A Disease of Neck Bone Deterioration

The subject name Dawn Chan was scheduled for an MRI scan in August of 2013. According to Wayne Weitens Psychology Themes and Variations, "MRI scans can be used to produce remarkably high-resolution pictures of brain structure" (Pg. 78, Ch. 3). Dawn was sent to a variety of places for her MRI information such as the office of her primary care doctor, different hospitals and different neurosurgeon doctors during this time. Dawn was 50 years of age at the time and was greatly concerned about the MRI scans.

The reason an MRI scan was needed started with leg pain. Dawn was experiencing numbness in her legs and was having trouble walking. As days turned into weeks, Dawn had enough with the pain and wanted to know what was going on with her. Dawn contacted her primary care doctor to find a solution to the numbness she was feeling. However, Dawns doctor did not know what to think about this pain she was experiencing either and did not know the answers. Dawns doctor sent her to a neurologist to get some answers but was sent to a neurosurgeon. Later on, the neurosurgeon ordered Dawn an MRI scan. A neurosurgeon operates on the nerves and the nervous system within a person.

What the doctors were looking for in Dawns MRI was signs of blockage, possibly in her spinal cord. The spinal cord is "responsible for transmitting information between the brain and the rest of the body" (Pg. 79, Ch. 3). As a result of the MRI scan, Dawn had a serious issue. The scans and pictures showed that Dawns neck bone was deteriorating. Dawns neck bones were shifting around which was causing pinched nerves.

As an ending result, Dawn was going to need surgery that involves removing the dead bone from her neck and replacing it with metal screws and rods, leaving a small indent in the back of her neck. Since Dawn had waited so long to figure this out, she will go the rest of her life being unable to feel form her breasts down to her feet. Dawn cannot feel what cold is on her legs or what it feels like to be cut on her legs any longer.

After Dawns surgery, stress began to settle in. Dawn was having issues walking since she could not feel her legs, and was having a hard time healing from the surgery. Dawn was living in her bedroom, on the couch and had to use a walker to get around, she had to be supervised by a family member to ensure that she was safe to get around the house which put stress on the family members as well. The stress built up even more within Dawn because after this first surgery, she was in need of 2 more surgeries’ revolving around the same issue as before. Stress is "any circumstances that threatens or are perceived to threaten one's well-being and tax one's coping abilities" (Pg. 457, Ch. 13). During Dawns recovery, medical bills had to be covered and recovery time was needed, which meant lying down often and not being able to really go anywhere outside alone. Since Dawn was in the state she was in, she could not function properly at work and could not work to help pay for bills involving her surgeries. Dawns spouse had to work constantly to afford medication for her and to pay for the surgeries and doctor visits which put a lot more stress on her and her spouse. According to the Social Readjustment Rating Scale on page 461 in chapter 13, Personal injury has a mean value of 50 and Change in financial state has a mean value of 38.

As stated on page 476 in chapter 13, health-impairing behavior deals with smoking, drug abuse, and lack of exercise. These topics are self-destructive which are common in people who have stress. Dawn was a heavy smoker way before and after the surgeries, and didn’t stop. I believe that smoking affects your life tremendously because on page 477 in chapter 13, smoking affects one’s health as an average smoker has an estimated life expectancy of 13 to 14 years shorter than someone who is a nonsmoker and since Dawn is in the state that she is in, smoking should not be an option. After the surgeries, more medication was needed to help keep Dawn comfortable and relaxed. Dawns medication was not much help either as they would make her drowsy or the medication was not strong enough to affect her. Along with the surgery, Dawn was given a curriculum for exercising as well. However, the exercises were hard to keep up with. As Dawn would try the exercises, her muscles would become very sore the day after preforming the exercises and made it difficult to stand, walk, or even get out of bed; adding on to her stress.

What Dawn went through was hard. Dawn had to deal with the loss of her ability to feel which affected her ability to walk, work, drive and do simple tasks. These surgeries changed Dawns life forever. It started with a simple MRI, which led to surgery after surgery, causing her to give up nerve feeling and preforming normal daily tasks which led her to be stressed, depressed and upset all the time. However, my mother, Dawn, had me and my father to help her out around the house and take care of her which made her life and my father’s life a little easier.