Although everyone's experience of illness may be considered unique, Edward Suchman designed a diagram that describes the five key stages of the illness experience. the disease that most patients experience. Suchman's "five stages of the illness experience" are symptom experience, assumption of the sick role, contact with medical care, dependent patient role, and recovery and rehabilitation . Suchman's "five stages of the illness experience" are crucial to understanding Robert Banes' illness process, but do not provide a completely accurate picture of his illness experience. The first stage of the illness experience is the symptom experience, where the individual begins to experience. realizes that there is something wrong with them. At this time, the individual experiences three distinct processes which are physical pain or discomfort, cognitive recognition of the presence of physical symptoms of an illness, and an emotional response of worry about the social implications of the illness (Weiss 143). At this point, a person may agree to seek help, delay treatment, or slip into denial. Robert Banes was first diagnosed with focal glomerulosclerosis, a progressive scarring of the kidneys that will eventually destroy them, four years before kidney failure (Abrahams 10). However, Robert chose to ignore medical treatment because he was not socially constructed to understand the perceived severity of his symptoms and because he lacked the means to access accessible and affordable care (Abrahams 30-31). If Robert had been socially constructed in illness, he would never have let his illness go so far as to lose his kidneys. The second stage of the illness experience is acceptance of the sick role. At this point, the individual...... middle of document ......The United States has much to learn by analyzing different health care systems around the world. There is clearly something wrong when a country as influential as the United States is unable to take care of its own citizens. It's time to realize that the healthcare system in the United States is broken! The United States must look to its neighbors and friends to rebuild itself into the great, thriving country it once could have been. The United States must put aside its pride and seek help from countries like Britain. References Abraham, Laurie K. 1993. Mama Might Be Better Off Dead: The Failure of Health Care in Urban America. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press Weiss, Gregory L., and Lynne E. Lonnquist. The sociology of health, healing and illness. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1997. Print.