Medical Terminology for Health Professions 7th Edition by Carol Schroeder,Ann Ehrlich

Exercise 81

The following story and questions are designed to stimulate critical thinking through class discussion or as a brief essay response. There are no right or wrong answers to these questions.
Baylie Hutchins sits at her kitchen table, highlighter in hand, with her medical terminology book opened to the first chapter. Her 2-year-old son, Mathias, plays with a box of animal crackers in his high chair, some even finding his mouth. "Arteri/o, ather/o, and arthr/o," she mutters, lips moving to shape unfamiliar sounds. "They're too much alike, and they mean totally different things." Mathias sneezes loudly, and spots of animal cracker rain on the page, punctuating her frustration.
"Great job, Thias," she says wiping the text with her finger. "I planned on using the highlighter to mark with, not your lunch." Mathias giggles and peeks through the tunnel made by one small hand.
"Mucous and mucus," she reads aloud, each sounding the same. Then she remembers her teacher's tip for remembering the difference, "The long word is the membrane, and the short one is the secretion." Mathias picks up an animal cracker and excitedly shouts, "Tiger, Mommy! Tiger!" "That's right, Thias. Good job!"
Turning back to the page she stares at the red word parts -rrhagia, -rrhaphy, -rrhea, and -rrhexis. Stumbling over the pronunciations, Baylie closes her eyes and tries to silence the voices in her head. "You can't do anything right," her ex-husband says. "Couldn't finish if your life depended on it," her mother's voice snaps.
Baylie keeps at it, "Rhin/o means nose," as she highlights those three words, "and a rhinoceros has a big horn on his nose."
"Rhino!" Matthias shouts, holding up an animal cracker. Baylie laughs. We both have new things to learn, she realizes. And we can do it!
A support group could help empower Baylie to accomplish her goals. What people would you suggest for this group and why?