HW #19 - Family Perspectives On Illness & Dying

               While discussing sickness and death with my dad, we touched upon different methods of treating illness, the pros and cons of taking medication, and his reactions to death and illness. I found that many of his answers were predictable in relation to the cultural views around me.

                My dad responded to my questioning his opinions of allopathic vs. homeopathic remedies by saying, "They both have their place. I'm leaning more toward allopathic. There are probably homeopathic things we would benefit from that we neglect. I don’t know enough about the two to decide when to use them...I tend to rely on the experts". He is not completely against one type of method or another, which I find is typical of most people in this society. Most people know to some extent that providing their body with ample amounts of water will decrease their chances of dehydration, and therefore make them less likely to need an aspirin for their headache. Many people I know drink lots of orange juice when they fear getting sick, because they know that it contains nutrients that strengthen the immune system.  Few people explore homeopathic remedies to their fullest, and I rarely hear people say that they consciously avoid drugs, whether or not those drugs would significantly improve their life. Another similarity between my dad and my society regarding health (or lack thereof) is a tendency to “rely on the experts”. For example, if I show an article called “Deadly Dairy Deception” to someone, they will probably trust that the article speaks truth because it says “M.D.” or “Doctor” next to the author’s name.  I think that I may have a more open mind toward homeopathic methods than other people do; although I will still take the allergy medicine my doctor prescribes me.  I don’t know if this is a result of me going against the views of my father, or if I am just conforming to my current generation’s interest in health and alternatives to the “norm”.

                I asked my dad about his opinions on when and if people should take “traditional” medicine.  He and I agree that people often reach for an allopathic remedy when there might be a sufficient homeopathic alterative.  Ironically, after admitting to automatically using drugs to fix his health issues, he turned to my sister and discussed a cramp he had in his leg. He tried to massage the cramp out instead of taking medicine. He mentioned my cousin’s method of massaging his leg, which entailed using pressure points to stimulate nerves in his leg. My dad perhaps associates homeopathic remedies with more unheard of, strange methods. I think he  and many others do not realize how much they actually uses homeopathic remedies in daily life, because the word “homeopathic” conjures images of primitive, ridiculous-looking practices.

                My dad’s first internal and external reactions to the words “death” and “illness” were essentially negative. He, like most (if not, all) of our society does not look forward to death or sickness.  I don’t know if people dread the uncertainty of death, or the unpleasantness of illness, or are evolutionarily fashioned to be motivated to stay alive, or all of the above. I suppose I share these views, but I dread fulfilling the annoying stereotypes of old people more than actually dying.

Because I have had few personal experiences with people in my life realizing that they had a fatal and incurable disease, I don’t know what the dominant cultural actions are taken in response to such a realization. The only example that I can think of is from a movie called “And the Band Played On”. It is about the first discoveries of AIDS, and the struggles against the havoc it wreaked. The people in the movie who found that they had a fatal incurable disease responded with despair and anger. They had no choice but to rely on the constantly fluctuating discoveries of the doctors. My dad said that he would be torn in that situation. “On one hand, I'm tempted to say that I'd quit my job and try to do things that I've always wanted to do, but on the other hand I can't quit my job, because I need to provide for people. Somehow or another i would probably to spend more time with family.”  He would want to pursue his desires and happiness, which is certainly a huge part of our society. From the Disney Channel to movies like “Post Grad” to self-help books, people are encouraged to “Be themselves” and “Go for their dreams” and “Do what’s best for them.” On the other hand, my father and other middle-class individuals bear the burden of providing for themselves and their family. For some, I think making money to provide for others or themselves and pursuing their dreams is possible. It is evident that many people do not accomplish these two, because demise nearly always accompanies regret and guilt of some kind.