Community Health Resource Paper: Chronicity in the Context of Polymyalgia Rheumatica and Chronic Urinary Incontinence
Chronic illness is defined as “the irreversible presence, accumulation, or latency of diseased states that involve the total human environment for supportive care and self-care, maintenance of function, and prevention of further disability” (Curtin & Lubkin, 1995, p. 6). Though the specifics of this definition can be contentious, for the purposes of this paper, any disease which can be considered in these terms will be regarded as a chronic illness. As such, diseases which fulfill these parameters have the ability to significantly impact the health and wellbeing of the individual and those around them, and therefore must be …show more content…
She shares a home with her husband, KM and dog, MM on the farm that has been in KM’s family since the 1800’s. Their son, JM, and his family live adjacent to them, as per Appendix A. HF fulfills a very traditional role, and is responsible for cooking, cleaning, and providing comfort for her husband and son, as well as babysitting her two youngest grandchildren during the week, as evidenced in Appendix B.
HF and KM feel that they have a fairly healthy lifestyle. KM was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes approximately fifteen years ago, and since then, they have become very conscious of their dietary habits. They are very proud of the fact that KM has been able to successfully control his blood sugars through diet, and has not required pharmaceutical intervention. However, HF acknowledges that she does not exercise as much as she could, and considers herself to be overweight. Her BMI is 29.
Effects of Polymyalgia Rheumatica and Chronic Urinary Incontinence on Resource …show more content…
Initially, she sought out traditional allopathic methods of healing, but when those were unsuccessful and she decided that she did not wish to have any more surgery, HF began to explore other options. She has been working with a physiotherapist bi-monthly for almost two years now, but is now becoming discouraged by the little progress she has made. In accordance with the exercise plan the physiotherapist developed for her, HF does 30-40 Kegel exercises every hour she is awake. This is an effort to develop the musculature of HF’s pelvic floor so that her bladder will sit higher in her abdomen. These exercises have been proven effective, however, HF has not yet seen results (Women’s, 2015).
During our third visit, I elected to share with HF some resources that I had discovered regarding the efficacy of Acupuncture for the treatment of both Fibromyalgia Rheumatica and Urinary Incontinence. I felt that our relationship was developed enough at this point in order for me to do so, however, I made sure to stress that I did not want to pressure HF into anything; I simply wanted to share what I had learned because of it’s potential. HF’s was very receptive to this, and was eager to read through the literature I provided
Chronic illness is defined as “the irreversible presence, accumulation, or latency of diseased states that involve the total human environment for supportive care and self-care, maintenance of function, and prevention of further disability” (Curtin & Lubkin, 1995, p. 6). Though the specifics of this definition can be contentious, for the purposes of this paper, any disease which can be considered in these terms will be regarded as a chronic illness. As such, diseases which fulfill these parameters have the ability to significantly impact the health and wellbeing of the individual and those around them, and therefore must be …show more content…
She shares a home with her husband, KM and dog, MM on the farm that has been in KM’s family since the 1800’s. Their son, JM, and his family live adjacent to them, as per Appendix A. HF fulfills a very traditional role, and is responsible for cooking, cleaning, and providing comfort for her husband and son, as well as babysitting her two youngest grandchildren during the week, as evidenced in Appendix B.
HF and KM feel that they have a fairly healthy lifestyle. KM was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes approximately fifteen years ago, and since then, they have become very conscious of their dietary habits. They are very proud of the fact that KM has been able to successfully control his blood sugars through diet, and has not required pharmaceutical intervention. However, HF acknowledges that she does not exercise as much as she could, and considers herself to be overweight. Her BMI is 29.
Effects of Polymyalgia Rheumatica and Chronic Urinary Incontinence on Resource …show more content…
Initially, she sought out traditional allopathic methods of healing, but when those were unsuccessful and she decided that she did not wish to have any more surgery, HF began to explore other options. She has been working with a physiotherapist bi-monthly for almost two years now, but is now becoming discouraged by the little progress she has made. In accordance with the exercise plan the physiotherapist developed for her, HF does 30-40 Kegel exercises every hour she is awake. This is an effort to develop the musculature of HF’s pelvic floor so that her bladder will sit higher in her abdomen. These exercises have been proven effective, however, HF has not yet seen results (Women’s, 2015).
During our third visit, I elected to share with HF some resources that I had discovered regarding the efficacy of Acupuncture for the treatment of both Fibromyalgia Rheumatica and Urinary Incontinence. I felt that our relationship was developed enough at this point in order for me to do so, however, I made sure to stress that I did not want to pressure HF into anything; I simply wanted to share what I had learned because of it’s potential. HF’s was very receptive to this, and was eager to read through the literature I provided