Week 11 Discussion
This case is taken from your e-text and is the Critical Thinking Exercise at the end of the chapter.
William Davis is 62 years old. He was employed as a postal worker until his declining eyesight forced him into early retirement a few months ago. His wife, Mildred, died last year of complications from diabetes after a prolonged and expensive hospitalization. Mr. Davis does not trust the medical community, and because of this distrust, he has not been to a doctor since his wife’s death.
Mr. Davis is not considered legally blind, but his presbyopia and an advancing cataract in his right eye are starting to interfere with his ability to take care of himself. He still drives to the market once a week, but other drivers get angry and honk at him. He pays for his groceries with a credit card because he is afraid the cashier will cheat him if he accidentally gives her the wrong bills. He complains that the cleaning lady hides things from him and deliberately leaves the furniture out of place. When she leaves, he can’t find his slippers or an ashtray. Yesterday, he put his lit pipe down in a wooden bowl by accident.
His son insists on taking him to see the ophthalmologist who treated his wife’s diabetic retinopathy. Dr. Hsing believes Mr. Davis’s sight can be improved in the right eye by performing cataract surgery. Mr. Davis listens in fear as the doctor explains. “Without this procedure, your sight will only get worse.”
Mr. Davis thinks about all the medical procedures that Mildred endured, and she died anyway. He doesn’t want to go into the hospital, and he doesn’t want any operations. But his son is talking about taking away his car if he doesn’t do something about his failing sight. “What more can be taken away from me?” he thinks bitterly. “First my wife, then my job, and now my independence.”
*For this discussion and using the medical terms that you have learned, discuss what is a cataract, where it is found, how it affects vision, as well as to discuss the surgical procedure. Is the surgery safe and effective? Why?
Here is a brief summary of the discussion board requirements. Please review the rubric for more specific information.
The initial discussion post must be at least 250 words of content, referencing the week’s reading and including a scholarly source.
Students will respond to two classmates weekly on the discussion board and give at least 50 words of substantive feedback.
I encourage students to respond to me but remember responding to me does not count as responding to two classmates.
All posts need a reference and in-text citations. Your initial post should never be all opinion. You need to refer to the reading and required resources.
Discussion posts are due on Saturdays at 11:59 PM EST. Late discussion posts will not be accepted even with documentation because this is an attendance/participation grade for the week.
Plagiarism of any kind can result in a “0”.
You must post your initial post before you see other students’ responses. Adding a “.” or other short words/sentences, or entering and leaving without a post submitted, to review what others provided before you give your initial post will be deleted, and the grade for the week’s board will be a 0.
All references and other pertinent material must be included with the original post. Any information that is added after the initial post is submitted will not count for the grade.
