Mae has shown that she has the capacity to carry out her daily responsibilities. Her responsibilities fuel her drive and performance to keep going in spite of her tiredness, depression, arthritis, and hypertension. If she did not have a family that was relying on her to provide for them, it is possible that she may be able to rest more and have more energy to take care of herself, or it is equally possible that she may lay in bed day after day which would cause arthritis, hypertension and depression symptoms to get worse instead of better.
At this point, her family and work responsibilities contribute to her performance. We do not know if she would have the drive to continue to press on without her current responsibilities. We also lack the wisdom to fully understand all of her biopsychosocial traits and personal drive to know how long she can maintain her current functional performance. Although she maintains functionality in everyday activities, the depression suggests that she suffers from a decreased mental function.
Mae may define disease and illness as something that interferes with her ability to carry out her other tasks or an additional responsibility added to her daily responsibilities. Because she is functioning with these diseases, Mia already faces expectations from her friends, family, and employer and now she has expectations put upon her by her medical providers, in addition to her own expectations for herself. As Donna Falvo, Ph.D., RN points out, What may appear to be a relatively minor disruption of function may actually have major consequences for the life of the individual affected.. (5) There may be times that her perception of the doctors prescribed treatment is contrary to what she feels is acceptable, which adds stress to her mental functionality. Mae may also label disease and illness as time intensive and a financial burden and drain on her finances.
Because each medical provider is focusing on a single diagnosis and has their own course of treatment, side effects of medications or other symptoms, such as sleep deprivation or poor appetite, may be overlooked and contributing to the disease process.
Falvo, D. (2014). Conceptualizing functioning health and disability. In Medical and Psychological Aspects of Chronic Illness and Disability (pp.1-8). Burlington: Jones & Bartlett Learning. Retrieved from, Falvo_Ch01_HSC331.pdf