Describe each stage in the creative process using Ch. 5 of your text.
Search for a personal challenge. Explain how you used the techniques to develop curiosity in your search (see Ch. 6).
The first stage in the creative process consists of constantly looking for a challenge or an opportunity to enhance existing problems or issues. These issues may be hardly noticeable or completely obvious, but it is each person’s responsibility to seek them out. The second stage is expressing the problem or issue in as many ways as possible and decide which expression or expressions are the best and will create the most ideas. The more expressions considered will allow the creation of ideas from multiple perspectives. The third stage is to research the problem or issue and gather data needed to deal with the issue effectively. This may be simply reviewing personal observations or previous experiences for information that relate to the challenge. It can be more in-depth in other situations and may require research, interviewing experts, or creating additional experiences and observations to gather new data. In the last stage the generation of ideas occurs. Creating a multitude of various ideas is important and too often one will quit prematurely or limit ideas. The longer one attempts to develop ideas the more likely a worthwhile idea will develop. Evaluate which idea or ideas best illuminates the problem then tentatively decide which idea or ideas best resolves the issue (Ruggiero, Vincent R. 2009).
I recently visited the emergency room for stomach pain that resulted in surgery to remove my gall bladder. I was unaware of how inflamed and sickly my gall bladder was prior to my emergency room visit. Several techniques helped me identify my personal challenge. They were my observations of my current predicament, my need to search for the cause, and the implications of no longer possessing a gall bladder. I was observant to the pain I was in and curious to know what caused my pain that night and what caused it to get to the state of disrepair it was in. I was curious to what was the function my gall bladder provided and the implications created once surgically removed.

Question #2
Express the problem created by this personal challenge (see Ch. 7). Refine your expression of the problem by considering multiple perspectives and deciding which expression is best. Include both the initial and the refined version. Justify your revision. How can I function daily without a gall bladder? This was my initial expression of my problem. I considered other perspectives afterwards. How can I educate myself of the function of the gall bladder to understand the impact not having one creates? How can I educate myself of symptoms to look for and report to my doctor? How can I get my doctor to test me to prevent future surgeries? How can others function without a gall bladder? How can I educate myself on what I should eat? How can I discover the effects of eating the wrong thing? How can I learn what else may affect my health? How can I discover medication that may improve my health and how? How can I educate others to prevent this from happening to them? I decided the best expression with the most impact was: How can discover the affects of eating the wrong thing? My initial expression was too vague. My refined version is more specific in aspects of successful daily functioning.

Question #3
Investigate the problem by obtaining necessary information (see Ch. 8). List the questions must answer to understand the problem. Identify a source of information to answer each question. I received a handout at the hospital that listed a handful of foods I could eat. Several questions raced through my head. What are the suggested foods to avoid? Why am I no longer able to eat these foods? What are the side-effects if digested? I got on my computer and searched for what not to eat after gall bladder operation. I spent several hours searching through the results. There were many support group forums on the topic with a variety of advice of what foods to eat or stay away based on how that food affected that writer. Although their experiences were enlightening, they were not consistent. I went to the Mayo Clinic article link on the matter. The author of this article states there are no guidelines because each person is different. Nevertheless, she advises limiting the quantity of fatty foods as well as fried or greasy foods. She advises caution in drinking caffeinated drinks or dairy of any kind. She explains the gall bladder collects and releases bile that helps break down and absorb fat. Without it to collect a concentration of bile, large quantities of fatty foods are no longer broken down. This creates gas, bloating, diarrhea, stomach cramps, and possibly irritable bowel syndrome (Nelson J. & Zeratsky K. ,2011). Additional foods to avoid include refined carbohydrates, sugar, and white flour along with reducing meat intake (Lanphier L.,2012). I also did my own experimentation with different foods and learned that my body negatively reacted to all foods suggested to avoid. I suffered all symptoms and additional ones with each encounter.

Question #4
Conclude your investigation with a thorough explanation of the problem, including answers to each of the questions you identified. How can I discover the effects of eating the wrong thing? Uncertain of what foods to avoid based on my body’s reaction I could not function with any normalcy. I was worried I would become sick and have to stay close to a bathroom. Questioning what foods to avoid helped me learn that fried, fatty, greasy foods as well as refined carbohydrates, meat, white flour, and foods high in sugar all digested in small doses or avoided all together. Dairy products, such as milk or cheese, and caffeinated drinks such as coffee, tea, and soda should also be avoided. In answering the question regarding why I can no longer partake in these types of foods I could understand the gall bladder’s function in breaking down these types of foods and how removal of the gall bladder compromises the process. Discovering that symptoms, such as gas, bloating, diarrhea, stomach cramps, and possibly irritable bowel syndrome are created resolved my inquiry on the possible side-effects created when these types of digested foods. Question #5
Produce ideas toward solution of this problem (see Ch. 9). List all of your ideas—whether they are ridiculous or serious is not important. A few ideas that came to mind to avoiding foods that would make me sick. I thought I could create a list on my phone and refer to it if I needed a reminder. I could have my husband smack the food out of my hand if I had the urge to grab something I know I should avoid. Have my children admonish me if I waivered. Write down everything I ate for the day and post it on a public blog for everyone to see. Have my grandmother call me weekly and remind me to do better the following week. Buy myself something nice for every week I stay on track. Post notes of encouragement on my bathroom mirror. Attend social gatherings frequently where I would be embarrassed if I had to use their bathroom. Throw out all foods in my house that fall on the list. Set up a specific location in the kitchen for all foods that fall on the list. Buy a taser gun and get tasered each time I waiver. Wear an electric dog collar that gets zapped by a designated person for each time I falter. Take away all my money so I am not able to purchase any foods I am to avoid.
Question #5
Discuss the two ideas that you think are the most imaginative, original, and positive potential solutions to the problem. My most imaginative and original ideas held little positive potential solutions to my problem. Tasers or having my children admonish me were not positive experiences I wish to try out. The ideas that had the most positive potential were to create a list on my phone of foods to avoid incase I forgot as well as positive notes of encouragement on my bathroom mirror so I would start every day with a positive affirmation. Having a positive attitude that I am able to handle this situation as well as a list of avoidable foods I can to carry wherever I go will help me with my daily challenge in functioning without a gall bladder.

Reference
Lanphier L. (2012) Living Without a Gallbladder. Retrieved from: http://www.oasisadvancedwellness.com/learning/living-without-gallbladder.html Nelson J. & Zeratsky K. (2011) What’s OK to eat after gallbladder removal? Retrieved from: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gallbladder-removal-diet/MY01815
Ruggiero, V. R. (2009). The Art of Thinking. A guide to Critical and Creative Thought (9th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson.