Although it can be argued that everyone's illness experience is unique, Edward Suchman has designed a framework that describes the five key stages of the illness experience that one goes through I meet the majority of patients. Suchman's “five stages of the experience of illness” are the experience of symptoms, assumption of the sick role, contact with medical care, the dependent patient role, recovery, and rehabilitation. Suchman's “five stages of the illness experience” are crucial to understanding Robert Banes' illness process, but they do not represent an entirely accurate picture of his illness experience. The first stage of experiencing illness is the experience of symptoms, which is the moment when the individual realizes that there is something wrong with them. At this time, the individual goes through three distinct processes which are physical pain or discomfort, cognitive recognition that physical symptoms of an illness are present, and an emotional response of concern about the social implications of the illness (Weiss 143). At this point an individual may agree to seek help, delay treatment, or deny it. Robert Banes was first diagnosed with focal glomerulosclerosis, a progressive scarring of the kidneys that will eventually destroy them, four years before his kidneys failed (Abrahams 10). However, Robert chose to ignore medical treatment because he had not been socially structured to understand the perceived severity of his symptoms and because he did not have the means for accessible and affordable care (Abraham 30-31). If Robert had been socially constructed into illness, he would never have allowed his illness to get to the point of losing his kidneys. The second phase of the illness experience is the assumption of the sick role. At this stage, the individual... center of paper... The United States can learn a lot by analyzing different healthcare systems around the world. There is clearly something wrong when an influential country like the United States is unable to take care of its 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 and thriving country it once might have been. The United States must swallow its pride and ask countries like Great Britain for help. Bibliography Abraham, Laurie K. 1993. Mama Might Be Better Off Dead: The Failure of Health Care in Urban America. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago PressWeiss, Gregory L., and Lynne E. Lonnquist. The sociology of health, healing and illness. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1997. Print.