The Experiential Approach
I chose to research lupus because my mother suffered from this illness since she was a young child. She has since passed away but as I was growing up I remember asking her questions about her health. She would tell me only a little about what struggles she went though but this allowed me to realize what a hero my mom was.
My mother would tell me that she would have to miss a lot of school as a child due to her severe flare ups from lupus. My grandma said that my mom was very smart but school was a challenge because of this. My mom also had to make a lot of sacrifices. She always said that she didn't think she would be able to get pregnant but when she found out she was having me she was very excited because she wanted a child so badly. Growing up she would call me her miracle baby. She mentioned that her pregnancy was not easy though she had to be extra careful with her diet and environmental factors as to not have a lupus flare up during her pregnancy. One very important environmental factor to avoid as a lupus patient is UV radiation. Even throughout life my mother had to stay out of the sun as much as possible. This made me kind of sad because she wanted to go out in the summer and loved going to the pools with me.
Even though I was young I could see my mom struggle with this illness and I could see that she was sad to have it affect the things her and I could do together. One thing that I remember greatly was how positive my mom was. She and I would do charity walks for the Lupus Foundation of America and we would spread awareness with this non-profit organization. This was a great bonding experience for her and I and I really loved doing that with her.
My mom did suffer from this disease until the day she passed away but she did live a positive life and tried her very hardest to not let it get her down too much. She learned over the course of her lifetime the meaning of this disease and also what it meant to her. To my mother this was not something that was going to conquer her, she might not conquer it either but she wasn't going to let it get her down while she could still fight.
Looking back I do think that having access western medicine helps with lupus because steroids and medications do help with the symptoms associated with the disease. However, other forms of treatment like herbal medicine might alleviate the symptoms minimally or help keep someone comfortable for a limited amount of time during the flare-up which is also beneficial.
The experiential approach is a way for anthropologists to talk with the person about what experiences they have had with their illness and see what struggles they have been through living with a disease like lupus. This sheds light onto their lives and lets the medical professional team see how the patient's illness has affected their everyday lives, especially the interactions they have with their friends and family. The stories they tell are a key insight into other things like what the illness means to someone. It is important to know how someone makes sense of their condition because this lays the ground for how a doctor might approach them for treatment or just an explanation of their disease. The perception one has of themselves is important because it determines how they carry themselves and the attitude they have towards living. The meaning of one's disease takes root in the main questions of: Why me? Why now?
My mother would tell me that she would have to miss a lot of school as a child due to her severe flare ups from lupus. My grandma said that my mom was very smart but school was a challenge because of this. My mom also had to make a lot of sacrifices. She always said that she didn't think she would be able to get pregnant but when she found out she was having me she was very excited because she wanted a child so badly. Growing up she would call me her miracle baby. She mentioned that her pregnancy was not easy though she had to be extra careful with her diet and environmental factors as to not have a lupus flare up during her pregnancy. One very important environmental factor to avoid as a lupus patient is UV radiation. Even throughout life my mother had to stay out of the sun as much as possible. This made me kind of sad because she wanted to go out in the summer and loved going to the pools with me.
Even though I was young I could see my mom struggle with this illness and I could see that she was sad to have it affect the things her and I could do together. One thing that I remember greatly was how positive my mom was. She and I would do charity walks for the Lupus Foundation of America and we would spread awareness with this non-profit organization. This was a great bonding experience for her and I and I really loved doing that with her.
My mom did suffer from this disease until the day she passed away but she did live a positive life and tried her very hardest to not let it get her down too much. She learned over the course of her lifetime the meaning of this disease and also what it meant to her. To my mother this was not something that was going to conquer her, she might not conquer it either but she wasn't going to let it get her down while she could still fight.
Looking back I do think that having access western medicine helps with lupus because steroids and medications do help with the symptoms associated with the disease. However, other forms of treatment like herbal medicine might alleviate the symptoms minimally or help keep someone comfortable for a limited amount of time during the flare-up which is also beneficial.
The experiential approach is a way for anthropologists to talk with the person about what experiences they have had with their illness and see what struggles they have been through living with a disease like lupus. This sheds light onto their lives and lets the medical professional team see how the patient's illness has affected their everyday lives, especially the interactions they have with their friends and family. The stories they tell are a key insight into other things like what the illness means to someone. It is important to know how someone makes sense of their condition because this lays the ground for how a doctor might approach them for treatment or just an explanation of their disease. The perception one has of themselves is important because it determines how they carry themselves and the attitude they have towards living. The meaning of one's disease takes root in the main questions of: Why me? Why now?
The experiential approach is a way for anthropologists to talk with the person about what experiences they have had with their illness and see what struggles they have been through living with a disease like lupus. This sheds light onto their lives and lets the medical professional team see how the patient's illness has affected their everyday lives, especially the interactions they have with their friends and family. The stories they tell are a key insight into other things like what the illness means to someone. It is important to know how someone makes sense of their condition because this lays the ground for how a doctor might approach them for treatment or just an explanation of their disease. The perception one has of themselves is important because it determines how they carry themselves and the attitude they have towards living. The meaning of one's disease takes root in the main questions of: Why me? Why now? (Karim).
Bibliography:
Karim, Taz. "Week 1: Lecture 1." ANP 204 Introduction to Medical Anthropology Summer 2014 Week 1 Lecture 1 Comments. Accessed August 14, 2014.
"Lupus." KMK Productions & Innovative Twist Present : Hampton Roads First Ever Walk For A Cure. Accessed August 14, 2014. http://lupuswalkforacure.squarespace.com/projects/.
Karim, Taz. "Week 1: Lecture 1." ANP 204 Introduction to Medical Anthropology Summer 2014 Week 1 Lecture 1 Comments. Accessed August 14, 2014.
"Lupus." KMK Productions & Innovative Twist Present : Hampton Roads First Ever Walk For A Cure. Accessed August 14, 2014. http://lupuswalkforacure.squarespace.com/projects/.