Jane Kennedy- 33-Year-Old Female with Multiple Sclerosis - Case Study Example

Case Study: Jane Kennedy. 33-Year-Old Female with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Name: Course: Tutor’s Name: Date: Case Study: “Jane Kennedy, 33-Year-Old Female with Multiple Sclerosis (MS)” My name is Jane Kennedy, 33-years old married woman, living in Bowen, North Queensland. I live with my husband and 2 school age children. In 2011 I was diagnosed by a neurologist to have MS (Multiple Sclerosis). I was forced to move from second floor to ground floor; the apartment which I was living in did not have any “lifts” since I started using a wheelchair as a result of too much pain in my left leg. Disability Awareness In 2011, I was diagnosed by a neurologist to have MS (Multiple Sclerosis). Within one week I went from being very active (just competed in the Queensland Marathon race) to being partially paralyzed on my left side and not being able to remember my children names. My left leg was weak and my left ankle dropped so I started limping. I started to stammer when I was talking on the phone, and I also had recurrent iritis in eyes. When I turned 32, my problem became worst, my memory became much poorer, I was easily getting tired, and I experienced frequent headaches and anxiety episodes. I was becoming more and more constipated and sluggish. Most common disorder that is associated with Multiple Sclerosis is Depression. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, 4th edition, a major depression that is frequently associated with MS required a person to have a irritable or sad mood every day for at least 14 days. In addition, there must be other symptoms (at least 4 symbol) during this time. These symbols include: ahhedonia; change in sleeping patterns; excessive/inappropriate guilt or feelings of worthlessness; significant weight gain or loss; attentional impairment; fatigue; suicidal feelings and thoughts; and sexual dysfunction. Some of these symptoms are also associated with Multiple Sclerosis. “These symptoms are related to a loss in the perceived quality of life and are associated with decreases in self-care, including medications in Multiple Sclerosis (Osborne and Volpe 2009), failure of these medications will lead to long-term illness morbidity. In Multiple Sclerosis there is increased suicidal risk due to depression. “Studies show that suicide rate among patients suffering from MS is 7.5 times greater than in the general population” (Osborne and Volpe 2009). Anxiety is also another condition that associated with Multiple Sclerosis disease. MS patients have been found to be more anxiety than able bodies, with anxiety symptoms associated with sleep disturbance, fatigue, pain, problem-solving deficits and disability status. In the findings of many studies have stated that women are more anxious than men, and anxiety with depression was associated with increased thoughts of self-harm, greater social dysfunction and more somatic complaints. Social phobia is also associated with Multiple Sclerosis, and this is as a result of reduced health-related quality of life. While injection phobia is also common among patients suffering from Multiple Sclerosis, patients that are suffering from this phobia are often found to select a friend or family member or other to conduct the injection. This has been linked to poor long term adherence. Most people that are diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis are found to have cognitive impairments, include: impairments in visual and verbal memory slowed processing speed, visual-spatial judgment, and various aspects of attention, executive function and verbal fluency. These impairments can occur very early in Multiple Sclerosis. Most people have multifocal impairments with relatively good aspects of reasoning skills and preservation of premorbid language abilities. Multiple Sclerosis can cause sadness within family members who have to adapt to the illness and its consequences. Many partners find it hard to cope with the illness, and are, in some ways, under stress because they have no choice to stay or go. If the marriage is shaky, Multiple Sclerosis can be used as a scapegoat for sexual, relationship or emotional problems. Divorce or separation can result, this event are more likely to occur if the individual involved is a female. Multiple Sclerosis will lead to sexual dysfunction in patient suffering from the disease, incontinence have been found to complicate the situation, and this is mostly associates with depression, self-revulsion and social isolation. Anger, whether expressed indirectly or directly to the family, is common. Most MS patient will find it hard to express angry feelings, especially if they fear rejection and are dependent to other family members, or the family member without MS feels guilty. When feelings of resentment are hidden, relationships can become manipulative and dishonest behavior. Children may become attention-seeking or disruptive if their needs are ignored; Multiple Sclerosis should be explained to children at a level that is appropriate to them. It will become distressful if children feel excluded. Other children will feel guilty either they believe they are extra and unwanted burden in the family or because they believe they are the cause of the patient’s Multiple Sclerosis, and this can lead to behavior problems at school or home or to depression. Daily living Time/Activity Ease of doing an activity or participating (0-4) 0= no difficulty, 4= complete difficulty. Barriers or Facilitators you have encountered Your solution/s to overcome the barriers Approximate financial cost to you 6am: Getting out of bed 3 No railing to use Electronic bed would help 6.15am: Going to the toilet 4 Unable to stand Required personal assistance 6.30 am: Taking a shower 4 Unable to stand Required personal assistance 7:00 am: Praying and mediating. 0 No barrier No tool is required 8:30 am: taking breakfast 3 Unable to make breakfast Electric wheelchair. 9:00 am: going to work 4 Many barriers on my way to bus station. Special car for disabled. 9:30 am: arrive at the office. 2 Uncooperative employees My fellows employees should be educated on the kind of disease I am suffering from 10:30am: Taking a tea break at the office. 2 Not easily accessed. The tea area should be made in such a way can be easily accessed. 11:30 am: going to the washroom 4 Toilets cannot be easily accessed and used by disabled people. Easily accessed and used toilet should be constructed. 12:30pm: taking lunch break. 4 Restaurant is not easily accessed with wheelchair Restaurant should construct a ramp for the disable people. 4:30pm: Attending yoga session. 2 No difficulties Ramp should be constructed for easy access to the building. 6:30pm: going back home 4 Difficulties in finding my way back to the house. Ramp should be constructed for easy access to the building. 7:30pm: Preparing supper. 2 Fatigue and tiredness. Need a helper who can assist me with cooking. 9:30pm: going to bed. 0 No difficulties No help 0 Challenges Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) live in a world that has been designed primary for the able-bodied. MS people want to live their lives like any other person. They want to go to the movies, go shopping, work, go out to eat, and enjoy life, but MS individual must realize they must do all these things within the boundaries of their limitations. Individual with MS are forced to adapt and adjust to their disability. A person with Multiple Sclerosis may be forced to change his/her careers, while others may be forced not to work at all. Additionally, some have been forced to relinquish some of their independence. For example, there are some things which able-bodied men/women take for granted which individual with Multiple Sclerosis must forgo. Multiple Sclerosis individual may miss out on: playing competitive sports; long road-trips; travelling; and the joy of rough-housing with children. Social situations become uncomfortable, crowded events become daunting. For example, insensitive and rude people in the society are often staring at individual suffering from Multiple Sclerosis. Most of this people seem not to like what they see, or imagine themselves in the position of the Multiple Sclerosis person. This usually creates an uncomfortable environment unless that individual staring is ignored. It is frustrating to an individual with MS when you encounter people who are: rude; impatient; insensitive; pessimistic; inconsiderate; and unhelpful. Many people are inconsiderate to an individual with MS illness. Usually, impatient people try to rush individual with MS through life. For example, a woman who was behind me in the supermarket line one day tried to remove things for me from my cart. This was obvious I was making the queue to move slowly. Pessimistic people in the society can be hurtful and annoying. Most people that that I have come across usually focus on the negative aspects of having Multiple Sclerosis instead of trying to encourage, build up and praise the accomplishments of individual with Multiple Sclerosis. Negative people in the society are not prepared to learn about the realities of living with Multiple Sclerosis. They have defined idea or perception and often treat Multiple Sclerosis individual as if they are lazy or faking. Even worse, pessimistic people sometimes treat Multiple Sclerosis people as if they have no abilities at all. Once a family is touched significantly by Multiple Sclerosis illness, their path is altered. Multiple Sclerosis can change relationships substantively and the impacts on function, structure, and quality of life. Changes in social network structure of an individual suffering from Multiple Sclerosis include loss of friendships, diminished size of network, increased divorce in younger people and decreased frequency of interaction. Multiple Sclerosis individuals and their families tend to be poor because of factors including: limited job opportunities; lack of education; increased medical expenditure and reduced family income or revenue because of caring for a dependant. Another difficulty that an individual suffering from Multiple Sclerosis goes through is the lack of inclusive facilities. This means Multiple Sclerosis engages in dangerous and unhygienic practices. For example, MS individuals using wheelchair are forced to crawl on the floor of toilet, others urinate in the open floor to avoid discrimination that is associated with using toilets that are public, and Multiple Sclerosis may also reduce their intake of water and food to avoid embarrassing situations when they need to go to the public toilet. Multiple Sclerosis individuals are being discriminated from the time they become ill, onwards. When an individual is diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis diseases is often considered a tragedy. A Multiple Sclerosis people in most situations need more attention and are considered not to have the will to support themselves. In most communities persons with Multiple Sclerosis already live in poverty, therefore, their voices goes unheard. Multiple Sclerosis disease is often perceived in a negative way due to cultural factors that exists in our country. In order to improve the lives of people suffering from Multiple Sclerosis disease, including their access to hygiene and sanitation services. Although these services have not been prioritized within international development policy-making circles. However, the argue to halve the world’s population without proper sanitation and hygiene should not occur at the expense of equitable progress. Therefore, both the government and the community should invest in sanitation and hygiene so that ensure there is more equitable access to these facilities. The traditional way of addressing Multiple Sclerosis issues has been either through charitable or medical approaches, often based on the assumption that Multiple Sclerosis disease is an individual problem. Multiple Sclerosis people have been provided with segregated services, with little or no recognition of Multiple Sclerosis individual’s rights to participate and integrated as equal citizens. Therefore, organizations around the country should promote environmental approach and human rights approach to Multiple Sclerosis issues, and these approaches should be based on social model of Multiple Sclerosis disease. All Multiple Sclerosis people have same needs for healthcare services as able body’s individuals. This is often denied. Health centers and hospitals may be physically inaccessible and health workers may discriminate against them. Therefore, Individual suffering from Multiple Sclerosis should not be discriminated against, and health facilities should be made to be accessed easily by persons suffering from Multiple Sclerosis. Discuss how you may react to your disability from the perspective of self concept, body image and self-esteem. Self disclosure is one of the techniques that help me to react to my disability. Self disclosure is a technique where an individual share information about himself or herself as a real person including ‘worts and all”. When I am being open to what I am suffering from, I usually see myself as being a real human being, and this makes it easier for other people to relate to me and being ‘genuine’ what I am going through, people are able to relate to my sickness. I have also found that, this open way of communicating with others has greatly improved the relationship with my friends, family and other people. Therefore, people who are suffering from Multiple Sclerosis should be encouraged to attend care meetings. This may effect self concept because it requires a level of openness from the person with Multiple Sclerosis. When I am down I usually remember I am not defined by Multiple Sclerosis. In situations like this, I usually shift my focus to positive things in life. I did not choose to be diagnosed with MS, but I know a person suffering from Multiple Sclerosis can choose to engage in relationships or activities that empower the individual and allow that individual to live in the moment. Additionally, a person suffering from Multiple Sclerosis can be able to overcome his/her challenges if he manages his/her fatigues and plan activities when he/she is more energetic, and the individual should remember that rest is important to maintain mental, emotional and physical health. Multiple Sclerosis individual should avoid dwelling on his/her disease. I came to realized hobbies are therapeutic way of lifting mood, reducing stress levels and renewing the individual spirit. Therefore, persons suffering from MS should select a hobby upon their interests and skills. Whether it’s bird watching, cooking, poetry, yoga or music, findings from many studies suggests that different hobbies that people suffering from MS have been found to create shared opportunities for friends and connection with others who share and/or have common interests. Prayer and meditation has been used by individuals in many culture to connect with their faith, promote good health and focus on relaxation and deep breathing. Studies that have been carried on the brain waves when an individual is meditating shows an increase in alpha waves, the work of these waves will help an individual suffering from MS to calm his/her nervous system. Additionally, meditation, regular prayers and reflection have also been found to improve spiritual and physical well-being, as well as help individual suffering from MS cope with unpredictable symptoms of their illness. Also discuss the concepts of pity, paternalism, self efficacy and independence in relation to rehabilitation and health care professionals treating people with a disability. Read More