|
|
|
I first started to think about my topic for the I-Search in class on January 17, when we were asked what we might be interested in. Dr. Tallman told us to choose something that was important to us and that we were passionate about. It did not take long for my topic to hit me. My son was born 9 months ago with a congenital heart defect that would be fatal if left untreated. Even now, his long-term outlook is unclear, and we don’t know what is in store for him. Ever since his birth, I have been in emotional shutdown, but I am now ready to learn more about his condition. I started webbing. My center topic was congenital heart defects, but I had to ask myself what about this topic I wanted to know more about. Of course, I want to know more about everything related…As I started to write down related topics, I realized that there were some things that I am not emotionally ready to learn more about. For example, I wrote down “Long-term Outlook.” It seemed like a valid topic to research, but it is not one that I am ready to research yet. I don’t know if I am ready to face what the future might hold quite yet. So, I started in another direction. If I am not ready emotionally, maybe I need someone to talk to. So, I wrote down “Support Groups.” So then I asked myself “Where would a likely place be to find support groups?” Also, what do I expect to get out of participating in a support group? At first, I stopped there. I was going to I-search support groups in general and what types are out there. Then, after I posted my question on webCT, both my classmates and Dr. Tallman suggested that I go deeper and make my search more personal. If I want to receive help from my I-search and find a good support group, then why not address that in my topic? So, after I revised my topic, I ended up with: What support resources are available for families of Congenital Heart Defect patients? Then, my topic was personal to me, and I would benefit from what I learned. Next - my search...
|