Those Who Help

 There are many people who go above and beyond in a moment of crisis. There are some people who will do anything in their power to help those in need. These people are seen in many situations. They can be firefighters, policemen, doctors and military personnel and then there are others who have a more subtle impact. Everybody helps in their own way no matter what is at stake. People save others lives at the risk of their own life because they can. I think that they do this because they have the ability and the want to help people. In a time of crisis these people are relied on to make things happen and they embrace that. There are people who will ask no questions when a stranger is in trouble and they will help right away. They put themselves out there to help others because it is what they can do for the world and that is what they choose to do with their lives. This path is not for everybody though. There are only so many people who can put their own life on the line for others. I do not think this is a selfish thing. A normal person runs from flames, firefighters run to them. Not everybody can be expected to do that and they should not be considered cowardly. There are only a select few that can put self preservation behind them and risk their own lives. The people who take care of themselves first are at least taking care of themselves. They are not making a bigger problem which is actually quite helpful. I find that admirable because in a crisis many go into panic mode. So there are those who help others and those who help themselves. Both types of people are crucial in any situation.

An Amazing Woman

    If I could spend a day with anybody from the past I would choose Elizabeth Blackwell. She was born in England in the 1800’s and had two sisters. She was tutored at home until the family moved to the United States. Later her father died and the family needed some way to live so they began a school. Her family was unlike most at the time and had radical ideas about female rights. Elizabeth once balked at becoming a female doctor, but she warmed to the idea. She applied to numerous medical schools, but none would take her because she was female. One school though, thinking it was a joke, accepted her. She proved to the school that she was just as good, if not better, than a man and became the first female to graduate with a Ph. D. She went on to construct medical schools for females in both the United States and England along with the help of her sister who followed her unorthodox path. Instead of settling for a life she did not want she became a female doctor which was unheard of at the time. She also chose to be different in her personal life as well. She adopted a child and was a single mother which was a bold move.

    I would want to spend time with her because she completely changed the field of medicine. I would want to talk to her about different things like her life and her schooling. She decided to be original and go her own way which is inspiring. I would also want to go to hospitals and show her the revolution that she started. Because of her so many things are open to the female population and she deserves to know how much of an impact that she has had. She changed the way the world deals with females and I think it would be great if she could see the effects of that 100 years later.

    This was a woman who dreamed big and did not stop until that dream was reality. She faced hardship, discrimination, and a disapproving society yet she never faltered. I can only hope to be a third of what she was and help to change the world for the better.

A Very Educational Experience

During Christmas vacation I got to experience a very interesting doctor’s appointment. My mother and I had to take my great grandfather to the dermatologists. A skin biopsy had to be done and I though it was very interesting. A circular knife was used to cut the infected area and then it was lifted with forceps and cut off. The samples were put into a container to be sent to the lab and tested. He had stitches put in and I am happy to say that I have finally gotten used to the procedure. My great grandfather had very thin blood due to a blood thinner so he bled quite profusely. My mom had to leave the room during this portion and I thought it was funny because she has four children and should be used to blood by now. Bandages were then applied and directions were given to keep the area clean and wrapped. A follow up appointment was made to both remove the stitches and to get the results of the tests. A week later we went back to the doctors and as the stitches were being removed the doctor gave us good news. The rash that had been the topic of the biopsy was shown to be drug related and had no traces of cancer. An appointment was made to discuss what options there are to prevent this rash from occurring in the future. Medicines will have to be changed or altered to avoid problems in the future.

This doctor’s appointment was interesting not only because of the biopsy procedure, but also because of the conversation. The doctor is a distant relation that my mother used to baby sit so there were some interesting stories that were told. It is nice to know that there is somebody in my family that is in the field that I want to go in to. I know that I will be able to talk to him about any questions that I have concerning schooling and the medical field. Along with that, the doctor and I discussed different schooling and career paths that would be good for me to look into. I mention surgery and he joked that I was in for some fun times. He was being sarcastic of course because in general surgeons get very little sleep.

Many people may think that this is a weird way to spend a vacation, but this is the kind of stuff that interests me. I get to learn new things about the human body just by tagging along to a doctors appointment. This was the most exciting thing that happened over my vacation and it was very educational as well. I learned new procedures and new afflictions of the human body and this knowledge may come in handy in the future. This experience only proves to me that I have made the right decision in choosing a career. Many people are set on a medical career and then they can not stand the blood, I am glad to say that I will not have that problem in the future.