Reflections: Journal Post 6

This week, I was working on my first disease paper. A friend of mine told me his sister had rheumatoid arthritis and naturally, I was interested in how the disease came about so felt it was a perfect topic for my paper.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a painful, autoimmune diseases that effects joints and bones of people affected by the disease. Antibodies attack antigens normally, but in RA, the antibodies continue to do their jobs and attack healthy host cells.

After reading about the disease, I realized just how serious and impactful diseases can be. My friend's sister is only a teenager and has had rheumatoid arthritis for quite some time. He told me about the pain she's in but still wants to turn her disease into something positive by becoming a doctor who specializes in rheumatology for children. Even through all her pain, she still feels the need to give back somehow and help people who have been effected just like her. 

The disease she has is not one that should be taken lightly. Disease affects people all over the world and still we have professionals who make differences everyday simply because they do not want other people to experience what they have gone through. 

Medicine is a powerful subject and is often a basis for people to improve themselves and their communities. It continues to effects populations everyday but it is important to take all you can out of your experiences and grow into a better person because of them.