As a healthy adult, how does a childhood illness continue to influence you?
May 12, 2009 10:38 AM Subscribe
Looking for information (books, articles, or even better, your own experiences) regarding healthy adults who spent their childhoods coping with a chronic disease. How does growing up as a "sick" person influence their adult lives as healthy people?
I'm tagging this "human relations" because I'm not interested in the physical/medical aspects so much as the psychological: that is, how the experience of ongoing childhood illness might influence the way that a healthy adult (who fully recovered from a childhood illness) relates to others, as well as to him/herself.
I'm thinking here specifically of childhood asthma, which often appears to abate spontaneously (especially in boys) with the onset of puberty. But I've made the question more general because I know there are other illnesses that a child can struggle through and ultimately recover from, and I suspect meditations on how such childhood illnesses continue to shape the survivor's healthy adult life would also provide insight into my specific interest in former/recovered asthmatics.
Based on the few personal essays I've found on the web, I can guess that surviving a chronic childhood illness can ultimately impart many amazing strengths: those who recovered from such illnesses mention, among other things, that the experience has made them particularly patient, grateful for and protective of their physical health, and also independent, resourceful, and creative (because, as children, they had a hard time forming friendships with healthy kids).
I'd be very interested in any personal observations, or links to resources, contemporary or historical, about this issue. I'm certainly interested in learning of other such "blessings in disguise" afforded by surviving chronic childhood illness. But I'm also interested in the less positive ways that childhood illness can having a lasting (non-physical) impact. This aspect doesn't seem to be addressed at all in the few sources that I've turned up.
Thanks so much!
I'm tagging this "human relations" because I'm not interested in the physical/medical aspects so much as the psychological: that is, how the experience of ongoing childhood illness might influence the way that a healthy adult (who fully recovered from a childhood illness) relates to others, as well as to him/herself.
I'm thinking here specifically of childhood asthma, which often appears to abate spontaneously (especially in boys) with the onset of puberty. But I've made the question more general because I know there are other illnesses that a child can struggle through and ultimately recover from, and I suspect meditations on how such childhood illnesses continue to shape the survivor's healthy adult life would also provide insight into my specific interest in former/recovered asthmatics.
Based on the few personal essays I've found on the web, I can guess that surviving a chronic childhood illness can ultimately impart many amazing strengths: those who recovered from such illnesses mention, among other things, that the experience has made them particularly patient, grateful for and protective of their physical health, and also independent, resourceful, and creative (because, as children, they had a hard time forming friendships with healthy kids).
I'd be very interested in any personal observations, or links to resources, contemporary or historical, about this issue. I'm certainly interested in learning of other such "blessings in disguise" afforded by surviving chronic childhood illness. But I'm also interested in the less positive ways that childhood illness can having a lasting (non-physical) impact. This aspect doesn't seem to be addressed at all in the few sources that I've turned up.
Thanks so much!
Life Prints: A Memoir of Healing and Discovery by Mary G. Mason is an autobiographical account of childhood polio and how that experience, which left her reliant upon crutches, influenced her adult life. She draws interesting parallels between people's treatment of the disabled, feminism and her work teaching English Literature at Emmanuel College.
posted by carmicha at 11:04 AM on May 12, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by carmicha at 11:04 AM on May 12, 2009 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Morris's The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt comes to mind. Roosevelt was quite sickly as a child due to chronic asthma, though as an adult he became a national symbol of power and masculinity.
posted by susanvance at 11:18 AM on May 12, 2009
posted by susanvance at 11:18 AM on May 12, 2009
To this day I have no ambition to even try running (or even jogging) after my experiences with childhood asthma, and am resigned to my fate as zombie food in the coming apocalypse.
posted by lizbunny at 11:24 AM on May 12, 2009
posted by lizbunny at 11:24 AM on May 12, 2009
Susanvance said what I just came in to say. TR's childhood illnesses clearly had a significant effect on who he was as an adult, and there has been some good scholarly work about this topic.
posted by anastasiav at 11:27 AM on May 12, 2009
posted by anastasiav at 11:27 AM on May 12, 2009
Response by poster: Thanks for all these recs! I'm going to stock up my library, so if anyone thinks of others, let me know!
To this day I have no ambition to even try running (or even jogging) after my experiences with childhood asthma, and am resigned to my fate as zombie food in the coming apocalypse.
Lizbunny, I hope you don't mind my asking -- apologies if this seems too personal. How are you with swimming? I had read that for some people, swimming is possible (and even pleasurable) even though running isn't.
posted by artemisia at 11:30 AM on May 12, 2009
To this day I have no ambition to even try running (or even jogging) after my experiences with childhood asthma, and am resigned to my fate as zombie food in the coming apocalypse.
Lizbunny, I hope you don't mind my asking -- apologies if this seems too personal. How are you with swimming? I had read that for some people, swimming is possible (and even pleasurable) even though running isn't.
posted by artemisia at 11:30 AM on May 12, 2009
Best answer: I've seen firsthand some of the negative consequences of childhood illness. I know someone who was beset with an autoimmune illness when she was 12. From then through her teen years she was hospitalized periodically, had numerous tests, lived with chronic pain, missed lots of school, and spent one entire semester being home schooled be cause she had something akin to chronic stress fatigue syndrome.
Unlike her siblings, she never worked during high school, and was given a car (her family was lower-middle/working class) . And because of her illness she got a full ride disability scholarship to a state university. By the time she started college, she was more or less in remission (or at least her symptoms had diminished considerably).
However, it turned out she had used her illness as a crutch in many ways. During high school she had cut class when ever she wanted because all her teachers knew she had a chronic illness. They gave her extra time for assignments and tests. Once in college, she had great difficulties adjusting. Even though she only needed to work a few hours a week to maintain scholarship/living expenses, she couldn't cope. She started stealing from friends and family, and lying habitually. She flunked out of school, and lost her scholarship. By the time she was 21, her family had to take a tough love approach, and cut her off financially (but not emotionally).
She struggled for a few years, got fired from several jobs, ruined her credit, and was even arrested for bad checks. But slowly, she pulled herself together. She managed to put herself through college, and completed her BA by the time she was 29. She's now in her early 30's, has a good job, much more financial stability, and is thinking about grad school.
The whole thing was a grueling process for her family, but I think that forcing her to stand on her own two feet was absolutely essential for her to become a thriving adult.
posted by kimdog at 11:35 AM on May 12, 2009
Unlike her siblings, she never worked during high school, and was given a car (her family was lower-middle/working class) . And because of her illness she got a full ride disability scholarship to a state university. By the time she started college, she was more or less in remission (or at least her symptoms had diminished considerably).
However, it turned out she had used her illness as a crutch in many ways. During high school she had cut class when ever she wanted because all her teachers knew she had a chronic illness. They gave her extra time for assignments and tests. Once in college, she had great difficulties adjusting. Even though she only needed to work a few hours a week to maintain scholarship/living expenses, she couldn't cope. She started stealing from friends and family, and lying habitually. She flunked out of school, and lost her scholarship. By the time she was 21, her family had to take a tough love approach, and cut her off financially (but not emotionally).
She struggled for a few years, got fired from several jobs, ruined her credit, and was even arrested for bad checks. But slowly, she pulled herself together. She managed to put herself through college, and completed her BA by the time she was 29. She's now in her early 30's, has a good job, much more financial stability, and is thinking about grad school.
The whole thing was a grueling process for her family, but I think that forcing her to stand on her own two feet was absolutely essential for her to become a thriving adult.
posted by kimdog at 11:35 AM on May 12, 2009
I remember hearing an interview with Fred Rogers, where he talked about being frequently ill as a child and how he thinks that strengthened his imagination. (The interview was rebroadcast on NPR after his death, but I don't know which show it was on.)
posted by The corpse in the library at 12:06 PM on May 12, 2009
posted by The corpse in the library at 12:06 PM on May 12, 2009
Marcel Proust was a sickly child and suffered from terrible asthma which nearly killed him. This is thought to have greatly influenced his later life and work.
posted by hazyjane at 12:27 PM on May 12, 2009
posted by hazyjane at 12:27 PM on May 12, 2009
There's the 30 year old man with cystic fibrosis, who got some media attention last year when he ran the NYC marathon. It's incredible because most people with CF don't survive their teens.
I knew the guy 12 years ago when he was in college here.
posted by General Tonic at 12:58 PM on May 12, 2009
I knew the guy 12 years ago when he was in college here.
posted by General Tonic at 12:58 PM on May 12, 2009
I had severe asthma as a child. I was hospitalized constantly and my parents didn't allow me to go anywhere further than school and friends houses for fear they wouldn't be able to get me to the hospital in time. My last attack to that severity (blue nails/lips, etc.) was about 13 years ago at age 26. I still keep my inhaler with me at all times and I'm pretty sure that the massive doses of prednisone as a child f'ed up my system. As for running, I'm with lizbunny. Total zombie food. Not a big fan of swimming either. Frankly, exercise other than yoga and walking with my inhaler seems dangerous.
As for the positives, I'm a total rebel and I think the illness and confinement may have had that effect.
posted by Sophie1 at 1:22 PM on May 12, 2009
As for the positives, I'm a total rebel and I think the illness and confinement may have had that effect.
posted by Sophie1 at 1:22 PM on May 12, 2009
Best answer: The second half of this episode of This American Life might be of interest.
posted by GraceCathedral at 2:07 PM on May 12, 2009
posted by GraceCathedral at 2:07 PM on May 12, 2009
Best answer: Ringo Starr (of Beatles fame) was a sickly child. He had pneumonia and pleurisy and spent almost a year in the hosptial, and later had a ruptured appendix that developed into peritonitis, which led to another two years in the hospital. He had very little formal schooling as a result, and even as an adult had difficulty with spelling, but while he was in the hospital, volunteers brought musical instruments to the children's ward to keep them amused. Ringo (then Richard Starkey) was given a drum, and that led to his interest in music. When he was finally released from the hospital, he was "of age" to leave school; luckily the skiffle craze was spreading across Liverpool, and he found work as a drummer in local bands.
posted by Oriole Adams at 2:11 PM on May 12, 2009
posted by Oriole Adams at 2:11 PM on May 12, 2009
F. Scott Fitzgerald spent a lot of time sick when he was young. I'm unsure of the cause of his illness or illnesses, though. He did die rather young, but it seems that his death was unrelated to any kind of sickness when he was a child.
posted by Aleen at 4:03 PM on May 12, 2009
posted by Aleen at 4:03 PM on May 12, 2009
You may try doing some searches on Pubmed (or google) with health related quality of life as a keyword. It is used to measure people's (including children's) health quality of like. That and overall quality of life are studied in the psychosocial-nursing fields.
posted by sulaine at 6:33 PM on May 12, 2009
posted by sulaine at 6:33 PM on May 12, 2009
Martin Scorsese was a childhood asthmatic, which only increased his fascination with his neighborhood and its culture and resulted in films like Mean Streets and Goodfellas.
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 7:55 PM on May 12, 2009
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 7:55 PM on May 12, 2009
Response by poster: Thanks for all the answers; this gets me started in a much more productive direction of research! I've marked as best answer the ones I've already checked out, but all of these, I'm sure, will prove useful!
posted by artemisia at 7:56 AM on May 13, 2009
posted by artemisia at 7:56 AM on May 13, 2009
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by scody at 11:04 AM on May 12, 2009