Running head: PASSION PAPER

Passion Paper Marilynn Argueta HSCI 271

Passion Paper Being a young adult, I often thought I was invincible to the injuries and diseases of this world. I would hear stories on the news or from acquaintances about cancer victims, HIV/AIDS victims and even rape victims. And although it was scary to hear, I never considered any of the above to ever occur to me. It wasnt until one morning I woke up in a cold sweat with an indescribable pain in my lower abdomen. I was rushed to the emergency room at the county hospital and waited for long painful hours, listening to the cries, moans and groans of other suffering victims, who shared the same pain and discomfort as I. I was only 22 years old, when I was diagnosed with a 15-pound tumor attached to my ovary. I clearly remember the look in the doctors eye , when he

looked at me and said, Marilynn, you have a huge mass in your stomach and by the size of it, it may be cancerous. It was then, when I found out, cancer, tumors, and diseases dont discriminate against age, sex, or gender. For the most part, I was a healthy individual; I played Volleyball growing up and often went for long walks to keep in shape and throughout my prior years at the university, I would have yearly physicals at school. So one can only imagine how surprised and scared I felt, when the doctor shared the harsh diagnosis with me, an individual who believed to have been healthy. It is this painful, stressful, and heart-breaking experience that has led me to be a strong, assertive individual, who strives to be a strong, supportive health educator. A health educator who can make a difference in ones life, whether its through actions or words. I want to reach out a helping hand to those who find themselves in the same hopeless situations like the one that I once lived.

Passion Paper My biggest struggle through this experience has not been the actual operation of detaching such a huge mass from my ovary without intervening any of the main arteries, as one would imagine. The biggest struggles were dealing with the health professionals who took part in my diagnosis, surgery, and after care. Another struggle to add unto my stress was insurance companies. I was

looking for any insurance I could qualify for, any type of insurance that could help out a hard working, hard studying 22-year-old college girl. I remember walking into government buildings and filling out numerous insurance applications. Unfortunately, I did not meet the eligibility requirements. I was not blind, not disabled, pregnant, neither was I over 65-years of age. I felt so angry that those were the only questions asked, in order to determine my eligibility. I had a tumor, the size of a basketball, in my stomach and medical authority was telling me that was not enough to be eligible for insurance. I felt hopeless and helpless. This has inspired me to begin my journey as a strong health educator that will not only fight for the equality of individuals but also for the rights that every individual deserves. It is absolutely necessary for the youth of this country to have the right to health insurance. The youth are the future and we need to protect them and give them the helping hand they need to fight for there lives against the deadly diseases that are rapidly growing in this country. There is no reason why any individual should feel helpless and hopeless, when being diagnosed with scary diseases. In my career, as a public health nurse, others will see my passion and commitment that I bring forth in my occupation. In addition, I will provide my

Passion Paper patients with understanding, optimism, and support. I will not expect them to know every procedure that will be done and expect for them to learn it right off the back. I want my patients to know that I will commit myself entirely to them, in order to fight through their struggle. I want to let my patients know that its not there fault for being sick and assure them that everything will be done in my power to help them advance. In addition, I want to inspire and motivate my

patients to be strong and to fight, to ask questions when things are not explained clearly enough and to not be afraid of medical authority. I would like to provide different alternatives to patients. As for example, in some cultures, females do not feel comfortable having a male nurse assist them, yet they are afraid to speak up because they feel as if they have no choice. In this situation, rights should be explained thoroughly and not just be assumed. I believe their needs to be more communication and understanding amongst the medical professionals and the patients. Although my struggle has been a tough one, I feel grateful to have gone through it. It has made me a stronger person and led me into the path I am walking in today. This experience will allow me to not only be a better person but a great health educator as well. During my most stressful days as a boss, I will put myself in my patients positions and remember the understanding, the rights, the equality, and commitment I needed from the government, doctors, and nurses, yet never received. I learned that it can only take one helping hand to save a life and thats what keeps me moving.