How have health issues impacted my life
Health issues have a significant importance in my life because they help me to view the way I live and the way others close to me live their life. There have been two contributing factors that have shaped who I am as a person, my granddad recently had heart surgery and some of my family members have/had Alzheimer’s. Both of these things give me a perspective as to what can happen to me whether that is due to genetics or how I live my life. These health issues hit home pretty hard because I have had to deal with them for most of my life and there is the realization that one day it could possibly happen to me.
A big factor in my life is my granddad who has always lived a healthy lifestyle, had to get a heart catheterization last year. It was a big deal to me and my family because we didn’t know what had happened to him in order for him to have to undergo something so drastic. My granddad goes golfing at least once a week, and still has to do yard work around the house and he had never been a smoker like many of my other family members were in the past. It was a very stressful time in my life because it leads me to believe that maybe it could end up being a hereditary thing and it could potentially happen to me or my dad. He can no longer go golfing as often as he wants to because he gets winded too easily and can’t deal with certain situations like he used to be able to.
This is an eye opener to me because it leads me to believe that something can happen to me in the future. My dad does not do a lot of exercise now a day because he has a slip disk in his neck so he can’t get out and do anything anymore. I am hoping that it is not a hereditary factor although by the looks of it, it could be transferred through genetics. My granddad is the first person in my family line that I know of that has had any form of heart problems and it is kind of a hard thing to deal with because none of us know the actions that need to be taken if a big problem does occur. I have had to drive my granddad to the hospital on several occasions for checkups to make sure everything is copasetic and so far things have turned out well but there is no knowing what the future holds in store. At the moment we are looking to find someone to stay in the house with my grandparents to help them out if they need it because they refuse to go to a retirement home, because they feel like my great grandmother was mistreated in hers.
Another big thing in my life is my granddad on the other side of my family has Alzheimer’s and it is turning into a form of dementia right now. It happened to my great grandmother before she passed away and it is a rough thing to deal with. My granddad has to take medicine to try to counteract the Alzheimer’s but I don’t think that it works for the most part. He will ramble on about stories that were never true and argue with people on random things. It is getting worse daily and the doctor said the eventually it will turn into dementia and I don’t know if I can deal with that again. When my great grandmother was alive and she had dementia for the last 4-5 months of her life she thought that she was living in the 1800’s and thought that she was being pushed around in a wagon when in reality she was just in her wheelchair. It was a really sad state of affairs to see her slipping away like that and there was nothing that we could do about it. It impacted me in a way that changed me forever; I have a new outlook on how this disease affects people and how I handle a situation with someone who has this disease. My family and I all took it very hard because we have never had to deal with something as severe as this, but now I think that we are more prepared if my granddad does succumb to dementia. Alzheimer’s is a dramatic disease because it is something that gets worse overtime instead of something that stays at a steady rate. The thing about Alzheimer’s is there is nothing you can do to make it better, all you can do is be there for comfort and moral support and hope that it doesn’t worsen. I am prepared to deal with whatever comes around because I know that Alzheimer’s is a hereditary thing and if my great grandmother and my granddad got it my mom could have the same problem one day and I know that I would have to be the one to deal with it one day.
To sum up, my family has had a pretty healthy life except for my grandfather who has had heart problems that none of us could see coming and the Alzheimer’s that have been running through my family line for years. None of my brothers, sisters or parents have had any potentially fatal or serious problems so I personally have not had to directly deal with these problems but what I have had to deal with has shaped my life in many ways. My granddads heart problems have cost me and my family a lot of time because we always need to go over and check up on him because my grandmother can no longer get out of bed because of her old age. It has taken a toll on me and my family but I am never opposed to going over and doing what I can to help out.
A big factor in my life is my granddad who has always lived a healthy lifestyle, had to get a heart catheterization last year. It was a big deal to me and my family because we didn’t know what had happened to him in order for him to have to undergo something so drastic. My granddad goes golfing at least once a week, and still has to do yard work around the house and he had never been a smoker like many of my other family members were in the past. It was a very stressful time in my life because it leads me to believe that maybe it could end up being a hereditary thing and it could potentially happen to me or my dad. He can no longer go golfing as often as he wants to because he gets winded too easily and can’t deal with certain situations like he used to be able to.
This is an eye opener to me because it leads me to believe that something can happen to me in the future. My dad does not do a lot of exercise now a day because he has a slip disk in his neck so he can’t get out and do anything anymore. I am hoping that it is not a hereditary factor although by the looks of it, it could be transferred through genetics. My granddad is the first person in my family line that I know of that has had any form of heart problems and it is kind of a hard thing to deal with because none of us know the actions that need to be taken if a big problem does occur. I have had to drive my granddad to the hospital on several occasions for checkups to make sure everything is copasetic and so far things have turned out well but there is no knowing what the future holds in store. At the moment we are looking to find someone to stay in the house with my grandparents to help them out if they need it because they refuse to go to a retirement home, because they feel like my great grandmother was mistreated in hers.
Another big thing in my life is my granddad on the other side of my family has Alzheimer’s and it is turning into a form of dementia right now. It happened to my great grandmother before she passed away and it is a rough thing to deal with. My granddad has to take medicine to try to counteract the Alzheimer’s but I don’t think that it works for the most part. He will ramble on about stories that were never true and argue with people on random things. It is getting worse daily and the doctor said the eventually it will turn into dementia and I don’t know if I can deal with that again. When my great grandmother was alive and she had dementia for the last 4-5 months of her life she thought that she was living in the 1800’s and thought that she was being pushed around in a wagon when in reality she was just in her wheelchair. It was a really sad state of affairs to see her slipping away like that and there was nothing that we could do about it. It impacted me in a way that changed me forever; I have a new outlook on how this disease affects people and how I handle a situation with someone who has this disease. My family and I all took it very hard because we have never had to deal with something as severe as this, but now I think that we are more prepared if my granddad does succumb to dementia. Alzheimer’s is a dramatic disease because it is something that gets worse overtime instead of something that stays at a steady rate. The thing about Alzheimer’s is there is nothing you can do to make it better, all you can do is be there for comfort and moral support and hope that it doesn’t worsen. I am prepared to deal with whatever comes around because I know that Alzheimer’s is a hereditary thing and if my great grandmother and my granddad got it my mom could have the same problem one day and I know that I would have to be the one to deal with it one day.
To sum up, my family has had a pretty healthy life except for my grandfather who has had heart problems that none of us could see coming and the Alzheimer’s that have been running through my family line for years. None of my brothers, sisters or parents have had any potentially fatal or serious problems so I personally have not had to directly deal with these problems but what I have had to deal with has shaped my life in many ways. My granddads heart problems have cost me and my family a lot of time because we always need to go over and check up on him because my grandmother can no longer get out of bed because of her old age. It has taken a toll on me and my family but I am never opposed to going over and doing what I can to help out.