All Books are Not Created Equal

In the final unit of our class Forbidden Books, we learned about censorship. We did not do an action project for Unit 2 because our teacher thought this project was more important. In the 3rd unit, we learned about the censorship of books. We read Sherman Alexie's "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian." We had weekly book clubs to discuss the book. We visited our local public radio station, WBEZ, to meet with their south-side correspondent Natalie Moore. Ms. Moore wrote a book about the South-Side that was banned in Illinois prisons. We talked with her about what it was like to be an author of a banned book. At the beginning of this class, we chose one of five banned books. The options were: The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. The Color Purple by Alice Walker. Animal Farm by George Orwell. Lord of the Flies by William Golding, and The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. I chose The Outsiders because it is one of my favorite books of all time. We then had to read the book and write an essay about why it was banned. I liked this project because it was challenging. We don't write essays that often, and I like writing them. I am proud of how it came out and happy that I got to write about my favorite book.

TheeErin. "“When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home.” (1972) Flickr. Web. 23, March 2018.

CM

Forbidden Books

16 March 2018

The Censorship of The Outsiders

Imagine a writer working hard for years on a book that she is so proud of. She can’t wait to get it out into the world for everyone to read it. Just as she thinks she has made it, her book is banned all across the country for its explicit nature. This is actually very common all across the world and has happened for a very long time. S.E. Hinton was only 16 years old when she started writing her famous novel The Outsiders in 1967. This book follows the lives of teenagers in a gang in Tulsa, OK in the 1960s. Their gang is called the Greasers. They are rivals of the gang the Socs. The main character is Ponyboy Curtis, who is the youngest member of the gang. Ponyboy’s brothers are Sodapop and Darry. Their parents were killed in a car accident leaving Darry, the oldest, to look after the brothers. One day, the Socs beat up Johnny (who is another member of the Greasers) and Ponyboy which ends up with Johnny killing one of the Socs in self-defense. The Greasers then have to go into hiding to try to run away from their crimes. Some of the Greasers try to deal with the consequences, some of the Greasers become heroes, and some end up having a tragic end. This book’s main theme is the importance of family and sticking together. Ponyboy and his brothers have to figure out their lives as they try to cope with their parents' deaths and the actions of the other gang members. This book was censored because it depicted underaged drinking, smoking, and drug use. It is also very violent with many graphic fight scenes depicted. Many churches also banned this book because it went against the Christian path. Even though there is violence and illegal activities, The Outsiders should not be banned in schools or churches.

The Outsiders was banned in schools and churches because of its depiction of underage drinking, smoking and drug use. It is also violent and describes gory fight scenes. The book was first challenged in 1986 in a school district in Milwaukee Wisconsin when the book was put on an 8th-grade reading list. It was banned because according to the University of Tulsa, “Drug and alcohol abuse was common and virtually all the characters were from broken homes”(Rosenthal). It was later challenged in a Boone, Iowa school district because of the “Glamorizing drug and alcohol use and uses obsessive violence and obscenity” (Rosenthal). It was then challenged in a West Virginia middle school because of its depictions of gang violence. The Outsiders was also banned in many churches around the country because of all the depictions described above, which could lead the readers to fall out of the “Christian path” (Rosenthal). This book was banned mostly for political and religious reasons.

The Outsiders was banned for many reasons that were stated before. These reasons can be explained with quotes directly from the book. In this first quote, Johnny and Ponyboy are hanging out at the park late at night smoking. They then see some of the Socs come into the park. One of the Socs, Bob, shoves Ponyboy’s head into the fountain, almost drowning him. Johnny feels that Bob will kill Ponyboy, so he pulls his switchblade and stabs Bob. Johnny said, “‘I killed him," he said slowly. "I killed that boy" (Hinton 48) Ponyboy describes, “Bob, the handsome Soc, was lying there in the moonlight, doubled up and still. A dark pool was growing from him, spreading slowly over the blue white cement. I looked at Johnny's hand. He was clutching his switchblade, and it was dark to the hilt. My stomach gave a violent jump and my blood turned icy”’(Hinton 48). This quote is controversial because it shows gang violence and describes emotional trauma and gory details.The next quote is from when Johnny and Ponyboy run away to Windrixville and hide out in an abandoned church. They are trying to hide from their crimes. In this quote, Ponyboy describes the fifth day of hiding out. They have had barely anything to eat and have smoked many cigarettes. Ponyboy said, “On the fifth day I had read up to Sherman's siege of Atlanta in Gone with the Wind, owed Johnny a hundred and fifty bucks from poker games, smoked two packs of Camels, and as Johnny had predicted, got sick. I hadn't eaten anything all day; and smoking on an empty stomach doesn't make you feel real great. I curled up in a corner to sleep off the smoke” (Hinton 68). This quote is controversial because it depicts underaged minors smoking and starving themselves. Ponyboy describes the effects of not eating much for days and smoking two packs of cigarettes, and how that makes the body feel. This is another reason why some people find The Outsiders controversial.

Even though many schools, churches, and people have banned or challenged The Outsiders, and they do have a good reason, this book should not be banned. The first reason is that this book teaches a valuable life lesson. The main overarching theme of the book is being loyal to family and trusting loved ones. This is a valuable life lesson that can be taken away. Secondly, all of the topics that are seen as “controversial” are all real-world topics and issues that come up in a teen’s life. Sheltering teens away from these “bad” behaviors won’t make them not want to do it, it will just make them uneducated about the subject and more likely to endanger themselves. Lastly, banning books is a bad way to keep ideas out of people’s minds. Deciding whether something is worthy or not for people to see is ridiculous. People should be able to decide for themselves if they want to read things. S.E. Hinton, the author of The Outsiders spoke to Willamette Weekly. When asked about the controversial topics in her book Hinton said, “In the beginning sometimes it was banned—just from parents seeing the book's cover and not reading the book. Teachers said to students, "Take the book home and read it." Nowadays grandparents share it with their grandchildren.” (Korfhage) Authors of banned books also have an opinion on their books being banned.

Even if The Outsiders is banned in different places, it doesn't change that fact that it is a good classic young adult novel, and many people enjoy it. Books have been banned and censored for a long time. banning books has existed throughout history because even people thousands of years ago had an agenda about what people could and could not read. Things might be banned historically in different places for different reasons just like today. This agenda has carried onto today. Not everyone is going to agree on what people can and cannot see. Nowadays, with the internet and television, we have many different kinds of censorship. Whether it is bleeping out curse words in TV, or putting age restrictions on movies, people are letting other people decide for themselves what they can and cannot see. The Outsiders still should not be banned because it does have a wholesome message, and is not nearly as violent and gory as some other books and media in the world today.

Works Cited

Baldassarro, Wolf R. “Banned Books Awareness: The Outsiders.” World.edu. Global Education Network. May 8, 2011. http://world.edu/banned-books-awareness-outsiders/

Hinton, S.E. The Outsiders. New York City: Viking Press, 1967. Print.

Korfhage, M. “Outsiders Author S.E. Hinton Talks Matt Dillon, and Why Everybody Keeps Showing Her Their Tattoos.” Willamette Weekly. May 16, 2017. http://www.wweek.com/uncategorized/2017/05/16/outsiders-author-s-e-hinton-talks-matt-dillon-and-why-everybody-keeps-showing-her-their-tattos/

Rosenthal, K. “Banned Books: Young Adult Novels.” University of Tulsa. March 13, 2014. http://orgs.utulsa.edu/spcol/?p=3254


In conclusion, I really liked this project. I enjoy writing essays, and it is alwaus very rewarding when they are finished. I really liked being able to read and write about by favorite book. I have never really thought about my positions on banned books before. After this project, I now think censoring books is ridicuous. People should decide for themselves what they do and don't want to read.

How Does it Feel to Have PTSD?

In our second Unit of our STEAM course, Disease, we learned about mental disorders. This Unit was about the mind. We learned about different kinds of mental disorders, learning disabilities, and mental illness. We also learned about different brain waves and when they manifest. We used this information to learn how to plot these waves on a graph and solve a piecewise function. Another thing we learned about was the DSM-5 This is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition. This is a manual of many mental disorders that have criteria used to diagnose people. We had a 2nd-year medical student come in and talk to us about diagnosing and talking to patients. I really liked this experience and got to show off my medical knowledge. For this project, we had to pick a mental disorder. I chose Posttraumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD. We then had to create a lesson and simulation to try to get our peers to feel the effects of the disorder. We also had to graph the brain waves that we thought our lesson would provoke. We then graphed these as a piecewise function. We filmed the lesson so we could document the experience. I thought this action project was fun. I thought it was different than the usual slideshow or essay. We also got to see everyone else do their simulation.

CM. Flyer. (2018)

My definition of PTSD would be: PTSD is a disorder in which a person has triggering flashbacks, memories, dreams, or hallucinations about a traumatic event in their past. According to the Veterans Association: "PTSD (posttraumatic stress disorder) is a mental health problem that some people develop after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening event, like combat, a natural disaster, a car accident, or sexual assault."

PTSD can be very difficult to live with. I wanted to find out what it was like to take care of someone with PTSD. I found an interview with a woman named Rebecca McCoy. Her husband Craig was diagnosed with PTSD. She states, “I basically guide him through each day, do things that he cannot do for himself or help him complete the tasks he cannot finish on his own. I am his primary emotional support, the person who he can talk to openly. I also help him realize and remember that he is worth the fight PTSD brings." This quote shows how hard it is for people who take care of someone with PTSD is. Rebecca and Craig's relationship is much different now that he has been diagnosed with PTSD.

According to the DSM-5 here are 3 criteria for diagnosing PTSD:

Criterion A: stressor

The person was exposed to: death, threatened death, actual or threatened serious injury, or actual or threatened sexual violence, as follows: (one required)

1. Direct exposure.
2. Witnessing the trauma, in person.
3. Indirectly, by learning that a close relative or close friend was exposed to trauma.

Indirect exposure to aversive details of the event(s), usually in the course of professional duties (e.g., first responders, collecting body parts; professionals repeatedly exposed to details of child abuse).

Criterion B: intrusion symptoms

The traumatic event is persistently re-experienced in the following way(s): (one required)

1. Intrusive thoughts: Recurrent, involuntary, and intrusive memories. Note: Children older than six may express this symptom in repetitive play.
2. Nightmares. Note: Children may have frightening dreams without content related to the trauma(s).
3. Dissociative reactions (e.g., flashbacks) which may occur on a continuum from brief episodes to complete loss of consciousness. Note: Children may reenact the event in play
4. Intense or prolonged distress after exposure to traumatic reminders.
5. Marked physiologic reactivity after exposure to trauma-related stimuli.

Criterion C: avoidance

Avoidance of trauma-related stimuli after the trauma, in the following way(s): (one required)

1. Trauma-related thoughts or feelings.
2. Trauma-related external reminders (e.g., people, places, conversations, activities, objects, or situations).

Different parts of the brain are affected by PTSD. The parts of the brain that are most affected are the stress response centers like the Amygdala, Hippocampus, and Prefrontal Cortex. These are the areas of the brain that have Norepinephrine and Cortisol systems. These systems are known to have a dysregulated function after years of stress, according to US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health.

Below is my lesson plan for my simulation. You can follow this so you can also host your own simulation.

For my simulation, I decided to turn PTSD into something good. I didn't want to actually scare anyone or do something that might be traumatic. I decided to ask them about the happiest day of their lives. I asked them to think about all the sensory details they could think of from that day like, what was the weather like, what were the smells, what food did you eat, etc. I had people relax and think about this for a couple minutes. I then told them this is what PTSD could feel like. I then told them about PTSD and why this simulation relates to the disorder. I told them: "What if this day that you were thinking about was the worst day of your life?" I told them that PTSD is like repeating the worst day of your life over and over again. I then had them reflect on the experience and what it would be like to actually have PTSD.

Here is the graph of the expected brain waves of my peers throughout the activity.

CM 'Piecewise Function" (2018)

For the graph, I put the 5 brain waves on the graph. These are Delta, Theta, Alpha, Beta, Gamma. These are the 5 brain waves that manifest at different times. Delta usually happens in deep sleep. Theta happens in light sleep or hypnosis. Alpha happens in meditation and relaxation. Beta happens in regular consciousness, thinking, and observing. Gamma happens in conversation, learning and problem-solving. I plotted each brainwave at each minute of the presentation. I then separated each piece into sections. I ended up having 7 sections. I then wrote their range. For each of pieces, I calculated the slope from their 2 points using y2-y1 over x2-x1. I then calculated the equation of that line and solved until I got what y equaled. I then put that into the f(x).

I think that if I had PTSD, daily life could be very hard. I think how difficult would depend on what kind of trauma I had gone through and what kind of triggers I would see in my day-to-day life. I could have a very severe case of PTSD or a rather mild one. I think my life would be different because I would be more anxious than I usually am. I would probably be looking for triggers and seeing how I could get out of situations that might trigger me. I would probably think about the trauma, definitely more than I would like to. I would have to make sure I had time to work my schedule so I could go to therapy to help deal with my symptoms. I might also have to pick up medication like anti-depressants to also help manage my symptoms. I might have night terrors or nightmares about the event that would make me emotional. I would have flashbacks and remember the incident. I would even sometimes be depressed and lose interest in activities and struggle with day-to-day life. I even might be struggling with survivors guilt depending on what kind of trauma I went through in the past. I think my life would be very different if I were having to deal with PTSD. I hope that I will never have to go through it, and if I do, I know the support I need to help get me through this difficult time.

In conclusion, I really liked this project. It was different than the usual projects we do and that was fun. There were a lot of different pieces to the project which did make it hard to keep track of. The part I struggled the most on with this project was coming up with how I was going to simulate PTSD. I talked with my teacher and he helped me with the idea. In the end, I enjoyed this project and have really enjoyed this class. I look forward to the next action project.

Works Cited:

"An Interview About Post-traumatic Stress Disorder: Rebecca McCoy." (2014) Women's Health.gov. U.S. Department of Human Services. Web. 14, March 2018. https://www.womenshealth.gov/blog/spotlight-rebecca-mccoy

Bremner J. Douglas M.D. "Traumatic stress: effects on the brain." National Center for Biotechnology Information. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience. Web. 14, March 2018. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3181836/

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition, DSM-5, American Psychiatric Association. Washington D.C. (2013) 14, March 2018. 

"DSM-5 Criteria for PTSD" (2018) Brainline.org. Bob Woodruff Foundation. Web. 14, March 2018 https://www.brainline.org/article/dsm-5-criteria-ptsd

"PTSD Statistics." (2013) PTSD United.org. Web. 14, March 2018. http://www.ptsdunited.org/ptsd-statistics-2/

"Treating Posttraumatic Stress Disorder."(2018) PTSD Alliance.org. PTSD Alliance. Web. 14, March 2018. http://www.ptsdalliance.org/treatment/

"What is PTSD?"(2018)PTSD Alliance.org. PTSD Alliance. Web. 14, March 2018 http://www.ptsdalliance.org/about-ptsd/

What Makes a True Friend? A Socratic Dialogue

In our second Humanities class for my Sophomore year, we are learning about Socrates. This class is called Forbidden Books. We started off Unit 1 by learning about censorship. We then transitioned into learning about Socrates. I am not sure why or how this has to do with our learning about censorship of books, but I did enjoy learning about Socrates some more. We took an FE to Women and Children First which is a feminist bookstore in the Andersonville neighborhood of Chicago. We talked with the co-founder about the history and the censorship of books. We then had an opportunity to look around the bookstore to see what kinds of books they carried. For this Action Project, we had the opportunity to pair up with someone from the class. If we chose to pair up with someone from the class, we had to choose the same topic. I paired up with KRM, and we chose to discuss the theme "What makes a true friend?" We had to write a script with a Socratic Dialogue about out topic. We wrote the script together and rehearsed the dialogue a few times. We then filmed it. We actually got the whole video in one take. I liked this project. I enjoyed working with one of my best friends on a project together. I enjoyed collaborating because it is different from my usual work. Check out KRM's blog here!
A Socratic Dialogue CM & KM from CM on Vimeo.

In class, we read The Apology. This was the transcript of Socrates when he was in court in Athens. Socrates questions Meletus. In our Socratic dialogue, We will take the roles of Socrates and Meletus.


What do You Think a True Friend Does?

What makes a true friend?

Character #1 Socrates - CM

Character #2 Meletus - KRM

CM: Hello Khaliya, how are you today?

KM: Hey, Claire! I’m good, how are you? OMG, let me tell you how much of a good person my best friend is!! He did this amazing thing for me today!

CM: What did he do? Why do you believe that you are true friends?

KRM: He gave me a $500 gift card to Akira because he knows how much I love to shop for clothes. And he knows that Akira is my favorite clothing store.

CM: Is that why you love him so much? Because he gave you something? Something that he knows that you like? That just seems like he is trying to please you with material things.

KRM: Because that's what friends do for other friends. Since he knew that I love Akira and love Akira clothing he decided to get me a gift card with money on it so that I don’t have to spend all of my money. I can't believe you don’t think we are true friends.

CM: I don’t doubt that you are true friends. You seem to really enjoy each other's company, I just wonder if this Is this really what you think friends do for each other? Just give each other things so they can think they are true friends?

KRM: Of course this is what I think friends do for each other. Friends make each other happy. It doesn't matter how they do it, as long as you are happy with each other, you are true friends. What do you know about friends anyway?

CM: I know little about being a true friend. This is just what I think. A true friend doesn't just give. What does he do besides give you gifts and money? Do you and your friend spend a lot of time together?

KRM: Well, you know my best friend and I do spend time together, but not that much. I would like it if we were able to spend more time together. We are together whenever we can be, so, therefore, we are there for each other.

CM: So, you think that if you spend time together, you are there for each other? Why do you think that spending lots of time together means you are there for each other? I would like to think that being there for each means more than a physical presence. Being there for each other is being there when the other is in need.

KRM: Well, we never talk about that kind of stuff. We always hang out when we are happy, we never want to talk about our true feelings. In fact, I can think of a few times when I needed to talk to somebody and he seemed uncomfortable. Maybe because we never talk about our true feelings.

CM: This is what I mean. You may really enjoy each other’s company, and you might give each other material things, but if you don't talk about your feelings, he will never be there for you. It’s not his fault. You both don’t talk to each other about real issues, so neither of you know when each other are in need. Does that sound like true friendship to you?

KRM: Man, I guess you’re right. I have never thought of our relationship in this way before. We never talk about the things that matter. I now think a true friend is someone who cares and someone you can talk to when you need someone. Maybe we are true friends!

In the end, I really enjoyed this project. I liked collaborating with my friend. I don't usually work with other people, but I enjoy it because it gives a different feel from my usual work. I think the most challenging part of this project was writing up the script. We had to fit enough questions in and make sure everything flowed and made sense. I am proud of how the video came out because we got it in one take. I think the script turned out well and our dialogue answered the question. I am looking forward to the next projects for this class.

Multiple Sclerosis: A Personal Perspective

In the second STEAM class of my sophomore year, we are learning about the body. This class is called Disease, the first unit is called Body. In this unit, we learned mostly science. We learned about cancer and how that affects the body. We also learned about each organ system and the organs included in them and what they do. I am a total surgical junkie, so I already knew all of the material in this unit, I did break off a little bit and did some extra research for myself. We also learned a math concept called completing the square. This is another way to solve quadratic equations. I have done a lot of work in quadratics in the past, but I have never learned this technique. It was actually really easy to learn and same a lot of sense. We did not take any FEs this unit, but I hope for some cool ones in the following units. For this action project, we were asked to conduct an interview. It had to be anonymous but we had to find someone with a disease and interview them about it. We then had to write up their profile and classify their disease in accordance with what we learned in class. We also had to draw a picture of each of the body systems that the disease affects. I made the outline of a human body and then used transparencies to draw the affected organ systems. I interviewed a woman in her late 40s with Multiple Sclerosis. I really liked this project, I was able to talk about the things I love to learn about. I really didn't have any issues with this project and I look forward to the rest of this class and the next class.

For this action project, I thought about who I could interview. I have some family members and some friends who have or have had diseases. I decided to interview someone with Multiple Sclerosis.

Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis or MS is an autoimmune disorder of the central nervous system or CNS. The CNS is the body’s control system. An autoimmune disease is when the body’s immune system attacks a healthy system or organ in the body. In the case of MS, the body’s immune system is attacking the myelin, which is the protective sheath on the nerve fibers, brain, and spinal cord. The myelin is damaged and interrupts the signals from the brain and the nerves, eventually leaving the nerves damaged. MS patients may have a wide variety of signs and symptoms depending on which nerves and how many nerves are affected. It could be a very small localized area or large areas. MS can have drastic effects on life. The loss of motor function or blindness are some extreme symptoms of MS. Some less severe cases can be managed with medication with little or no symptoms in day-to-day life. The most common type of MS disease course is a relapsing-remitting course. This means that symptoms of the disease come and go. Symptoms will appear over time and then get better. These periods of quiet time can last weeks to years. According to the Mayo Clinic, 60-70% or relapsing-remitting MS have steady progression and no relief time: this is called secondary progressive MS. There is also a course where people have a gradual onset and steady symptoms, this is called primary-progressive MS.

Symptoms

Symptoms of MS can vary from person to person. The most common type of symptoms a patient will experience are:

• Numbness and weakness in limbs
• Partial or total vision loss and pain when moving eyes
• Double vision
• Headaches
• Tingling in extremities
• Tremors
• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Slurred speech.
• Problems with bladder and bowel function.

Classification

This disease is a genetic disease. MS is a non-transmittable disease. The cause of this disease is still unknown. The only way the disease is linked to other people is genetically. If you have a sibling or parent who had had MS, you are at higher risk of contracting the disease. MS is not transmitted through the air or bodily fluids. Some risk factors for contracting MS include:

• Family history - people with an immediate family member that has or had MS you are more at risk.
• Viruses - certain kinds of viruses have been connected with MS like the Epstein Barr virus that causes infectious mononucleosis. 
• Autoimmune diseases - diseases such as Type 1 diabetes, Thyroid disease, or Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Smoking also causes a higher risk of contracting MS. 
• Age - people between the ages of 15 and 60 are the most at risk for MS
• Gender - women are twice as likely of getting MS than men.

MS is most common in areas with temperate climates such as the northern US, Canada, south-eastern Australia, New Zealand, and Europe. The most common racial group to contract MS is people of Northern European descent. People who are of African, Asian, or Native-American descent have the lowest risk of contracting MS. There is no geo-economical link to MS at this point.

Nobody really knows why people contract MS but there are some risk factors like I stated before. The person I decided to interview is a 48-year-old female named Lynn. She has 2 teenage daughters and a husband. Lynn was diagnosed with MS 8 years ago in 2010. Lynn is a woman which means she was already at a higher risk. She also is of Northern European descent which it the most at risk racial group. She also lives and is from the northern United States which is one of the most at risk geographical locations. Lynn’s grandmother always had an undiagnosed neurological condition that could have been MS. Lynn also had Mononucleosis when she was in high school. This disease is caused by a bacteria that might be related to MS.

Lynn

It was the summer of 2010 and Lynn was living her life normally. She one day started to notice something funny with her vision. “It was weird,” she said. “Because for a couple days, I had been like feeling like something was weird with my vision. It was just, I couldn’t quite put my finger on what was going on, but it was like when I would turn my head quickly, my eyes weren't tracking right. We went to a dance recital and I really realized I was seeing double.” These are both very common symptoms of MS. Lynn also had a strange tingling feeling on her thigh. “It was like I had had a Novocaine shot.” she described. “ I did mention it to my doctor, and she said (“Well, I’m sure you don’t have MS.”)” It turns out the doctor was wrong. Lynn also experienced numbness and tingling on her extremities, another very common symptom. She was finally diagnosed later in the summer.

Lynn was diagnosed by the results of a series of tests. She underwent several MRIs which stands for Magnetic Resonance Imaging. These scanned her brain to look for lesions. She also underwent a Lumbar Puncture or Spinal Tap. This is a minor surgical procedure in which a large spinal needle is inserted between 2 lumbar vertebrae into the spinal canal to collect a sample of cerebrospinal fluid, this is the fluid that is on the outside of the spinal cord. The fluid is tested to rule out other neurological diseases such as meningitis.

Lynn’s treatment consisted mostly of medication and follow up imaging. MS is an incurable disease. Symptoms can be managed and pain can be relieved, but the disease is always going to be in the body. She was prescribed Copaxone which is a medication that blocks the immune system from attacking the brain or an Immunosuppressant. This medication must be taken daily and is administered by an injection beneath the skin. Lynn could give herself these injections at home. She would take this injection every night, she would rotate between her thigh, buttock, stomach, and arm.She recalled, “It was scary the first time I had to do it because I didn't know how it was going to feel. I was relieved that it was not as bad as I thought. I found that I had injection site reactions. Early on I had pancake sized welts that were red and itchy.” The side effects of this medication are bruising and skin irritation at the injection site.

When she was first diagnosed, Lynn was admitted to the hospital for a little over a week in the summer of 2010. This was because the intravenous steroids they were giving her called Solu Medrol needs constant blood testing and can damage the liver. “It was mostly annoying because I actually felt fine and didn’t feel like there was a reason I needed to be in the hospital. I was mostly worried about my kids because they were only 8 and 5.”

Today, Lynn lives life much like anyone else would. She has to take her Gilenya pill every night. She now takes this pill instead of the injection. Lynn’s symptoms are managed by the medication and she has no side effects in her day-to-day life. Lynn still has to go to frequent doctor’s appointments for MRI’s neuro exams and blood testing. These are all precautions to make sure she is prepared and aware if she has a relapse.

CM "Nervous System" (2018)

MS affects a few systems of the body. The main one is the Nervous system. The nervous system is bodies control system. The brain makes all of our decisions and our nerves make us move and feel pain. Our sensory organs pick up on external senses and turn that into information to our brain. The lymphatic system attacks the coating on the nerves and causes damage and can eventually destroy them. The coating on the nerves Myelin also coats the brain and spinal cord. This is the coating that deteriorates and leaves the nerves damaged.

CM. "Lymphatic System." (2018)

The Lymphatic System is the body’s defense system. It protects us from diseases. The Lymph nodes produce the chemical lymph that fight diseases. Sometimes the immune system attacks healthy parts of our bodies. This is called an Autoimmune disease. In a person with MS, the immune system attacks the healthy coating on the nerve fibers causing them to become damaged.

CM. "Digestive System." (2018)

The Digestive System is the body’s processing system. Food goes in and is processed and the waste comes out. The intestines absorb nutrients from the food and add water. They then empty the waste out the anus. In patients with MS, one symptom might be problems with bowel control. This means patents might have a hard time controlling when they defecate..

CM. "Renal System." (2018)

The Renal or Urinary System is the body’s liquid waste system. The kidneys filter the blood and absorb the nutrients. The waste from the filtered blood then goes down the Ureters into the Bladder, which is a holding place for the liquid waste. When the body has to urinate, the liquid is released into the urethra where it exits the body. Some patients with MS might have trouble with bladder function. This means patients may have a hard time controlling when they can urinate.

In conclusion, I really liked this project and didn't really have any trouble with it. The only problem was that I included too much information. I was over 400 words over the limit. I had to take out a lot of information that I thought was valuable, so I didn't like that much. Other than that, everything went smoothly and I am proud of how it came out.

Works Cited:

“Diagnosis.” (2017) Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Web. 15, Feb, 2018.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/multiple-sclerosis/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20350274

Moody, C. (2018, February 11) Personal Interview.

“Multiple Sclerosis.” (2017) Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Web. 9, Feb, 2018.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/multiple-sclerosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20350269

“What Causes MS?” (2018) National MS Society.org. National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Web. 9, Feb, 2018.
https://www.nationalmssociety.org/What-is-MS/What-Causes-MS