The Tired Swimmer: A Case Study on the Nervous System by Allison Russo, Morgan Falk, and Phil Stephens Biology Department, Villanova
University.
Part I?Meet Annie Annie felt despondent. Her team mates were being kind to her, but she knew that she was the reason that her team lost the
swim meet against the neighboring college. How many people could lose with a four-second lead on the anchor leg of a ??-yard relay against
someone they had beaten so easily last year? As she walked out of the locker room she noticed that the blurred vision and eye strain had
returned, even though she was wearing glasses instead of her usual contacts. Maybe no one will recognize me with these on, she thought.
Annie hated wearing glasses. Her eye strain had become worse over the past month. Over the last week she had had mid-term exams and papers
to write and recently typing made her hands and fi ngers ache and they felt weak. Even swim practice, which helped relieve her stress in
the past, had become taxing. Her coach noticed that her times were getting worse, even though he could see that she was working hard in
practice. As Annie walked out of the locker room she looked up and she saw her boyfriend, Matt, waiting for her. He attended another
college and had made a detour to drive her home for mid-term break. ?Th anks for driving all this way to take me home, Matt. I?m sorry that
you made it early enough for the meet; I was really bad. I just don?t know what?s wrong with me these days.? Matt didn?t know what to say,
so he smiled and took her hand. As they walked back to her dorm, Annie thought how nice it was to have Matt to support her during such a
tough time. Annie was gasping for air and felt weaker than ever after they had walked up the two fl ights of stairs to her fl oor. She told
herself that she must set some time aside next week to do something about this constant fatigue. Annie had already packed her bags for the
trip home and Matt was able to carry all of her stuff to his car in one trip. When he returned to the room he found Annie lying on the bed
with her eyes closed. He asked her if she was ready to go. ?Sure, just can?t keep my eyes open these days. I am sure I?ll be better when
we?re home.? Matt knew that Annie liked to drive, so when they got to the car he handed her the keys. She tried to take them, but her fi
ngers didn?t seem to work and she dropped his keys on the ground. Matt grabbed the keys and opened the passenger door for Annie. As they
set off for home, Matt asked, ?Are you feeling okay? You?re not usually so exhausted after a swim meet, and you seem to be having trouble
catching your breath. I am worried about you.? ?I have been feeling really tired over the past month or so, and I guess mid-terms took more
out of me than usual.? The Tired Swimmer: A Case Study on the Nervous System by Allison Russo, Morgan Falk, and Phil Stephens Biology
Department, Villanova University ?The Tired Swimmer? by Russo, Falk, and Stephens Page 2 ?Why don?t you take a nap for the next couple of
hours; I?ll wake you when we?re home.? Matt thought that this was probably not the best time to suggest that she see a doctor. Questions ?.
What vital signs or symptoms does Annie exhibit? ?. Can you see any common features in Annie?s signs and symptoms? ?. Why is Annie having
problems breathing? ?. What are the possible reasons for Annie?s condition?
CASE STUDY WRITING ASSIGNMENT
Now that you have gone through this case, you have a writing assignment. You must pretend that
you are knowledgeable healthcare professional (nurse, nurse practitioner, physician assistant,
doctor, 1
); and that you are either a concerned friend of Annies family or a very caring medical professional. Your assignment can
take one of two formats:
1. You write a letter explaining Annies condition to someone in the family who may be distraught and not knowledgeable about Annies
disorder. While you want to discuss the seriousness of the disease, you want to be reassuring. Remember that the person receiving the
lefter is not in the medical profession so you need to keep it in simple terms. Your letter must also follow the criteria listed below.
2. You write a medical report as a healthcare professional explaining Annies condition. Your report
should look like a report written by whatever medical professional you are portraying to be. This
report must also follow the criteria listed below.
