My mother was diagnosed with gestational diabetes during her fourth pregnancy. I am her fourth, and youngest child. About a year after I was born, she was diagnosed with Type II diabetes. The constant visits to the doctor’s office felt normal, and it wasn’t until I was in high school that I noticed how much pain she felt. When I was in 10th grade, my mother had undergone a complete hysterectomy; it was a surgery that was supposed to be easy. In the middle of the day I received a panicked text message from my oldest sister: “Mom might not be okay.” She had been under the knife for longer than they had expected due to complications from her diabetes. Over the following six years, there were always more complications, and there was always more …show more content…
I investigated the many ways in which black health and wellness is effected through illness, suffering, and trauma. I explored these concepts through hands-on experience and research with topics such as sickle cell disease, intimate partner violence and sexual assault, reproductive justice, and youth development. My studies were interdisciplinary. I drew on medical anthropology, cultural studies, history, biology, and writing. Using these disciplines, I got a deeper understanding of how historical, cultural, and socio-economical forces contribute to the health disparities in black communities. This question of what it means to be black and healthy took me in several different directions. Whenever I read one journal article or book, I always craved to know more. In every course or project that I was a part of, I always asked questions about how the material related to Black health. My studies became deeply personal because a lot of research interests were related to my own, family’s, or friend’s experiences. The personal aspect is where my passion for wanting to make changes in the public health and medical fields came into
Throughout American history, relationships between racial and ethnic groups have been marked by antagonism, inequality, and violence. In today’s complex and fast-paced society, historians, social theorists and anthropologists have been known to devote significant amounts of time examining and interrogating not only the interior climate of the institutions that shape human behavior and personalities, but also relations between race and culture. It is difficult to tolerate the notion; America has won its victory over racism. Even though many maintain America is a “color blind nation,” racism and racial conflict remain to be prevalent in the social fabric of American institutions. As a result, one may question if issues and challenges regarding the continuity of institutional racism still exist in America today. If socialization in America is the process by which people of various ethnicities and cultures intertwine, it is vital for one to understand how the race relations shape and influence personalities regarding the perceptions of various groups. Heartbreaking as it is, racism takes a detour in acceptance of its blind side. Further, to better understand racism one must take into account how deeply it entrenched it is, not only in politics, and economics but also Health Care settings. In doing so, one will grasp a decisive understanding of "who gets what and why.” The objective of this paper is to explore and examine the pervasiveness of racism in the health care industry, while at the same time shed light on a specific area of social relations that has remained a silence in the health care setting. The turpitude feeling of ongoing silence has masked the treatment black patients have received from white health care providers...
Social and financial status have been the safety net or “go to” protection for African American people for many years back, leading one to assume education and an affluent life style could become a shield of protection over the black body. However, society has proven that your safety net ends where your skin begins. No matter how rich or established a person is, the fact will remain that they are black. Ta- Nehisi Coates describes his life growing up the ghettos of Baltimore. Throughout his book, Ta-Nehisi Coates repeatedly emphasizes that growing up his, “highest priority was the simple security of my body,” (p.130) Then he goes on to describe how his wife grew up in a more affluent and privileged lifestyle, a lifestyle that
I was very intrigued to hear about a book that was once again positively depicting a black man. It allowed me to think about how media and society has motioned us to not think of black men as CEO’s, doctors, and lawyers when we first hear of them. Dr. Tweedy’s memoir on how he has experienced racial issues, and finds health problems in the black community is very uplifting to know he wanted to pursue what was occurring. Though he was not from the south, he mentioned unequal practices that did occur in the south. Dr. Tweedy noticed many discreptencies within the black community economically, socially, and culturally. Dr. Tweedy endured a lot of discrimination during his process of becoming a physician, and of course after his process. As I previously stated, this notion is from this disgusting negative connation mostly white people receive from black men. Dr. Tweedy hope to work in an area where he would not have to endure racial tension; however, his future though otherwise and he was exposed to a harsh experience of institutionalized racism first hand. It was an fortunate and unfortunate case that race influenced Dr. Tweedy relationship with patients. It was an advantage because it opened his eyes to the discreptencies with black Americans in healthcare, and it was a disadvantage that he sustained racial incidents to bring this situation to the light. Dr. Tweedy well
Often times in the black community we like to avoid talking about topics that effect us because of the fear of “scaring the community”. Hooks shows the readers of Sisters of the Yam: Black Women and Self-Recovery that we shouldn’t be worried about scaring the community and we need to inform the community to prevent them from being ignorant of the issues that are prevelant in the black community. This book allowed me to open my eyes to the issues that all African American women are facing on a day-to-day
Studies have analyzed how African Americans deal with an enormous amount of disease, injury, death, and disability compared to other ethnic group, and whites, Utilization of health services by African Americans is less frequent than other ethnic groups in the country. This non utilization of services contributes to health disparities amongst African Americans in the United States. Current and past studies have shown that because of discrimination, medical mistrust, racial/ethnic background, and poor communication African Americans tend to not seek medical care unless they are in dire need or forced to seek professional care. African Americans would rather self –medicate than to trust a doctor who might show some type of discriminatory
Every day, people live their lives without deep thought about the health and wellness of their community. When faced with harsh living conditions or situations, it is easy to become stuck in a negative mentality which doesn’t allow room for positive thoughts in order to create positive change. In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, it explores the areas and factors of public health that ordinary people may or may not be aware of. The main character in the story, Junior, says “There’s always time to change your life”, a statement that can be true for anyone who is still young, has a decent amount of support, and hope to pull them through tough situations.
During one of my rotations, I was assigned a young adult patient who had run out of insulin and had been admitted to the hospital following a Diabetes Ketoacidosis (DKA) episode. I realized that my patient was probably torn between buying insulin and buying healthy food because her chart showed several admissions in the past following the same problems. This particular patient was in her room, isolated in a corner, and she was irritable. As her student nurse, I was actively involved in her care; I was her advocate for the day. The patient lived with her single mother and worked at a fast food restaurant. Since this was my first time dealing with a patient with DKA, it became a definite challenge for me.
In the African American community the large infant mortality rates would seemingly be correlated poverty, lack of education, and inadequate access to prenatal care. African American women show a higher infant mortality even with higher social standing and education.( Gance-Cleveland, Locus, Wilson, 2011.) This therefore signifies another element that is as of yet undiscovered and subjective to further study. One suggested theory is that African American women go through a process in life called “Weathering.” According to Geronimus ,“weathering” is the cumulative effects of socioeconomic disa...
Williams, D. R., & Jackson, P. (2014, April 1). Health Affairs. Social Sources Of Racial Disparities In Health. Retrieved April 29, 2014, from http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/24/2/325.short
I wonder what images are going through your mind right now. Most of you are probably thinking “no sugar, injections, diets, doctors.” You’re right, mostly. Pre-med students have it down to a science; some of them even have the nerve to try explaining it to me. I may not know all the details, but I know what they feel like. I have heard just enough horror stories to scare me away from reading up on my own illness. Yes, I realize the stupidity of this rationalization, yet almost every person I talk to about my fears seems to have the same story to tell me: “I had an aunt who had diabetes, but she didn’t take care of herself. She went blin...
The aspect of African-American Studies is key to the lives of African-Americans and those involved with the welfare of the race. African-American Studies is the systematic and critical study of the multidimensional aspects of Black thought and practice in their current and historical unfolding (Karenga, 21). African-American Studies exposes students to the experiences of African-American people and others of African descent. It allows the promotion and sharing of the African-American culture. However, the concept of African-American Studies, like many other studies that focus on a specific group, gender, and/or creed, poses problems. Therefore, African-American Studies must overcome the obstacles in order to improve the state of being for African-Americans.
At the age of twelve, I was diagnosed with Type One Diabetes. I remember the whole event of my diagnosis. At first, I thought that it was fun to have, because I had no understanding of what diabetes meant. People found out at school, and It gave me a lot of attention. As time progressed, I realized that I would have to eventually give myself shots. It gave me a wake up call. I eventually figured out that I would not be able to get rid of diabetes, because it is permanent. It was not a game, it was real life. I couldn't just turn off the video game and have it be done. Diabetes caused me to grow up really fast compared to most of my friends. I gave myself my first shot at the age of 12 and a half. I had to test my own blood sugar four times
As an African American woman, I have lived and worked in underserved communities and have experienced personally, the social and economic injustices grieved by underserved communities and the working poor. All of which, has increased my desires to work with such populations. A reserved person by nature, I have exposed an inner voice that I was oblivious to. I have expressed my inner voice to those living in underserved communities, who are seeking social and economic stability. I have come to classify and value the strength I have developed by the need, to survive in an underserved community. I use these as my continuous struggle against the social and economic injustices that I have experienced, as a product of an underserved community and as an African American woman. I have continued my struggle to overcome the barriers from my upbringing in an underserved community.
The health status of the African American has been declining over the last century. Studies have shown that African Americans have less access to appropriate health care and that includes preventative care for children and adults. African Americans are not only more susceptible to disease and illness; they are also more likely to die from them. This minority tends to have the worst indicators of all health minorities. So has life expectancy improved for African Americans? Yes, it has improved. “The life expectancy has improved greatly for all Americans during the last century.” (Black Demographics,’n.d.’) This paper will compare the health status of the African American and the barriers that
Around the age of 6 my mom was hospitalized because she had extreme headaches, and that’s when she found out she had a tumor in her brain. She kept this a secret from me because she didn’t want to see me suffer more than what I already was. About a week after she found out the news of her tumor, my mom was obligated to tell me because she had to go to Florida to get surgery, since the hospitals in Peru did not have the proper equipment to do this surgery. After my mother broke the news to me, we both started crying. I did not know much about tumors, but I did know that it was a life threatening disease. The next day my mom and I went to the doctor to find out what procedure she should take to not put her life at risk. In that same appointment, we found out the pricy amount of the surgery. With my mom’s salary and all of our expenses, it was going to be impossible to pay for the operation, and my mom had to make the tough decision to postpone