johnmarlon
(deleted)
|
![]() Posted: Post subject: |
|
|
Warning I typed a lot.
I'm quite unique in my attitude toward health care. A lot of it is because I lack knowledge but I'd say it's mostly my perceptions of how I see life and the world.
I'm from a tribe on south side Minneapolis, grandma has 8 kids and 32 grandchildren. All aunts/uncles and cousins grew up knowing each other, most of us very close except a few lived away but came around. Adopted family here and there, family through family too. We were raised up going to Sundance and attending Sweat in my Grandmas back yard (yes in the city lol). she adopted Lakota traditions when she married her ex-husband who is a Lakota medicine man.
I guess legally you could say I belong to the White Earth Band. Being a poor family from the city were distanced and don't know a lot of our family from the reservations up north. I dislike identifying with any reservation except to say that I'm Ojibwe, although I've come to use the term Shinabe more now that I'm a lil educated. I wanted to be enrolled in Red Lake but my dad died before I was born, as a result he's not on mybirth certificate, making me only 1/4 instead of 1/2. The other Minnesota tribes recognize and combine blood, except Red Lake, my mom enrolled me in White Earth instead. Dads death was a homicide, his blood is frozen somewhere and the process to get him on my birth certificate would require a lot of money. My mom says White earth is better because Red Lakers are restricted to having kids with other Red Lakers. I didn't really care because I identified with Red Lake more. I grew up visiting my grandpa during summers there. Both my parents have a parent from Red Lake.
1) Have you or anyone you know received care in a hospital or clinic?
Fairly rare to find a Native who doesn't know anyone who hasn't been in a hospital, especially family since many natives have large families. We tend to recognize 1st, 2nd, 3rd+ cousins as family compared to some people, well and friends of the family are family.
2) How would you describe your interactions with your healthcare provider?
Never went unless I needed to, like shots and stuff, well and broke my arm twice. I'm kind of non-social and not one for converstation with people I don't know so I guess theres not much of an interaction. Also I haven't been there in years, my mom or aunt always dealt with talking to them. From what I remember they usually try to innitiate conversation, ask questions about school or whatever. I never did feel comfortable in a professional setting though, probably never will.
3) Did you feel any discrimination of any kind while receiving care?
Hmmm, "feel". In general I'd say no.
4) Do you prefer a male or female nurse or physician?
Doesn't matter really.
5) Is there any special care or needs that you would like or need while in the hospital?
Well, staff should be trained in detecting indirectness and asking questions to draw out what a patient is having a hard time saying. Two years ago I went and the doctor just listened to me directly and wasn't too sensitive in wanting to know why I was emotional. I've learned recently many native people are indirect like I am.
6) Are there any special requirements or traditions about receiving healthcare or with taking medications?
No not really, I'm different though, I'll only attempt to take medication if it's absolutly necessary. I don't trust pills of any kind, they seem unnatural, my mom thinks I'm crazy but I tell her why should I take them when a minor cold or cough isn't suffering, I can tough it out. I let things play out unless I'm suffering.
7) What do you feel is the best remedy for a cold?
Hmm, a bowl of soup? I've only had a few bad colds in my life and if I had another I'd probably eat some soup or roman noodles. Other then that, like I said above, I'd tough it out, a cold isn't pain.
Who do you receive health care from?
I currently get no health care, however, I signed up when I got on foodstamps for two months like 6 months ago. They gave me papers to choose my plan. It said that if I didn't choose one it would choose "this" default plan, asked my mom and she said that was the one. Kept getting mail showing changes to it though. I didn't care which one it was, I hate paperwork and my lack of care for health care just allowed for them to pick for me.
If I were back home in the cities then I'd probably go to the free Native clinic, they didn't give me anything though, just gave me a paper showing what I needed to buy. Actually this was the situation that applied to what I said above about indirectness.
|
|
