Long Chain Of Fatty Acids example essay topic

Lorenzo's oil Adrenoleukodistrophy (ALD) causes a loss of the fatty covering on the nerve fibers within the brain and the progressive degeneration of the adrenal gland. Its basis is genetic. A very long chain of fatty acids are normally found in the blood plasma and the tissues of the body. These fatty acids accumulate in the brain and in the adrenal glands. It is unknown why this causes the loss of myelin.

ALD is very rare. For that reason public and private funding research is limited. ALD is an X chromosome linked recessive inherited disease affecting only males. Symptoms often appear in boys between the ages of 4 and 8 and could have behavioral changes such as poor memory, loss of emotional control and dementia.

Other symptoms are muscle weakness and difficulties with hearing, speech, and vision. As the disease progresses, muscle tone deteriorates and swallowing becomes difficult possibly putting the patient in a coma. Unless treated with a diet called Lorenzo's oil, the disease will result in paralysis, hearing loss, blindness, vegetative state, and death. There is a 50 percent chance that the disease will be passed from mother to offspring. The male will express the disease and the female will be a carrier. Diagnosis can be made from cultured skin fibroblasts or amniotic fluid cells.

This allows parental diagnosis and carrier identi ation of 90 percent of the victims. It can be performed through a procedure very early in the first trimester of pregnancy. The effects of the disease can be prevented with a combined approach of oleic acid (Lorenzo's oil) and restricted diet which excludes very long chains of fatty acids. More research is needed to determine the long-term safety and effectiveness of substances. I feel that the parents should have a choice in the right to death of their child. They, most often, are the ones who care most, therefore, they ould do what's best for the child.

Even better, most parents would fight for their child's life, if possible, and try to find ways to end their child's pain and suffering. A loving parent would make the right decision. If it weren't a parents right to decide, then who's right is it? Some doctor that has seen many other children just the same. Not giving him a second glance past what he's treated others with. Giving up without any effort of solving the pain.

Bottom line is, someone who cares, knows what's best, and should have the right to choose for their own child. I feel that all patients should be active in the treatment of their illnesses. People shouldn't just give up hope, and let the doctor take over with the normal treatments that don't get anyone else very far. A patient should at least understand their illness, and find different ways to treat it, versus, letting the doctor pick what you do, without you having much input. Patients need to start caring about their own lives and becoming involved with the treatment. It is their lives, their body..