Friday Blog- October 28

Inside the Dementia Epidemic- A daughter's memoir- Martha Stettinius

This week I read pages 100 to 201.

Vocabulary Words

Obstructed- (pg. 116) block (an opening, path, road, etc.); be or get in the way of. 

Resucitate- (pg. 116) revive (someone) from unconsciousness or apparent death.

Geriatric- (pg. 116)  of or relating to old people, especially regard to their health care.

Intuit- (pg. 118) understand or work out by instinct.

Incontinence- (pg. 120) lack of control.

Searing- (pg. 128) extremely hot or intense.

Delegate- (pg. 137) a person sent or authorized to represent others, in particular and elected representative sent to a conference.

Spartan- (pg. 143) showing the indifference to comfort or luxury traditionally associated with ancient. Sparta.

Reluctant- (pg. 148) unwilling and hesitant; disinclined.

Competent- (pg. 159) having the necessary ability, knowledge, or skill to do something successful. 

Thursday Blog- Alcohol and Sugar vs. Alzheimer's

Inside the Dementia Epidemic- A daughter's memoir- Martha Stettinius 

Alcohol and Sugar vs. Alzheimer's

Since the process of Dementia and the different stages of Alzheimer's makes up all of this book, I thought a blog about the stage Martha's mom is currently in, is appropriate for this week's blog. By the end of 2005, Judy moved into Stage Five of Alzheimer's disease- moderately severe cognitive decline. As with most people in Stage Five, Martha's mom still remembers details from her life, and she doesn't need help eating or using the toilet, but she can't remember what day it is, she needs more prompting in the shower to clean herself, and she could use more help than the assisted living facility can provide to dress appropriately. She wore the same pants every time Martha would visit. Before Judy was admitted into the assisted living facility, Martha talked about how her mother had a lot of problems with alcohol and alcoholism. Martha stated, "Mom told me years ago that her doctor had encouraged her to give up teaching at age forty-nine because her depression and anxiety were getting worse. Two years before that she'd put herself into treatment for alcoholism, and she needed a chance to work on her sobriety. She'd been a heavy drinker most evenings since before I was born, possibly to self-medicate". Looking back, I wonder if alcoholism is a factor in getting Alzheimer's. I know Alzheimer's is a disease but I wonder if alcohol increases or decreases the chance of getting it.

I found an online article that briefly reviews biological evidence suggesting that alcohol use may be associated with Alzheimer's disease. It states that some of the detrimental effects of heavy alcohol use on brain function are similar to those observed with Alzheimer's disease. Although alcohol may be a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, it is difficult for experts to study this relationship because of similarities between alcohol and Alzheimer's. Epidemiological studies have investigated the relationship between alcohol use and Alzheimer's disease but have not provided strong evidence to suggest that alcohol use influences the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Further research is needed before the effect of alcohol use on Alzheimer's is understood fully, because alcohol's effect on cognition, brain disorders, and brain chemistry share some features with Alzheimer disease's effects on these three areas. Heavy alcohol consumption has both immediate and long-term detrimental effects on the brain and neuropsychological functioning. Heavy drinking causes shrinkage, or atrophy (degeneration of cells) of the brain, which is a critical determinant of neurodegenerative changes and cognitive decline in aging. Below is a picture of a normal person's brain, an Alzheimer's brain, and a person with alcoholism. My source is also in the link below with more information.

Alcoholism vs Alzheimer's

Another thing I wonder is if sugar has an impact on Alzheimer's disease as well. When Martha went to visit her mother one day, they went out to lunch. When they ordered dessert, Judy ordered the biggest sundae on the menu with five scoops and three sauces. Martha did not discover for quite sometime that her mother's dementia might have more to blame on the sugar than the fat. But then, her mother's deterioration has outstripped the startling new research that implicates pre-diabetic blood sugar levels in dementia. Another online source I found states, the connection between sugar and Alzheimer's was first introduced in 2005, when the disease was called "type 3 diabetes". At that time researchers discovered that our brain produces insulin necessary for the survival of brain cells. Previous research has also shown diabetics have a doubled risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Now, researchers are warning that Alzheimer's disease appears to be linked to insulin resistance. As reported by the Huffington Post:“Brain scans revealed that greater insulin resistance was linked to less sugar in key parts of the brain, often affected by Alzheimer's. Insulin is the hormone that helps your body use sugar from the foods you eat, and either converts it into energy or stores it away. Insulin resistance is when your body's response to a regular level of the hormone is reduced, creating a need for more insulin. This is important with Alzheimer’s disease, because over the course of the disease there is a progressive decrease in the amount of blood sugar used in certain brain regions. Those regions end up using less and less." Below is the source I used with more information. 

Sugar vs Alzheimer's

Tuesday's Blog- October 25

"Mom and I enjoy each other's company more now that we're not living in the same house" (Stettinius, 86). 

By may of 2005, Martha's mother had been living with her for three months. Martha met with a psychologist who told her that the fact that Morgan (Martha's daughter) hates having Grammy at their house "seals the deal": To protect Morgan's self-esteem, Martha's mom "must live somewhere else". Her psychologist suggests assisted living places in town. Martha's health can eventually be in danger from all the stress that is put on her from taking care of her mother. One day, Martha, her mom Judy, and Lydia (Judy's friend) tour the assisted living places to see which one fits her most. Each assisted living residences offer similar amenities: three meals a day in a main dining room, snacks, a library, a hairdresser, daily activities such as coffee and conversation, ceramics, concerts, and outings in a facility van. Martha's mother forgets the details of each place, but ends up choosing Greenway Assisted Living. The main reason Martha could not take care of her mother in her own house anymore is because of how negative and stubborn she was. This especially impacted Martha's family. She was very stressed and never wanted to spend time with her husband and children. However, Judy did not know she was the one putting her down. When Judy moves into Greenway, Martha visits her every so often to driver her to all her doctor's appointments, and her favorite thing to do after wards which was to go out for an early dinner or ice cream.

I chose this quote because I feel like it describes the mood of the story now. As Martha says in the book, "Mom and I enjoy each other's company more now that we're not living in the same house". Over lunch when Martha visits, they attend a nearby restaurant. Judy was so excited that she just talks and ignores her food. As Martha listens she says, "I notice for the first time in many years that even without makeup, my mother is still beautiful. This beauty was hidden by the gauntness of early dementia when she lived alone, and by her dark moods when she lived in my home. Today her smile is genuine- stunning- her laugh generous and usually directed at herself". After a few weeks of not seeing her mother everyday and being around all the dark moods, Martha found herself missing her mother. Each time she saw her, the visit would get more enjoyable. Martha and Judy had a hard time living with each other and being around each other every single day for a long period of time. But, so far it has helped their relationship tremendously. Below, I found an online source that states eight reasons taking a break from someone is more effective and I found everyone of them to be true.

8 reasons taking a break from someone is more effective. 

1. When apology, affection, and a promise of action fails to work, and a quick "sorry" or "I love you" does not work either, taking a break may be the answer. 

2. Stepping aside and finding yourself can be vital, especially after years of commitment. 

3. Give yourself and your partner, family member, friend (whoever you need a break from) the opportunity to let your heart(s) grow fonder. 

4. Is the relationship becoming stormy? You no longer hear one another, you can hardly sustain a conversation without erupting into a full blown fight within minutes. So it may be worth looking into taking a break and getting yourselves together individually. 

5. Both time and distance have been known to refuel love and longing for one another. 

6. Learn more about your loved one, take the opportunity to return to your loved one with a fresh set of eyes and ears. 

7.  Taking a break does not mean going your separate ways and never seeing/talking to that individual. 

8. Being apart from a certain individual can truly show you what it is your missing when they're not besides you.

Link to why taking a break is more effective

I felt like this quote connected to me well. When I was a little girl I lived with my mom, dad, two brothers, and sister. I would always fight with my brother , especially over the stupidest things. Although he is much older than me, as a joke, he loved to play around and get me mad when we were together. When my brother became more interested in the Navy and moving on with his life, he moved out of my house. He ended up in Virginia, where his base was for Navy training. After a few months passed, I missed my brother more than I could imagine. Although we fought, and there were a few days of dark moods, I found all the positive things about my brother. Time apart made me realize how lucky I am to have such an amazing brother. Distance for sure is awful, but when I do visit him, it is the best time ever. Being away from someone makes the part when you do see them better. Like Martha, being away from her mother made the times with her more enjoyable. It is hard being around the same person 24/7, and obviously you will get in fights but having time away from each other helped our relationship and would definitely help other relationships. 

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=sister+and+brother

Friday Blog- October 21

Inside the Dementia Epidemic- a daughter's memoir Martha Stettinius 
This week I read pages 1 to 100. 

Vocabulary Words

Seismic- (pg. 33) pertaining to, of the nature of, or caused by earthquake or vibration of the earth, whether due to natural or artificial causes. 

Introvert- (pg. 36) a person characterized by concern primarily with his or her own thoughts and feelings;  a shy person. 

Finite- (pg. 41) having bounds or limits; not infinite; measurable. 

Condescending- (pg. 43) showing or implying a usually patronized descent from dignity or superiority. 

Giddy- (pg. 45) attended with or causing dizziness, frivolous and lighthearted; impulsive, flighty. 

Idiosyncrasy- (pg. 49) a characteristic, habit, mannerism, or the like, that is particular to an individual. 

Mennonite- (pg. 51) a member of an evangelical Protestant sect, originating in Europe in the 16th century, that opposes infant baptism, practices baptism of believers only, restricts marriage to the members of the denomination, opposes war and baring arms, and is noted for simplicity of living and plain dress.

Noxious- (pg. 52) harmful or injurious to health or physical well-being. 

Hypomania- (pg. 54) a mania of low intensity. 

Autonomous- (pg. 55) self-governing; independent; subject to its own laws only. 

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=introvert

Thursday Blog- Dementia (Alzheimer's)

Inside the Dementia Epidemic- A daughter's memoir - Martha Stettinius 

How Dementia (Alzheimer's)affects an individual and how to care for someone with this disease. 

 Dementia is a chronic or persistent disorder of the mental process caused by brain disease or injury and marked by memory disorders, personality changes, and impaired reasoning. Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia and makes up 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases. Alzheimer's is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking, and behavior. At first, symptoms usually develop slowly and then get worse over time, becoming severe enough to interfere with daily tasks, such as remembering where you put things, showering, eating, driving, etc. Alzheimer's is common in people ages 65 and older, and is not a normal part in aging. It is also the sixth leading cause of death in United States. Most people do not live more than eight years after diagnosis. Unfortunately, there in no current cure for Alzheimer's but there is medications and treatments for different symptoms. Today, research continues to finding better ways to treat this disease and prevent it from happening. 

In the book I am currently reading called, Inside the Dementia Epidemic- a daughter's memoir by Martha Stettinius, Martha's mother, Judy, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Judy's symptoms started to become noticeable when she started loosing her way in the small town she lived in for 25 years. She kept repeatedly missing the road to the doctors (which shes been too many times) and when she went to pull over, her car slipped into a ditch. One morning, she also turned too early at the main road and drove her car five feet down into a ditch. After this point she was diagnosed with vascular dementia (miultiinfarct dementia). As I stated before, over time dementia starts to get worse. Eventually, Judy was in the last stage of "mixed dementia"- a mix of Alzheimer's and vascular dementia. Mother's and daughter's are each others greatest gifts. Since Martha loves and adores her mother, she became her mother's caregiver at the age of forty. Martha had to balance the care of children and a parent, and feared that, with care-giving on top of work and family, she would lose herself. She ended up feeling guilty and began to read more about how to help someone with Alzheimer's/dementia, willing to ask for help and appreciate the simple gifts of life. 

Below I found a website that helps guide someone in caring for a person with Alzheimer's. I found it very interesting and helpful. 

Caring for a person with Dementia (Alzheimer's)

When Judy could no longer live by herself, she moved in with Martha and her family. Judy also brought her dog with her. Other then driving into ditches, the first symptom of Alzheimer's I found was when Judy's dog was misbehaving and Martha told her to start disciplining the dog. Judy then proceeded to grab a newspaper, roll it up, and whack the dog with it. Martha did not mean discipline the dog by hitting it, but by putting it in her crate when friends were over. Judy had a hard time understanding and doing the correct things. Another situation that showed how she was greatly impacted by dementia was when she accused Martha and her husband Ben, of stealing her money. Martha was very hurt that her own mother could ever accuse her of stealing money, and she had a hard time understanding why dementia makes the confused person come up with strange, off-base explanations for what they don't understand or can't remember. Martha began to set up programs, conferences, meetings, and play-dates to help her mother keep track of her things and help her with everyday needs while Martha worked. It came to a point where the doctor gave Judy a brief neurological test, and she did not know the date, month, who was president, and could not draw the numbers and hands of a clock. At this point, Martha had no idea what to do. Judy became cruel and judgmental without even knowing it. Martha says, "She's the mother who, despite our battles, has always shared her wisdom, encourages me and loved me in her own way, I no longer feel mad at her. In this moment, I want to help her, give her things, create experiences she will enjoy" (Stettinius, 44). 

I thought a big part of the beginning of this book was mainly focused on how Alzheimer's and dementia is effecting both Martha and her mom. It is a very important part of the book since Alzheimer's is a cruel disease and it is hard to care for someone with it. But the love for family over comes the hard times of understanding why this is happening to a certain individual. As I continue my book I hope to read more about how Martha is helping her mother in a positive way and understanding more about Alzheimer's and dementia. 

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=alzheimer%27s

Tuesday's Blog- October 18

This week I am starting my last book called, Inside the Dementia Epidemic- A daughter's memoir by Martha Stettinius.

"The journey I have taken with my mother has alerted me to the latest scientific findings about dementia" (Stettinius, 1) 

Since this book is written in first person, Martha Stettinius is the narrator. Martha and her family live in an unusual, planned community, a development of more than thirty families. For seven years Martha coped with her mother's dementia. She cared for her at her home, in assisted living, a rehab center, a specialized memory care facility, and the nursing home. She had a hard time understanding what her mother was going through. Doctors diagnosed Martha's mother, Judy, when she repeatedly drove into a ditch. Sometimes she would miss the block by the doctor's office and sometimes she would lose her way. Judy also showed signs of vascular dementia (multiinfarct dementia) from small strokes at age sixty-five. Martha decided to do research on what Alzheimer's is and how she can help her mom. She wrote this book that I am currently reading to help guide people through the experience of Alzheimer's. She hopes to help support relatives by sharing her journey of discovery, as well as the resources she used during the past seven years.


As Inside the Dementia Epidemic states, One in eight people over age sixty-five in the US has Alzheimer's disease, and nearly fifty percent over age eighty-five. In 2012, an estimated 5.4 million people in the US will have Alzheimer's disease. The 35.6 million people with dementia worldwide in 2010 is expected to double by 2030 to 65.7 million, and then nearly double again by 2050 to 115.4 million. In the US in 2011, over 15 million family caregivers provided 17.4 billion hours of unpaid car to family members and friends with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. Dementia can be defined as a chronic or persistent disorder of the mental process caused by brain disease or injury and marked by memory disorders, personality changes, and impaired reasoning. Dementia is not only Alzheimer's (the most common, at sixty to eighty percent), but a diagnosis includes over one hundred conditions.
Familial Alzheimer's- "early onset" dementia- occurs before the age of sixty, and represents 5-7 percent of Alzheimer's disease.
Mixed Dementia- been shown in autopsies to occur in up to 45 percent of people with dementia.

The Alzheimer's Association describes 7 Stages of Alzheimer's Disease: 
Stage 1: Normal functioning. The person's doctor, family, and friends cannot detect a problem.

Stage 2: Very mild cognitive decline, which may be normal aging or early dementia. The person may forget words or where to find objects. No symptoms can be detected by a doctor, family, or friends.

Stage 3: Mild cognitive decline. Sometimes Alzheimer's can be diagnosed at this stage. A doctor, family, or friends may notice problems with memory or concentration. The person may: have noticeable problems coming up with the right word or name, have trouble remembering names when introduced to new people, have noticeably greater difficulty preforming tasks in social or work settings, forget material they just read, lose or misplace a valuable object, and/or have increasing trouble with planning or organizing. 

Stage 4: Moderate cognitive decline. Mild or early-stage Alzheimer's disease. A cognitive assessment by a doctor should be able to detect this stage. 

Stage 5: Moderately severe cognitive decline. Moderate or mid-stage Alzheimer's disease. 

Stage 6: Severe cognitive decline. Moderately severe or mid-stage Alzheimer's disease. 

Stage 7: Very Severe cognitive decline. Severe or late-stage Alzheimer's disease. 

This quote connects to me because my grandmother was recently diagnosed with Stage 3 of Alzheimer's: mild cognitive decline. Although she is not my mother, she is the next closest thing to one. I have always been close with my grandmother. Some people aren't fortunate enough to have grandparents in their lives but I am. My grandmother was diagnosed when we sent her to a doctor because she had a hard time remember names, would get names in our family wrong, and often forget where she put stuff. Her Alzheimer's is not bad but as she gets older I fear she will get worse. This connects to me because when I get the chance I help her out. She lives an hour away from my family and I, so it is hard to help her out all the time. However, my grandfather is still alive and he helps her with all her needs. Another thing I fear in the near future is if my grandfather, for some reason, ends up passing before my grandmother. My grandmother (nana), is not mentally and physically able to drive. Therefore, she won't be able to get around to the places she needs to go. Another connection I found is that if her Alzheimer's worsens my mother will make her move in with us. Just like Martha did with her mother. Alzheimer's is hard on the family it effects but it is better to help the individual then let them suffer by themselves.

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=alzheimer%27s 

Friday Blog- October 14

Beautiful unbroken- a nurse's life 

Mary Jane Nealon 

This week I read pages 100 to 210. I also finished this book, so I will be starting my last book this coming week. 

Vocabulary Words

Illuminated- (pg. 113) to supply or brighten with light; light up. To make lucid or clear; throw light on.

Frivolous- (pg. 129) characterized by lack of seriousness or sense.

Geranium- (pg. 131) any of numerous plants of the genus Geranium, which comprises the crane's bills.

Reverence- (pg. 144) a feeling or attitude of deep respect tinged with awe' veneration.

Meticulous- (pg. 149) taking or showing extreme care about minute details; precise; thorough.

Porous- (pg. 150) permeable by water, air, etc.

Poacher- (pg. 154) a person who trespasses on private property, especially to catch fish or game illegally.

Colic- (pg. 156) paroxysmal pain in the abdomen or bowels.

Inadequate- (pg. 197) not adequate or sufficient; inept or unsuitable.

Hazmat- (pg. 203) a material or substance that poses a danger to life, property, or the environment if improperly stored, shipped, or handled.

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=vocabulary+words

Thursday Blog- Grief

Beautiful Unbroken- One nurse's life
Mary Jane Nealon

Grief and how to deal with it

The death of Mary Jane's brother, Johnny, was the climax of the story. Every character struggled after his death. Her father disappeared north into alcohol, her mother moved south into prayer, her sister commuted toward the East River to work in a bank, and Mary Jane went back to the cancer center's hematology ward to care for other dying young boys, in hope to look for her brother. Since this book is written in first person, her grief and the way she goes about it and deals with it, is talked about the most in this memoir. Mary Jane stated she worked so well with the cancer patients at the hospital. Since she went through grieving and dealing with a loss in her family due to cancer, she was able to succeed in talking to each family about their fears. She was able to comfort all the mothers, and understood the fathers that would go down the hall to the bar or their office. Outside of the hospital Mary Jane took poetry workshops. She never saw her parents and called them once a week. The hospital she was working at was looking for a group of nurses to go to Cambodia at that time, to work in a refugee camp, and of course she signed up. They ended up in Bangkok. Working in Bangkok, she was surrounded by death, however she said she was oddly comforted by it. A lot of the young boy's took the shape of her brother's body, so she say him in them. Each body and each tragedy reminded her that she was not alone in her tragedy. In this world there are so many people who go through getting cancer, starvation, or different sicknesses. She is not the only one.

Four years after her brother's death she sat alone and wrote poems after poems about Johnny's death. Since his death she had to deal with the challenge of bringing hope and healing to her family. Since her parents were grieving in their own way it was hard for her to bring that closer to home. Before Mary Jane was about to move to Hawaii to become a flying nurse, she saved enough money to send her parents to Ireland for three weeks. Her mom was extremely happy, especially since there was holy water in every room. She felt like she had done a good thing for once in her life. Her dad was struggling with his son's death in the wrong way and she felt bringing them together would help. Mary Jane says, "Their grief was a dolmen in the woods. A fox, golden and noble, circled it. They lifted the heaviest rock themselves and placed it on top and walked into the corn. In the cornfields everything was sweet. They tasted the way grief could shift in their mouths and came home and always said it was the best trip of their lives" (Nealon, 49). Instead of being at home to lay in the grief, Ireland's goats could carry their grief and carry it for them, up the cliffs, over the rocks, to the other side of the hill, the side facing the sun. They were now dealing with their grief the right way.


Everybody in their lifetime will eventually go through some type of grief. In today's society, alcohol and drug abuse is huge. There have been more and more cases, deaths, overdoses, sicknesses, and/or arrests due to substance abuse. Substance abuse can start from peer pressure, thinking its cool, for the high or the buzz, or being influenced by a parent, sibling, or friend. Everybody will eventually lose a loved one in their lifetime. It may be awful to say, but it is reality. With a death there comes grief. Grief can be defined as keen mental suffering or distress over affliction or loss; sharp sorrow; painful regret. Everybody handles their grief differently. For instance, Mary Jane dealt with her grief the best way. She continued working and instead of turning to alcohol and substance abuse she found things to work with that reminded her of Johnny. She wanted to feel that he was still with her in a spiritual way. However, there are people who do turn to substance abuse. In this case, her dad. People turn to alcohol or drugs in a desperate way to numb the pain , sadness, and grief. This can turn to the development of alcohol or drug addiction, which can lead to further problems. The reason I chose grief as a theme of this book, is because it impacts the whole family and each family member is different, but the way Mary Jane brings her family closer is inspiring and a big part of the story.


This is a website I found that focuses on grief and substance abuse and I thought it was very interesting and important to read about.
Grief and Substance Abuse- Coping after a loss

Tuesday's Blog- October 11

"When I moved away I left my brother. I also left ninety-four years of family.......But I also left his tumor. I left his suffering with the backdrop of the Colgate-Palmolive factory" (Nealon 24-25).


As Mary Jane Nealon was picking her parents up at the airport after celebrating their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary in Bermuda, her brother fell onto the staisr and burst into tears. He was in excruciating pain the past week but had not told anyone because he did not want to ruin his parents' vacation. Mary Jane took him to the hospital to later find out there was a lump. As their parents were arriving to the hospital after dropping their bags off at home, they found out there was a lump the size of a grapefruit in his abdomen. Johnny (Mary Jane's brother) had to have many tests taken. As Mary, her parents, and her sister were waiting around for the results, a family doctor took Mary aside and said, "I don't know what this is, but it's bad, and your parents are going to need you." She then made sure to reassure her mother, her father, and especially her brother, Johnny. After Twelve hours in surgery they found a name for his tumor: hemangioprisarcoma. Hemangioperisarcoma can be defined as a rapidly growing, highly invasive variety of cancer. It is a sarcoma arising from the lining of blood vessels; that is, blood-filed channels and spaces are commonly observed microscopically. The doctors informed them that they had only seen fifteen tumors like this before. It was very rare.

The next couple of years were consisted of trips to the hospital where Johnny got chemotherapy and radiation while Mary Jane continued nursing school. Her fantasy of nursing began to morph into the heavy chore of taking care of people. Nursing was not easy but she was dedicated. After Johnny went through six months of chemotherapy and radiation, he had six months of great checkups and his hair started growing back. Everything seemed to be getting better. He looked healthier than he had in a long time and he was doing everything a normal person would do. That following summer, the doctors called and said there was a new tumor in his lung and he needed to go to New York immediately. Mary Jane thought she could find a way to save her brother. But instead she felt like she needed to flee and get away from all of this. She needed to start her life she had been waiting for instead of getting caught up with her brother.

She decided to flee to Virginia. This is where the quote I chose came from. She decided to leave her brother, ninety-four years of family, her grandfather, her house, everything. She felt bad in the moment of leaving her brother to fight on his own but he told her he wanted Mary to go. And she thought if she kept repeating it in her head she would come to believe it. After spending tenth months in Virginia, Mary Jane found out her brother had died. She was furious. Mary Jane stated, " I was a good nurse, but nothing could make up for the frivolous ten months in Virginia. Nothing could give me back those days when my brother was still alive in his bed and I was dancing like a fool so far away from him". Mary Jane regretted every leaving her brothers side. She realized after his passing how unfair it was that Johnny had to fight for his life, laying in bed, while Mary was off dancing partying, and enjoying being a nurse.

This quote does not completely connect to me because nobody in my family has died from cancer, but it does connect to me in a different way. As I am preparing to graduate high school and leave for college, I am going to eventually have to leave behind my family, my brother, my sister, my house, etc. Just like Mary Jane did. The thought of leaving these important things behind to study and begin a career is scary. Mary Jane's story could happen to anyone. I thought this quote connected to because although some people may think it is very easy to just drop their past and start over, to some people it is hard. As I go to college I have to take into realization that my grandparents or my parents or any of the people I care about could get sick. Getting cancer is not something us humans have control over. However, something that I did learn from this quote and from Mary Jane is if one of our loved ones does get sick, not to go away and hope for it to get better. But to be there, support, and spend as much time possible with that certain individual. As I prepare to eventually leave for college, the time between now and leaving next fall, I will spend more time with my family and friends and make sure every moment counts.

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=family

Friday Blog- October 7

Beautiful unbroken- one nurse's life

Mary Jane Nealon

This week I finished my previous book on Monday night. I started reading Beautiful unbroken on Tuesday. Since then I have read pages 1 to 100.

Vocabulary Words

Synagogue- (pg. 7) The building where a Jewish assembly or congregation meets for religious worship and instruction. 

Vestibule- (pg. 7) An antechamber, hall, or lobby next to the outer door of a building. 

Precinct- (pg. 10) A district of a city or town as defined for police purposes. 

Sacrilege- (pg. 16) Violation or misuse of what is regarded as sacred. 

Emesis- (pg. 33) Vomitus- the act of vomit. 

Recriminate- (pg. 49) To bring a countercharge against an abuser. 

Amateur- (pg. 50) A person who engages in a study, sport, or other activity for pleasure rather than for financial benefit or professional reasons. - A person inexperienced or unskilled in a particular activity.

Scanty- (pg. 59) Scant in amount, quantity, etc.; barley sufficient.

Catheter- (pg. 69) A flexible or rigid hollow tube employed to drain fluids from body cavities or to distend body passages, especially one for passing into the bladder through the urethra to draw off urine or into the heart through a leg vein or arm vein for diagnostic examination.

Stucco- (pg. 82) An exterior finish for masonry or frame walls, usually composed of cement, sand, and hydrated lime mixed with water and laid on wet.

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=vestibule

Thursday Blog- Chasing Dreams

Beautiful Unbroken- One nurse's life
Mary Jane Nealon

Chasing Dreams 

https://www.google.com/

As young children we all dream about what we want to be when were older. Some dream about becoming a teacher, an engineer, an artist, a nurse, or even a doctor. But sometimes career's fail , or maybe sometimes we decide this career isn't meant for me, but we learn from it and we grow into something better. The book I started reading on Tuesday is called, Beautiful Unbroken by Mary Jane Nealon. Mary Jane grew up in a big family, who were very religious. Originally she wanted to become a Saint. As that failed, she grew a love for becoming a nurse. The beginning part of the book that I read this week, reminisces about Mary Jane growing up as a child. She was really close to her brother who she always played games with outside in their backyard. She was also really close with her dad, who loved going to church. Mary Jane says, "Saints were so familiar to me as a child they were like first cousins. I liked to kneel on the brown cushions in the pews and to take communion. I wanted to be a saint" (Nealon, 13). Growing up religious was never a problem for Mary Jane. She loved it. As she grew up she realized, she didn't want to become someone who carried bags of vegetables home. She didn't want to wash clothes in basins and hang them on clotheslines. Mary Jane wanted to do something that made her feel like she was doing a good deed. Becoming a Saint was her priority but then becoming a nurse became a bigger priority. 

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=woman%20saints

Mary Jane's aunt was a nurse. When Mary started to become more disobedient she started to see the impossibility of sainthood. So she paid more attention to her aunt. Her aunt, Frances, took care of neighbors' wounds and sicknesses and gave out treatment. As she paid attention Mary Jane stated, "I began to think like a nurse, that I began to desire nursing. Among the other occasional fantasies I nurtured, like being an astronaut or a saint, being a nurse took over. I started, innocently enough, to begin my entire life" (Nealon, 13). As a kid, she always wanted to grow up and do something good. After following her aunt around, she realized she loved how Frances was treating and taking care of innocent patients and she wanted to follow in her footsteps. Her life was ready to begin.

A theme that I found was chasing dreams. While reading the first half of this book, the quote "You have to dream hard, wish big, and chase after your goals because no one else is going to do it for you" came to mind. Mary Jane and her father were close, like I said,  but he wanted her to grow up independently. That meaning, he didn't want to tell her what to do, what to be, or tell her where to go. She had to chase her own dreams and work hard towards what she wanted to do. Mary Jane dreamed of becoming a saint, but sometimes things fail and she learned to accept it and chase after better things that she knew she was capable of achieving.  

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=chasing+dreams+quotes

Tuesday's Blog- October 3

Thirty years in September- a nurses memoir
Kate Genovese 

"Nurses are there when babies are born, old people die, human beings ill or injured; it is up to us nurses, as a collective group, to keep this art of caring alive so that it can be passed on, generated into the next century so it won't end up a lost art" (Genovese 140).

After Kate's mom died from cancer her exhaustion continued as well as her apathetic state of mind. She was upset and needed a break after working for a straight four years. After her break she questioned where she was going to go from here. She was going to be a nurse for thirty years in September. She did not think she could continue this career for another twenty years till she retired. Kate said work has become increasingly busy and stressful. But she decided to continued her career as a nurse. As time went on and Kate was reminiscing about her past she never thought she would've became a nurse. She reflected on all the people she had taken care of in the past three decades and how much of a better person she felt. She had taken care of hundreds, even thousands, of patients. She thought of the passion and enthusiasm she had for nursing when she first started out, eager to wanting to help and heal. She never thought she would've made it this far. But in the end, she said this was the best profession she could have chose because she changed her life for the better, and even made differences in patients lives.

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=nursing

This connects to me because I want to be apart of that "next century". I have always dreamed of helping people that needed help since I was a little kid. Beginning of this school year, a friend and I decided to  shadowed the emergency room of Melrose-Wakfeild Memorial Hospital. I thought it was a great experience. I learned so much from just a short five hours and a lot of what I learned has been repeated in both the books I have read this Quarter. A lot of the patients I saw that day were older people who were either sick or had mental/physical problems. One lady I saw that day made me realized how much I wanted to be a nurse. This lady was an older lady who seemed very independent. She came to the emergency room because she had been shopping at JcPenney and was five feet away from her car when her leg gave out while she was about to leave. She face-planted onto the cement and had a large laceration on her forehead that was filled with rocks and dirt with blood dripping down her face. When the lady I was shadowing and myself entered the room she was in, we could tell how frantic and nervous she was. We asked her if there was anybody we could call for her. (ex. husband, wife, children, siblings, etc.) She said, "no, but I can call my friend". As we were taking her blood pressure and vital signs, she was calling her friend repeatedly. Her friend however, was not answering. At the moment she began to cry and at that moment I realized not everyone has someone that can always be there for them through tough times. I told her everything was going to be okay and that we were going to be here for her. This made me really sad and happy at the same time. I felt like I was helping someone that needed help and support and that is what I want to do in the future. I want to keep this art of caring alive, as the quote says.

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=emergency%20room

This year I also became interested in becoming a maternal-neonatal nurse. But then I realized I am only a senior in high school. There are many branches of nursing and I won't completely know what I want to be until I am studying in college. 

Tuesday's Blog- September 27

Thirty years in September- A nurses memoir
Kate Genovese

"I went to sleep that night more appreciative of my mom, and the things I had." (Genovese 19)

Kate just graduated Waverly High School. She was seventeen years old, embarking a career as a nurse. However, she did not get accepted into any RN programs. She ended up applying to LPN programs (licensed practical-nurse) and chose to attend Shepard-Gill, located on Newbury Street in Boston. In the middle of the Vietnam War, Kate was headed to Boston frightened about leaving home, and separation from her friends and family. Kate's four year boyfriend, Bill, was joining the marines and heading to basic training to eventually go to Vietnam. She was having a hard time with change, but she had to accept it and move on. Shepard-Gill was affiliated with three large Boston Hospitals, Mass General, Beth Israel, and New England Baptist. Kate was put into working at Beth Israel. There she was dealing with a bunch of patients, especially ones that were on the verge of death.

One patient with the name of Mary, found a lump on her breast and had many procedures done to her that were not hopeful. She was a mother with a daughter the same age as Kate. Kate started thinking about all the times her mom would tell her to get a coat on because she could catch a cold or when she would gently rub her and her sisters hands together and put them under her arms until they had warmed up. She started getting emotional, "How I had taken all that tenderness, caring, and love for granted" (Genovese 19). Kate started appreciating her mom more and more after that day she found out Mary was not doing well. People often think a certain somebody (ex. parents) could never get sick, that mother's or father's don't die. But in reality, you never know what could happen. Freak accidents, diseases, and sicknesses happen. And sometimes we have no control over them. As Kate continued working and going to college, she called and visited her mom more often.

https://www.google.com/search?q=beth+israel+hospital&rlz

This quote connects to me because sometimes, like Kate, I take my mother or the things I have for granted. I often find myself caught up in life. Sometimes I expect more or I am not thankful for the things that I have. For example, my mom gets mad at me when all my clothes are thrown on the ground in my room because they should be taken care of and hung up rather than on the floor. She says I am lucky enough that I even have clothes because there are people in the world that cannot afford clothing. There are a lot of other things that I often take for granted such as food, education, or the vacations my family and I go on. Recently I got into a really serious car accident that almost costed me my life. When the police officer called my mom and told her I got into a bad car accident she met me at the hospital right away. When she ran into the room I instantly could tell how broken, hurt, and sad she was that she almost lost her daughter. She repeatedly told me how much she loved me, how she will not leave my side through this process, and how my car can be replaced, but I can't. At this moment I realized not only how lucky I was to be alive, but also how lucky I was to have such a caring and loving mother. Some people are not fortunate enough to have a mother to be right there when something happens. And that is something not only me, but every other seventeen year old should realize, that mother's are a blessing. At this age we frequently get into fights or say we hate our mother, but in the end mother's are going to be the only person there for you and the only person that will love you an absurd amount. After reading this book and getting into an accident, I am going to think twice about fighting or yelling at my mom.

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=mothers+and+daughters

Friday Blog- September 30

Thirty years in September- A nurse's memoir
Kate Genovese
This week I finished my book which were pages 1 to 145.

Vocabulary Words

Entrepreneurs - (pg. 10) A person who organizes and manages any enterprise, especially a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk.

Mere - (pg. 12) Being nothing more nor better than

Coronary - (pg. 17) Of or relating to the human heart, with respect to health.

Casualty - (pg. 26) A member of the armed forces lost to service through death, wounds, sickness, capture, or because of his or her whereabouts or condition cannot be determined.

Moratorium - (pg. 28) A suspension of activity.

Copious - (pg. 33) Large in quantity or number; abundant; plentiful

Resentment - (pg. 41) The feeling of displeasure or indignation at some act, remark, person, etc. Regarded as causing injury or insult.

Avail  - (pg. 41) To be of use or value to; profit, advantage.

Retrospect - (pg. 45) Contemplation of the past; a survey of past time, events, etc.

Deintitutionalization - (pg. 80) To release (a person with mental or physical disabilities) from a hospital, asylum, home, or other institution with the intention of providing treatment, support, or rehabilitation primarily through community resources under the supervision of health-care professionals or facilities.

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=deinstitutionalization