Six years ago, my grandmother was cooking mutton stew, like she always had. However, unlike any other time, her eyelids suddenly shut on her. Blinded, she could only helplessly scamper around with a boiling pot in her hands. She was rushed to the hospital out of fear of what had happened to her eyes. Later, after a series of visits to several specialists, she was diagnosed with Blepharospasm. This spasm has few warning symptoms and its cause is still a subject of uncertainty. In response, my mother and I started attending the Benign Essential Blepharospasm Research Foundation's support groups here in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Being in these discussions has allowed for me to realize how big this little known problem actually is.
Blepharospasm affects men and women from a wide range of cultures and ages. In one lecture, Dr. Alfred deGuio stated that this neurological condition is associated with an uncontrollable muscle contraction that's a result of a complication in the basal ganglia (located in the brain; both sides of the thalamus). This sparked my interest in neurosciences. Later, my grandmother started a trial procedure in which she would wear a type of mouth-guard to open her eyes once again. This indicated the connections in the …show more content…
Though I have been lucky to travel the world to places such as Turkey, Pakistan, UAE, and Norway, I realized that our New Mexican culture is made up of abundant subcultures. When in the medical field, you need to interact with people from these subcultures. Getting to know them, their cultures, their religious beliefs, and where they're coming from can greatly enrich your relationship with them. Some of the ways that I have attempted to diversify my culture are through the classes I have taken such as the "Introduction to World Religions", visiting other countries, volunteering, and even by practicing my own religion while showing acceptance of