Not seeing what is In Front Of Me
Learning Autobiography Essay
English Composition I
EN-1102-1
Prof. Brian Campbell
By: Lesia Fox
September 6, 2013

Being born last of five living children out of eight born to J.F. and Verdie Mooneyham in March 1964. Back when they did not know about the dangers of eating under-processed farm meat such as cow and pig meat, drinking unpasteurized milk, when no one had ever heard of the dangers that digging in the dirt where a cat had done their business when a woman was expecting a child, and what that could cause. I was the one who was born with the effects of all these horrible side effects. Hello, I am Lesia Mooneyham Fox, and I was born with Toxoplasmosis, Which is transmitted to the unborn child from the mother through contact with the cat’s fesses, under-cooked meat, and unpasteurized milk. Without the mother even knowing, she is harming her unborn baby. This is my story, what is has been like growing up as a visually impaired person, having to learn to live as an almost sightless person in a sighted world.
For me I did not realize I was different until I began to get older, probably about four or five and had trouble finding thing. I really don’t remember much about my early childhood, mostly what my family has told me. I do remember however, that I was my daddy and grandma’s shadow; where ever they were, I was right behind them. We had a farm, and I loved going to the barn with them to milk the cows, and to feed the chickens and gather the eggs. I loved being outside. I was a little tomboy.
I started school when I was six years old at our little school that was in our community named after my Grandpa, Mooneyham. It was a little two room school house with four grades in each room. I went there two years, and then they combined the two communities Mooneyham and New Martin, because they were both on that side of the mountain of Van Buren County near Fall Creek Falls. They named our new school Mountain View, Elementary, because it was at the top of the mountain, it was a first through eighth grade school with two classes per room, and a special education teacher, for some of the kids like me.
When I started school, I had to get so close to the books to see them, I mean within inches, like almost my nose touching the page, to see the words. I had hard time learning to read and write, well actually learning to do anything, but the teachers at Mt. View were patient with me. They all tried to help me as much as they could, and there I didn’t really have to worry about the other students making fun of me, because they were related to me or knew me from growing up together and going to church together. The county had a wonderful director of educational instruction, she took on the task of making sure that I had my text books in large print and would order them from the American Printing House for the Blind. She continued to do this when I started high school as well, and believe me these books were huge, and very heavy to carry, especially when you had to carry them home on the bus. That’s why my dad or some of the family would always take me to school and pick me up, and I would ride to Spencer to high school with my sister who worked at our only doctor’s office in the county.
My Major problems began when I started high school. It was a very different world for me, I was scared to death, and I was a little person in a big world. New school, new people totally lost. I had to learn how to find my way around without getting in others ways, or walking into doors, or open locker, or water fountains. When the new people found out I couldn’t see they started pranking me, by tripping me, opening doors in front of me, anything to get a good laugh out at me, I was the Big Nerd Girl, Coke Bottle thick glasses, the Butt of all the Jokes, and I had to learn to endure it.
The teachers at the High School where I attended didn’t seem to care that I had a special need; they wanted to treat me as any other student, regardless of the fact that I couldn’t see what they had written on the board, or what they gave for a hand out. And I was made fun of because of the way I had to get so close to my books and paper. So I had to learn to take it all in stride, and get past it and go on and do the best I could, finally they put me in special education classes for some of the classes, which didn’t seem to make much difference either, they just wanted an excuse to get rid of me.
Although I was having to endure all the teasing, and bulling throughout my four years of high school, I did make some lifelong friendships, I did learn to cope with the teasing, and learned to speak up for myself. I did however get into a little trouble a few times for punching out a few people for some nasty practical jokes. All in all those folks ended up being some of the best friends I could ever ask for and would stand up for me no matter what.
Having to learn to cope and manage in a sighted world has been difficult for me in so many ways. My education has been the most difficult for me. I have always been both an auditory and visual learner. I have had to have someone to sit down and show me how to do things such as math, before I can get the hang of it. And lately I have noticed as my sight has begun to get weaker that my other senses have begun to get more sensitive. I am trying to train my auditory senses to function better by listening to audible books. I have always been able to sit and listen to television and tell what is happening without watching it.
In 1995, I met the love of my Life, Billy Fox. He didn’t care that I had a visual problem, because he had some problems of his own. He is unable to read and write because of some birth defects. We made a promise to each other that if he would see the things I couldn’t and tell me what they were, that I would tell him what the words were that he can’t read if he would spell them for me. So in May of 1996 we were married. And it has worked for 17 wonderful years.
Even though it has been a struggle for me, Billy has always encouraged me to follow my dreams and one of my dreams was to earn my college diploma, so that is why I chose to go online at Colorado Christian University now, I am try my best to earn my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology.
As I mentioned when I began, I was born with a disease called Toxoplasmosis, and I would like to share a brief description of what I found that describes what it is. I did copy this from the CDC website.
What is toxoplasmosis?
A single-celled parasite called Toxoplasma gondii causes a disease known as toxoplasmosis. While the parasite is found throughout the world, more than 60 million people in the United States may be infected with the Toxoplasma parasite. Of those who are infected, very few have symptoms because a healthy person's immune system usually keeps the parasite from causing illness. However, pregnant women and individuals who have compromised immune systems should be cautious; for them, a Toxoplasma infection could cause serious health problems. How do people get toxoplasmosis? A Toxoplasma infection occurs by: •Eating undercooked, contaminated meat (especially pork, lamb, and venison). •Accidental ingestion of undercooked, contaminated meat after handling it and not washing hands thoroughly (Toxoplasma cannot be absorbed through intact skin). •Eating food that was contaminated by knives, utensils, cutting boards and other foods that have had contact with raw, contaminated meat. Drinking water contaminated with Toxoplasma gondii. •Accidentally swallowing the parasite through contact with cat feces that contain Toxoplasma. This might happen by 1.cleaning a cat's litter box when the cat has shed Toxoplasma in its feces 2.touching or ingesting anything that has come into contact with cat feces that contain Toxoplasma 3.accidentally ingesting contaminated soil (e.g., not washing hands after gardening or eating unwashed fruits or vegetables from a garden) •Mother-to-child (congenital) transmission.
•Receiving an infected organ transplant or infected blood via transfusion, though this is rare.
What are the signs and symptoms of toxoplasmosis? Symptoms of the infection vary. •Most people who become infected with Toxoplasma gondii are not aware of it .•Some people who have toxoplasmosis may feel as if they have the "flu" with swollen lymph glands or muscle aches and pains that last for a month or more. •Severe toxoplasmosis, causing damage to the brain, eyes, or other organs, can develop from an acute Toxoplasma infection or one that had occurred earlier in life and is now reactivated. Severe cases are more likely in individuals who have weak immune systems, though occasionally, even persons with healthy immune systems may experience eye damage from toxoplasmosis .•Signs and symptoms of ocular toxoplasmosis can include reduced vision, blurred vision, pain (often with bright light), redness of the eye, and sometimes tearing. Ophthalmologists sometimes prescribe medicine to treat active disease. Whether or not medication is recommended depends on the size of the eye lesion, the location, and the characteristics of the lesion (acute active, versus chronic not progressing). An ophthalmologist will provide the best care for ocular toxoplasmosis. •Most infants who are infected while still in the womb have no symptoms at birth, but they may develop symptoms later in life. A small percentage of infected newborns have serious eye or brain damage at birth. Who is at risk for developing severe toxoplasmosis? People who are most likely to develop severe toxoplasmosis include: •Infants born to mothers who are newly infected with Toxoplasma gondii during or just before pregnancy. •Persons with severely weakened immune systems, such as individuals with AIDS, those taking certain types of chemotherapy, and those who have recently received an organ transplant. What should I do if I think I am at risk for severe toxoplasmosis? If you are planning to become pregnant, your health care provider may test you for Toxoplasma gondii. If the test is positive it means you have already been infected sometime in your life. There usually is little need to worry about passing the infection to your baby. If the test is negative, take necessary precautions to avoid infection (See below).If you are already pregnant, you and your health care provider should discuss your risk for toxoplasmosis. Your health care provider may order a blood sample for testing. If you have a weakened immune system, ask your doctor about having your blood tested for Toxoplasma. If your test is positive, your doctor can tell you if and when you need to take medicine to prevent the infection from reactivating. If your test is negative, it means you need to take precautions to avoid infection. (See below). What should I do if I think I may have toxoplasmosis?
If you suspect that you may have toxoplasmosis, talk to your health care provider. Your provider may order one or more varieties of blood tests specific for toxoplasmosis. The results from the different tests can help your provider determine if you have a Toxoplasma gondii infection and whether it is a recent (acute) infection.
What is the treatment for toxoplasmosis? Once a diagnosis of toxoplasmosis is confirmed, you and your health care provider can discuss whether treatment is necessary. In an otherwise healthy person who is not pregnant, treatment usually is not needed. If symptoms occur, they typically go away within a few weeks to months. For pregnant women or persons who have weakened immune systems, medications are available to treat toxoplasmosis.
How can I prevent toxoplasmosis? There are several general sanitation and food safety steps you can take to reduce your chances of becoming infected with Toxoplasma gondii. •Cook food to safe temperatures. A food thermometer should be used to measure the internal temperature of cooked meat. Do not sample meat until it is cooked. USDA recommends the following for meat preparation. For Whole Cuts of Meat (excluding poultry) •Cook to at least 145° F (63° C) as measured with a food thermometer placed in the thickest part of the meat, then allow the meat to rest* for three minutes before carving or consuming. For Ground Meat (excluding poultry) •Cook to at least 160° F (71° C); ground meats do not require a rest* time.
For All Poultry (whole cuts and ground) •Cook to at least 165° F (74° C), and for whole poultry allow the meat to rest* for three minutes before carving or consuming. *According to USDA, "A 'rest time' is the amount of time the product remains at the final temperature, after it has been removed from a grill, oven, or other heat source. During the three minutes after meat is removed from the heat source, its temperature remains constant or continues to rise, which destroys pathogens." More on: Fight BAC: Safe Food Handling External Web Site Icon •Freeze meat for several days at sub-zero (0° F) temperatures before cooking to greatly reduce chance of infection. Peel or wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating. •Do not eat raw or undercooked oysters, mussels, or clams (these may be contaminated with Toxoplasma that has washed into sea water). •Do not drink unpasteurized goat's milk. •Wash cutting boards, dishes, counters, utensils, and hands with hot soapy water after contact with raw meat, poultry, seafood, or unwashed fruits or vegetables. •Wear gloves when gardening and during any, contact with soil or sand because it might be contaminated with cat feces that contain Toxoplasma. Wash hands with soap and warm water after gardening or contact with soil or sand. Teach children the importance of washing hands to prevent infection.
If I am at risk, can I keep my cat? Yes, you may keep your cat if you are a person at risk for a severe infection (e.g., you have a weakened immune system or are pregnant); however, there are several safety precautions to avoid being exposed to Toxoplasma Gondi: •Ensure the cat litter box is changed daily. The Toxoplasma parasite does not become infectious until 1 to 5 days after it is shed in a cat's feces. •If you are pregnant or immunocompromised: 1.Avoid changing cat litter if possible. If no one else can perform the task, wear disposable gloves and wash your hands with soap and warm water afterwards. 2. Keep cats indoors 3.Do not adopt or handle stray cats, especially kittens. Do not get a new cat while you are pregnant. •Feed cats only canned or dried commercial food or well-cooked table food, not raw or undercooked meats. •Keep your outdoor sandboxes covered. Your veterinarian can answer any other questions you may have regarding your cat and risk for toxoplasmosis.
Once infected with Toxoplasma is my cat always able to spread the infection to me?
No, cats only spread Toxoplasma in their feces for a few weeks following infection with the parasite. Like humans, cats rarely have symptoms when infected, so most people do not know if their cat has been infected. The Toxoplasma shedding in feces will go away on its own; therefore, it does not help to have your cat or your cat's feces tested for Toxoplasma. (Copied from the http://www.cdc.gov/)

Citations http://www.merriam-webster.com/ http://www.cdc.gov/