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Is shaking it off really wise?

Something I have been accustomed to growing up are the phrases "shake it off" or "suck it up" after falling down or sustaining an injury.  Having grown up in a family where there were many children to support on a tight budget, I understood the fact that a hospital visit was the last resort.  Undoubtedly this has facilitated my understanding that you shrug it off and move on.  To a certain extent, I agree with this ideal.  However, after learning the extreme results of certain injuries and their lifelong effects, I may have my future child's doctor on speed dial!  Something that continued to bother me during the story of nurse, Dawn Pereda, was the fact that her own facility where she worked sent her home after she sustained a severe head injury.  It wasn't until hours after alarming symptoms began to appear that she was screened for an injury.  By this point, it was too late.  Now life relies on a schedule that must be maintained or she will not be able to function.  The questions that keep recurring in my mind wonder what would her situation look like if more concern and care had been provided immediately instead of hours later.  Would she have the struggles she does today?  Would her daughter have to deal with the responsibilities of caring for her mother, brother, and other sister?  Would Pereda's husband be able to relax after a long work day?  Unfortunately, these questions will not be answered, but this story has a profound impact on future cases such as Pereda's.  For myself personally, I see the importance of keeping in mind the possible outcomes and severity of a situation and that sometimes toughing it out can ultimately result in lifelong issues.

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