Page 17 - 20818_park-c_efi
P. 17

1












                          SHOULD ONE REVEAL A                                                                                                                                                                                                                             #
                          BRIDE’S ILLNESS TO HER
           69  GROOM?







               1    Question Revealing a bRide's illness

           A twenty-year-old girl, engaged to be married, is currently hospital-
           ized. She lacks platelets (thrombocytes), which are blood cells that                                                                                                                                                                                           20818_efi-ab - 20818_park-C_efi-ab | 1 - A | 18-08-20 | 13:46:23 |
           enable the blood to clot. As a result, she has signs of internal bleeding
           in organs like the lung, heart, abdomen etc. for no apparent reason, or
           as a result of minor trauma. The treatment for this condition is med-
           ication that stimulates the bone marrow to produce thrombocytes.
           If the medication is unsuccessful after six months of treatment, the
           alternative is to surgically remove the spleen, because the spleen de-
           stroys blood cells. With the removal of the spleen, this process stops
           and the bone marrow can make new platelets.

              There are also negative side effects to the steroid medication, includ-
           ing: a) infections due to suppression of the immune system, b) mental
           and  emotional  reactions,  to  the  point  of  psychiatric  disturbances,
           c) weight–gain, proliferation of facial hair, and other cosmetically
           disturbing effects, d) ulcers, e) bone fractures, f) muscular weakness,
           g) diabetes, h) abnormalities in the electrolytes, i) various other side
           effects including menstrual disturbances, perspiration, inflammation
           of the pancreas, cataracts in the eyes, increased pressure on the skull,
           gangrene of the extremities, inflammation of veins (phlebitis), and
           atrophy of the adrenal gland.
              The chances of any one of these side-effects occurring are about 2%-




           Revealing a bride's illness  2                                    3
   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22