Progress You Can See!

The stories below have been submitted to the Progress You Can See Web site.

Aneurism and Stroke Survivor's Story
Overcoming Lazy Eye with the Help of Technology
Medical Technology Making Multiple Impacts
Technology Slowing Down the Effects of Parkinson's Disease

Aneurism and Stroke Survivor's Story
As a survivor of an aneurism, bleed, and stroke I am living the adage: It not the years in your life, its the life in your years. Thanks to the professionals of the Muscatine general hospital, air medical evacuation, the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Genesis rehabilitation staff, and the Muscatine Rehab staff I AM WALKING, TALKING, and in general enjoying life.I was surprised how prejudice I was about people who had a serious illness, until I became "one of them". What a shock at being treated sickly, being looked at sideways as I walked down the street with my cane, or struggled to find the correct word to complete a sentence -- from my ever expanding 'new' dictionary. I have learned that it is not how I felt and thought and believed the day BEFORE the event. Rather, it is the way I act, react, and motivate myself the day after I became aware I survived -- and every day thereafter. Whether it is voice activated software to complete my e-mails and documents faster than struggling with my significant loss of speed, asking others to allow me to find the word, or taking up knitting as a motor skill development experience -- I cannot give up -- nor can my family and friends. More importantly, neither can you -- the reader.

B Howard P., Muscatine IA July 17, 2006
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Overcoming Lazy Eye with the Help of Technology
Like Francisco, I was diagnosed with "lazy eye" in Kindergarten as a result of vision screening. At 5 years old I recall being terrified of the idea of covering one eye only to be tested on my vision in the other eye. When I was unable to identify the bunny in the screening device which covered my right eye it was immediately clear that I needed treatment for Amblyopia. This short and painless test saved me years of potential aggrevation. A couple of decades later I have no need for corrective surgeries; only glasses for reading.

Sara R., Washington DC July 7, 2006
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Medical Technology Making Multiple Impacts
I have benefitted tremendously from medical technology over the past 20+ years in multiple ways. In 1985, I had a Living Related Donor (LRD) kidney transplant, made necessary by a nasty bout with strep infection that shut down my kidneys. Four years later, I got pregnant and chose to have the baby, despite being warned of the high risk of doing so. My pregnancy was extremely difficult, but I eventually gave birth to a beautiful girl six weeks prematurely. Thanks to the technology of the neo-natal unit, she thrived and today is a happy, healthy 16-year-old. Meanwhile, though, I lost the transplanted kidney and had to have a second LRD transplant in 1990.Today, I am very healthy, except for one thing. I'm severly hard of hearing, the result of a genetic disorder I inherited. However, last year I began wearing programmable digital hearing aids and am now able to hear far better than the average person.Clearly, medical technology has enabled me to live a fuller, richer life with tremendous confidence I don't believe I would have had otherwise.

Marilynn M., Marietta GA May 26, 2006
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Technology Slowing Down the Effects of Parkinson's Disease
My father has Parkinson's. And thanks to medical technology, he's keeping his symptoms at bay, even as the disease continues its slow drive to take over his body.

Marshall M., Fairfax VA May 17, 2006
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