Client NLM: A 45-Year-Old Native Californian Who Values Health Above All - Essay Sample

Introduction

Client NLM is a 45-year-old male from California State. NLM is a black man born and raised in California, which makes him a native. The client perceives health as an essential part of his well-being. NLM agrees that he has consistently enrolled in gym clubs to ensure that he is fit. NLM also states that he prefers eating a healthy diet (Pennazio et al., 2015). The client is a vegetarian who values his health over anything else in his whole life. The client admits that he has experienced gastrointestinal disorders in the past. For instance, he says that before he understood the importance of his health, he had no clue why water was important to his body. Therefore, he occasionally experienced constipation. The client admits that occasional constipation resulted from excessive eating of junk food and regular meals with low consumption of water (Lacy et al., 2016). Occasional constipation would then lead to perianal abscesses that he suffered only once. NLM also says that his wife suffered from hemorrhoids. Common symptoms of gastrointestinal diseases that the client admits to having encountered include nausea, vomiting, muscle aches, and headaches. The common symptoms for perianal abscess experienced by this client are a pain when sitting down, skin irritation around the anus, painful bowel movements, and constipation.

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Current State Findings

Despite being physically fit, the client reports having occasional bowel irritations. The color of his fecal matter is green and comes once in two days (Pennazio et al., 2015). Upon diagnosis, it is realized that he suffers from anal abscesses once again. The client's hair is fine. However, the skin around the anal area is itchy and irritates him. He has problems when trying to sit down. The skill swells and gets tender around the affected area.

Moreover, NLM also has pus discharges around the affected area. Upon touching his head, it is realized that he has a terrible fever. The client's neurological system is slightly affected since he has strained eyesight indicating that his brain is straining (Pennazio et al., 2015). He must be in so much pain that he finds it to express himself when someone is in pain, his neurological system strains. Also, the pumping of blood through his body is affected. Pain causes higher blood pressure than normal. Therefore, the cardiovascular system is affected.

Needs Assessment

I intent on getting my client acquainted with knowledge on pathophysiology related to the anal abscess. I also intend to teach him about the healthy management of the gastrointestinal system. Since the patient admits to having painful experiences around the anal area, it is evident that he has a fungal infection around the city. If the anal glands are infected with fungi, then they experience draining impairment that causes the abscess (Lacy et al., 2016). It is essential to let the client know that sores affect both the perirectal and perianal lanes. Also, let the client know that the affected area is a result of fungal infection that includes Clostridium and Prevotella fungi (Lacy et al., 2016). The main reason for choosing pathophysiology as a health topic for my client is that it allows the client to understand the responses in his body. He deserves to know how and why he developed the condition. It also gives him a clue on the possible ways of preventing such occurrences in the future.

The second choice of topic is health management and treatment of the disease. The perianal abscess has three major causes, including blockage of anal glands, sexually transmitted infections, and tearing of the anal canal (Lacy et al., 2016). The client deserves to know why the disorder happened. NLM also deserves to know the risk factors that made him suffer from the diseases for the second time in his life. Such factors include an inflammatory bowel that leads to an ulcer (Pennazio et al., 2015). Other risks include diabetes, being the recipient party in times of anal sex, and inflammations in the pelvic areas, among others. The patient should be advised on the appropriate medication that includes antibiotics, incision, and drainage. Preventive measures include proper hygiene of the anal area. The area must be clean and dry to prevent chances for cracking of the skin. The patient is also encouraged to consume food that has rich fiber content to prevent anal glands from blocking.

Reflection

I loved working with this client. At first, when I started this assessment, I thought that the client had common health issues that we examine every day. I thought that since he works out regularly and is a vegetarian, there were no chances that he had a health issue. However, my judgment was wrong. As I worked with him, I realized that healthy living is not just about eating and exercising well. It is also about how conscious you are with your body. Gastrointestinal health assessment requires that you understand a person's digestion system (Pennazio et al., 2015). You have to unveil the person's diet and health habits to determine which disorder they probably experience. Therefore, the willingness of the client to cooperate created a conducive environment for my assessment.

The two most important communication techniques I found useful for this assignment were the application of active listening and acceptance. I learned to listen carefully to what the client had to say. I realized that looking and accepting what the client said would give them the confidence to reveal more. For instance, when I listened carefully and without interfering, I learned that the client was only focusing on keeping fit and not healthy. The main challenge that I faced is that the client refused to reveal much about his sexual life. He did not admit to having a gay relationship, or neither did he deny it despite being married to a woman. Therefore, I realized that if I use a self-revelation about my life ion the future, clients will be more willing to share theirs.

References

Pennazio, M., Spada, C., Eliakim, R., Keuchel, M., May, A., Mulder, C. J., ... & Barbaro, F. (2015). Small-bowel capsule endoscopy and device-assisted enteroscopy for diagnosis and treatment of small-bowel disorders: European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) Clinical Guideline. Endoscopy, 47(4), 352-376. http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/91882/3/Small%20bowel%20capsule.pdf

Lacy, B. E., Mearin, F., Chang, L., Chey, W. D., Lembo, A. J., Simren, M., & Spiller, R. (2016). Bowel disorders. Gastroenterology, 150(6), 1393-1407. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016508516002225