In order for something to spark my curiosity, it has to be by a significant event, usually over time. Many people question my love of neuroscience, because of my other traits. They think I can publicly speak so well, that Im so well versed in politics, or clever about the fluctuations of the stock market, so why am I so into such a reserved field? Well, certainly a significant, long event sparked this curiosity, and not only that, but the fact that it had many personal effects made it even deeper.
When I was around eight, my uncle had some routine cardiological procedures he was always going into the city for. One night, after work, he had stopped by Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City for an angioplasty. Little did he, the doctors, or anyone for that matter, know that this methodical procedure would change his life drastically, as well as affect every single person around him.
While he was in for the angioplasty, the doctors had made an error in his heart, which caused the blood flow to his brain stop for a full few minutes. This caused vital brain cells to be destroyed, thus damaging his brain. Brain damage. Transformed a normal to society, middle aged, father, uncle, son, brother, husband and friend to one with a three year olds mind and the physical capability of a toddler, or even less.
Throughout the years, from the time I was eight years old, to fourteen, I observed this tragedy full of obstacles, heartache, challenges, and even went through them. I saw him go from hospital room, to nursing home, to his own living room with a home attendant taking care of him. I was young, yes, but when one is young, things affect them more so. When we are younger, we are less biased and consumed with outside information, so we in essence make decisions about things more clear headed then.
I was fascinated. Just a little while ago, my uncle was videotaping my third grade play, wasnt he? He also took me out to eat last Friday, as he does every week. Then why is he lying there waiting to get his diaper changed? Why is he erupting in temper tantrums? I questioned and questioned, and all I got as answers was The stupid doctors made a mistake with him. Now he has brain damage. But what was the mistake? And whats brain damage? And can he be cured? And how did it happen so fast? As you can see, the answers I got to my original question just branched out into more little questions. I wanted details. I was interested in this. I made that decision, at that tender grammar school age, that I wanted to work with the mind, the society we live in, the human body, and everything that affects them and that they affect. This was going to be my ongoing passion.
Little by little, I observed my uncle. I saw how he reacted to things, and noticed patterns. Patterns in how he felt towards certain things, which proved that he still thought on his own with at least some reason. He wasnt completely brain dead, just a bit less up on things. I went to the library and took out books on neuroscience. First I was only interested in the very technical aspects of it, the basic physiology of it. I loved the axioms, neurotransmitters, neurons, with its connection to the spinal cords and other things about nerve endings. It was fascinating, I thought it couldnt get any better than this. Until I found out about how the psychology was involved. I started reading about Jung and Freud. I began to grow disgusted at Jung, I thought he was a pathetic emulator of Freudian theory.
I couldnt get enough of Freud, and as I get older I see that I learn more and more about him to more advanced levels. I kept these fascinations to myself until I started speaking to some of my junior high faculty about my new love. They thought it was really something, twelve years old, and so passionate about the id and super ego and such. I didnt think that much of the correlation of my age and what I liked. Now I realize it was the becoming of my passion, the birth of it, the blooming of it.
Theory was good, but not enough. What about society? Through my uncle going through so many mediums of the health society, I learned about this market that we call health administration. I learned so much about all of this, and some of my interests here leaked into the categories of business and sociology. Observation is such a powerful tool.
My uncle passed away when I was fourteen years old, a freshman in high school. He died of septic shock, as well as sudden pneumonia. What a painful, tragic death, as well as a tragic life. Since I was young, he taught me about things. Even though through his illness, he taught me all this. He gave me a passion, the passion to want to treat not only ailing minds and bodies, but also our ailing society.
