I believe that there are important screenings and diagnostic tests that a woman of my age must be getting on a regular basis to maintain optimal health. Routine exams allow the patient as well as the nurse and doctor to become aware of any potential health issues. Specific health goals can then be made and achieved by the patient. Without obtaining necessary screenings, the nurse fails to appropriately and successfully care for the patient, and the patient fails in being proactive with their own health. In addition, it is my belief that identifying a health issue with a patient allows them to advocate for themselves, and thus receive better care that is catered to their needs. Individuals make many choices that affect their health each
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Edelman states that ‘because excellent physical health frequently is taken for granted, concern about health and well-being is relatively low in individuals in their twenties but begins to increase in individuals in their thirties.’ (Edelman p1251) I find this to be extremely true for myself. Having never had any prior medical problems, and suddenly being diagnosed with thyroid cancer at age thirty, the thought of having to take a medication every day for the rest of my life is just something that I have had no experience with. If I had been more active in my own health care and gotten routine well-woman screenings, perhaps my cancer staging would have been caught at stage one rather than stage two, and my treatment options as well as the level of radioactive iodine I was given could have been more minimal. ‘Women account for 77% of new cases’ of thyroid cancer each year, and women ‘with a family history of thyroid cancer’ are considered to be at risk. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK15464/) If I had known more about my family history, I may have been able to relay the history of thyroid cancer in my …show more content…
I made the decision to take my medication with me in my backpack to school every day, since I take my backpack with me nearly everywhere I go. In addition, I made an appointment with my endocrinologist to get a routine ultrasound and routine labs. The ultrasound was unremarkable, and my TSH level went from 14 to under 3, the normal reference range being 0.5 to 4.5. To myself and my endocrinologist this is a dramatic change, as he would like to see my TSH level below 2.
Now that a month has passed, I feel that I have been reasonably successful, missing only two days in my attempt at taking the medication every day. I would consider myself to be currently in the action phase with my health perception and health management, as I am still actively working on making sure I take my pill on a daily basis. When I feel I have completed this goal, I will implement a new goal which is time oriented, and will find methods which will allow me to take my medication at the same time every
Edelman states that ‘because excellent physical health frequently is taken for granted, concern about health and well-being is relatively low in individuals in their twenties but begins to increase in individuals in their thirties.’ (Edelman p1251) I find this to be extremely true for myself. Having never had any prior medical problems, and suddenly being diagnosed with thyroid cancer at age thirty, the thought of having to take a medication every day for the rest of my life is just something that I have had no experience with. If I had been more active in my own health care and gotten routine well-woman screenings, perhaps my cancer staging would have been caught at stage one rather than stage two, and my treatment options as well as the level of radioactive iodine I was given could have been more minimal. ‘Women account for 77% of new cases’ of thyroid cancer each year, and women ‘with a family history of thyroid cancer’ are considered to be at risk. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK15464/) If I had known more about my family history, I may have been able to relay the history of thyroid cancer in my …show more content…
I made the decision to take my medication with me in my backpack to school every day, since I take my backpack with me nearly everywhere I go. In addition, I made an appointment with my endocrinologist to get a routine ultrasound and routine labs. The ultrasound was unremarkable, and my TSH level went from 14 to under 3, the normal reference range being 0.5 to 4.5. To myself and my endocrinologist this is a dramatic change, as he would like to see my TSH level below 2.
Now that a month has passed, I feel that I have been reasonably successful, missing only two days in my attempt at taking the medication every day. I would consider myself to be currently in the action phase with my health perception and health management, as I am still actively working on making sure I take my pill on a daily basis. When I feel I have completed this goal, I will implement a new goal which is time oriented, and will find methods which will allow me to take my medication at the same time every