even know my name. Be still and know that I’m God.”

As American at times we have this feeling of being all knowing.That its the American way or no way. And in this illness and dying , I believe our eyes were open to the endless possiblites of caring for the sick. You have a very nicw sum up of your take on this unit great job.

HW 32 - Thoughts following illness & dying unit

This unit of illness and dying made me think its Its funny how life works. One moment your sitting at a table surronded by family , then in the next your wondering what happen? It's werid its like the mintue your born its a count down to your adventual death .

Illness and dying is a reminder. A reminder that life is fragile one moment you can be sitting around a crowded dinner table and in the next layed out in a operating room.But what does this mean ? Are we suppose to pretend that these moments dont parrel eacthother ? That with joy pain is soon to fellow ?

Im not sure.I guess theirs only so much preparing for illness, dying and eventual death we can prepare for.Their no manual, theirs nothing one can say. So maybe it not about preparing but understanding. Understanding that while moments like thanksgiving can be aackward and ruff , their the moments where everybody is smiling.These are the moments that are pricless. Understanding this maybe wont make getting sick or dying good or happy but aleast at those final moments maybe you can smile and it gets alittle easier.

HW 31 - Comments 3

Javon Blog:

I think your project really got a grasp on the whole unit. I found it very insightful how you had to persepectives of losing a mother but from oppsite age groups. I feel your project had reak substance and overall well done.I found this part very intresting " we do not only leave our lives in the hands of doctors and hospitals we will have a better chance of living for a longer period of time. The doctors jobs are to too aid us when we are in need but our number one priority should be looking out for ourselves." I agree to some point that weve put so much responsibility in our doctors hands that we have no stake in our own health.

Sarah T Blog :

This was very insightful project. I found it intresting how you compared and contrasted two types of doctors,"The doctor was to represent the dominant social practices and the acupuncture therapist was to represent the un-dominant social practices." . I couldnt believe health insurance companies would pay for acupuncture sense it more of a alernative medical treatment.


Alex Blog:

I found your project to be so intreasting and heart felt. I cant imagine seeing some one commit suicide and how it must change your outlook to the world . Your idea about the mind dying and the body wanting to live was a very insightful point which Ive never thought about before. "How can the mental part of you want to die but the physical part of you want to keep going? "


Rigel Blog:

I felt the idea that we all want be part of the the world even after death to be rather intresting. It almost stunning how many different culutures have tryed to go about it to accomplish that very goal. It maks me wonder in the long arch of human history are we simply repeating trying to fulfill the same goals ? I like the thought that all societies can have commonalities while staying true

HW 30: A Way To Go

For my project I decided to face a fear of mine, I decided to open up about my grandmother dying in the hospital.

My grandmother was diagnosed with stomach cancer. In her final days, she had been sleeping a lot. The day she died, I was visiting her at the hospital her along with my mom . I had noticed that she was staring straight into the distance, she had a glazed look in her eyes, I didn't know what to do, I was confused and scared. I also remembered being shocked seeing the urinary catheter that she had had filled with urine. It was meant so she could pass urine and feces.

On the day my grandmother passed, I remember walking into my mother's room seeing her crying. Then I went with her to vist my grandmother dead. It was surreal my grandmother, my friend was gone. Illness and dying affects everyone, not only the person sick. Life is a series of moments flashing bye but before you know it those memories fade and stories come to a close.

I'll miss my grandmother for the rest of my life. Ill miss her perspective and her gentle humour. I'll miss her depth and scope . Ill miss her knowledge. I'll miss the warmth she extended to everyone she met.

She taught me one of the biggest lessons in life, that dying and illness happens,it happens before you know it. It happens when you busy making plans. It happens whether your ready or not.A long life is not promised. In my project I wanted to face my fear but instead I learnt I have ways to go.

“Love is stronger than death even though it can't stop death from happening, but no matter how hard death tries it can't separate people from love. It can't take away our memories either. In the end, life is stronger than death.”

HW 29 - Reading and noting basic materials

In a America we are mant to belive that we have the best health care system in the world, that are medical care is unbeaten in the whole world. But the usettleing truth is that the United States lacks in delivering timely and effective care when compared to other advanced nations in delivering timely and effective care.

In Michael Moore's documentary, “Sicko,” he brought to light the virtues of the government-run health care systems in France, England, Canada and even Cuba while comparing it to the failures of the largely private insurance system in the United States. It is without doubt that Mr. Moore overstated his case by making these foreign systems look flawless. But there is still overwelhiming evidence to prove the United States is far from being a leader in providing good medical care.

Accordinging to the World Health Organization the United States ranks a meserable 37th in the rank of the health systems of 191 nations. France and Italy were in the top two spots.The Commonwealth Fund ranked the United States last when comparedto other advanced nations through surveys of patients and doctors and analysis of other data.Almost in every survey done the United States fall's last or low in medical care.

In every major industrialized nations for the acception of the United States has universal health coverage, and most have comprehensive benefit packages with no cost-sharing by the patients. While in the so called becon of hope ,The United States, has some 45 million people without health insurance and many more with less the stasfying coverage.

HW 28 - Comments 2

Comment Left on Javon Blog:
I felt you made some really sharp insights. Overall it was a really moving and relatable piece. Its intresting how you connected Sicko and your own personnel experience with your grandfather. Its a shame how at 76 a man must still work to recieve care. Where is the fairness in that.When thing's like this occur it shows the real flaw of the healthcare system in the united states. Some argue no one is entitled, no one is owed anything , America is where you pick yourself up from your own boot straps but I wonder when do we think bigger ? when do we realize we live in a community, that where not cowboys on the open road ? In my opinon it is are moral obligation to take care of those who cant take care of themselves. The no one has to go see their grandfather sick in hospital wondering how their going to pay for their care. I feel you have a nice way of illustrating this in your writing.


Comment Left On Ardens Blog:
Arden I enjoyed reading your post. At times it was witty, harsh, but most of all real. I feel like you really talked about the situation from your perspective , you never lost your voice in even talking about a serious and sadd topic. I wonder tho can your really say she's experience everything? do you ever really get that old? Even at 96 I cant see anyone alright with death. Theirs always somthing you could of done, or should of said. I felt you hit on a really intresting point point, when you said she knew she was dying but all she could do was accept it. Its odd idea to grasp, the idea of knowing your dying and theirs nothing you can do.Jean-Paul Sartre ones said "The more sand that has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it." I wonder if this is true for your great grandmother, does she see life a little clearer ? does she see who was important ? who she loved ? how her life played out ? And what does this mean for you, teenagers are age ? Should we not spend are life's as carelessly as most of do ? Should we make decesions knowingg that one day will judge ourselves for them. To you 96 seemed like a long life, I wonder for your great grandmother if that seemed like not anove.Stories like these always make me sit and think about how Im living my life.It makes me think of relationships of made and relationships Ive ruined. Of things Ive said and things I havent. It makes me think all the things I want do before Im disintegrating . I guess if anything thats the gift of dying and illness not so much for the person dying but the people around them, it lets you reflect and maybe even change. My biggest fear in dying, second to the pain, has to be my fear That I might regreat decisions.But I guess at one point or another will all have somone sayng goodbye to us.

Comment Left On My Blog By My Brother Joshua:

The blog you posted was... theres no words in describing how I felt about that. It was just so real. I mean we as a society really try and look the other way when it comes to death, and we do this because we are afraid of looking at death straight in the face and not flinch.

HW 27 - Visiting an unwell person

Seeing someone dying is a surreal experience. One moment you see them as a a full of life person, then in the next laid out on a hospital bed, with anove drugs being pumped into them to knockout a water buffalo.

I watched my grandmother,at the time my best friend, battle stomach cancer. Its strange towards the end its almost as if the person knows their not going to make it. I remember my grandmother walking in to the guest room of her house and asking me "if anything happens to me will you watch out for you mom ?" at that point I knew something was wrong. At first I saw her take on death head-on with a unflinching attitude.But As time pressed on I could see her will be broken. I think it had to be at the point when she was in a wheelchair. That she depended on everyone around her, that she couldn't take care of herself.

When a person knows their dying it seems that they try to get everything in order, As if their last moments are used in putting back the broken pieces of glass which are their life. I believe that as a society, we ignore death .I know I do, after seeing my grandma dying I tryed to find every loop hole of avoiding death. I guess is way tho by doing this we ourselves of all the lessons that dying and illness can teach us. We ignore the reality that death is as much a part of life as birth.