A couple of weeks ago, I was diagnosed with PCOS which is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. It’s a diagnosis that thousands of women receive. Having PCOS is a big deal to an extent. Depending on how your body reacts to having it is what makes it a significant deal for young women. When I received the news that I had this syndrome, I was driving home from school. When the nurse had told me I was only selective listening after she had stated that I indeed had PCOS. Selective listening meaning, “listening that takes part in only those parts of a message that are immediately salient during an interpersonal encounter and dismisses the rest,” (McCornack, pg.178). I had gone to the doctor beforehand and knew it was always a possibility. I was devastated for the fact that I want kids when I am older but with this, I could have hardships with fertility. A couple days later I had suppressed my emotions about the diagnostic. Suppression is “inhibiting thoughts, arousal and outward behavioral displays of emotions,” (McCornack pg.114). Till this day I am still suppressing the feelings. I do not like to think about what could happen when I am older and try to start a family. Instead of thinking about the diagnosis, I try to create a communication plan of what I am going to say to the doctor, at my next visit. Communication plans are “mental maps that describe exactly how communication encounters will unfold,” (McCornack pg.214). I try to plan the actions of what questions I should ask the doctor such as, what could I do to reduce the side effects and what medications are available for treatment. I also plan out the contingencies of the conversation I will have. I think about what the doctor will say back and if she’ll state that it is worse than we had expected or that it is more controllable that we had initially thought it would be. At this time, I just have to take it one step at the time and focus on having a positive outlook on life.
L. (2010, March 09). Struggling[Photograph].
Reflect & Relate: An introduction to interpersonal communication. Retrieved June 2, 2019, from https://shelf.brytewave.com/#/books/9781319116910/cfi/6/2!/4/2/2/2@0:0.00
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