Chronic Illness

I did not have to do a formal interview with someone who has a chronic disease. My mother has MS and has been in good condition for about 10 years. When she was diagnosed she was unable to feel anything from about her breastbone down to her toes. She was confined to a wheelchair that I had to borrow from the nursing home that I worked in. As the take charge daughter, I had to take off work and take care of her for a couple weeks. Once we were able to see the doctor she was placed on large amounts of steroids IV and some other medications. She regained the strength back in her legs and after several months of exercise and work she was able to get back to where she was before the episode. In order to keep herself healthy she has to makes sure that she gets plenty of rest. She eats lots of fruit to keep hydrated and keep her system working well. She has to make sure that she does not get overheated because that could bring on a exacerbation of her symptoms. For years she took a medication called Copaxone to prevent further degradation of the nerves. It was a daily shot that she had to give herself. She took it for about 8 years. It made hard knots in her body where she gave the shots. She has since lost her health insurance and can no longer afford the cost of the medication so she has not been taking it for about 2 years. She has not had any problems as of yet but she has to be extra careful not to do anything that would cause her to become symptomatic. As I mentioned, I work in a nursing home where I treat people with chronic disease every day. Now, I understand that being in a nursing home does not offer all the freedoms that the average person has, but people don't do a complete 180 when they get there. I see people everyday who expect a doctor to be able to give them a pill to get rid of symptoms and they don't have to do anything themselves. It's sad that people are not willing to work to make their bodies healthier so that they don't have these problems later. They eat poorly, smoke, drink, don't exercise and have no interest in trying to find natural ways to help alleviate their symptoms. I don't mean they smoke a little or drink a little, I mean heavily. As a former smoker I know how hard it is to quit, but it is not impossible. If someone has a real desire to be healthier they can. I know that what I have seen is a limited portion of people who have multiple problems but given the current population age it is obvious that people need to treat their bodies better. This does include me.