rae05

Okay I am writing yet another paper. This one is on the discovery of self in illness. So basically it is on how when people are diagnosed as sick they begin to form a "fictional identity". This fictional identity isn't who they were in the past because they are under completely new circumstances, and it can't be who they will be in the future because that hasn't developed yet. The fictional identity is supposed to be a combination of their past self and the new information they have about their illness. Sometimes they go into denial and sometimes they get really into it and are very brave about it. Does anyone have any experience with anyone who has done this? Just sort of made up a new personality to deal with the illness, kind of disassociating themselves from the illness and pretending that it is happening to someone else?

Just asking because this is just boggling my mind, to tell you the truth! Personal experiences may help clarify it.

Mynxie

I have a long term "degenerative illness", a kind of nerve damage caused by an injury - my nerves send the wrong signals and they're wasting. PM me if you'd like my MSN address - would be happy to chat and answer any questions.

vicky

My Great Granny has got Cancer, and my nan has had to decide what to do about it (my great granny is 93 yrs old) so she has had to weigh up the risk of what the operation would do to her, meaning the operation could kill her alone, if she did get out the operation she would be in hospital for 4 weeks or more recovering and my great granny would hate that it would break her heart being stuck in hospital that long, she loves going out going for walks, she drives my nan up the wall always wanting to go out even when she is not well.

SO my nan has decide to not let my great granny go for the operation we still don't know how long she has got to live, cos she has got cancer of the throat (i can't remember if its the wind pipe or the food pipe) My mum hasn't told my nan this but this type of cancer when it starts growing it grows fast. My nan has put it this way if the cancer doesn't get her, old age will or her diabetes.

My nan has also decide not to tell my great granny my great granny forgets alot, but she does remember some things, and it would break her heart if she found out, so my nan is going to carry on as normal and get on with her life, and so will my great granny will carry on as she usually does my nan will take her out every weekend and my great granny will go for her walks and go to the costutry club.

Its a waiting game for us really. me and mum are going down in a couple of weeks, cos she hasn't seen Kira yet and i want her to see Kira. and get a couple of pics of her with her.