LIFESPAN ANALYSIS By Cheryl L.

Casazza Salt Lake Community College August 1, 2013

THE BEGINNING (BIRTH & MATERNAL CARE) California, Here I come, right back where I started from Al Jolson Picture a 24-year old husband, Monte Hickenlooper, his 26-year old wife, Sue and their 3-year old daughter, Debbie, arriving at Eden Hospital in Castro Valley, California, on the morning of December 5, 1956. Monte takes Debbie to the waiting room while Sues labor is induced by Dr. Crockett, a member of their social convoy at the LDS Church. Sue has been well nourished, is in excellent health and has had a normal, fullterm pregnancy. She was employed as a music teacher, but has not worked since the end of her first trimester. A Mormon, she has faithfully adhered to a health code throughout her life, abstaining from teratogens such as tobacco and alcohol. Her naturally slender body puts her at risk in the delivery room, where the arrival of an 8 lb. 2 oz. baby girl breaks her coccyx, causing pain for weeks to come. Grandma Rhoda, an RN, later criticizes the doctor; the baby should have been delivered via C-section. This second child, larger than the first, seems to have inherited Rhodas larger build. Rhoda, unable to take time off from work, hires a woman to take care of Sue during the recovery period. The young family has a support system that will reduce stress in their home. This scenario, the story of my arrival, rests on pillars of good biosocial, psychosocial and cognitive principles. My parents were a happily married, educated couple with good SES. Both grandmas were nurses, providing mentoring in health care. Cognitive theory posits that at their stage of life, each had acquired vast knowledge and skills to share. Behaviorism implies that they were role models who would positively reinforce excellence. Surely, there would be several highly motivated caregivers. Social learning theory would suggest that the second child might imitate and learn from her older sibling. Systems theory explains how the combined, interacting effects of California culture in the 1950s, the involvement of a supportive LDS extended family, the mostly white, middleclass neighborhood full of young families and scientists in Livermore, the warm climate enabling plenty of outdoor play, and the optimism prevalent during the United States post-war baby boom all contributed to my early development.

INFANCY AND TODDLERHOOD (0 2 years) Dream, baby, dream From The Me Nobody Knows The dark-haired baby was named Cheryl Lynne. Lynne, as I was called, became known as a good sleeper. According to author Kathleen Stassen Berger, Newborns have a high proportion of REM sleep, with flickering eyes and rapid brain waves. (Berger, p.93) During my early life, I had plenty of time for brain maturation during sleep. Nutrition was delivered straight from mombreast milk, the ideal baby food. A record of a check-up at 10 weeks shows my weight as 13 lbs. 9 oz. and length as 23.5 inches. Physical growth progressed normally, with the introduction of nutritious solid foods carefully planned according to the guidelines given by the doctor. The first illness came when I was only four months old. I developed a very serious case of pneumonia. My parents and grandparents watched me 24 hours a day until I recovered. I have not had a serious illness since then. My home, stable and full of loving caregivers, fit me extremely well, as did my parents. Both very social individuals, they invited friends over often. Many of these friends would hold me and say that they wanted to take me home. I infer that according to Erikson, I developed a great ability to trust. The crisis of trust vs. mistrust was resolved as I grew to be an open, extroverted toddler known as our little clown. I enjoyed great synchrony, as shown in pictures of me learning to stand, being supported by Debbie, who was about four. We are looking lovingly into one anothers faces. As I progressed from standing to walking, I gained more autonomy. I dont know many of the specific details of my early development. My mother claims she has a baby book for me, but I have never seen it. I assume that the normal tasks, such as toilet training, occurred at the normal rate in the style of life in the 1950s. Being the youngest for two and a half years, I had time to learn how to get attention by behaving in entertaining ways, according to my mother. I also learned that people in a home do not raise their voices, yell or speak harshly to one another. There was no loud contention in my home. Harmony at home, positive experiences such as sitting on the laps of older girls at church, plenty of California sunshine and outdoor play time in our backyard all taught me that life is good, that people are wonderful and I am important. My cognitive skills advanced early as I acquired strong language skills, aided by my role model, Debbie. With increased ability to express myself, I was able to make my very definite wishes clearly known, and I did. I also showed concern for others. When I was two, my mother went to the hospital to have her third child. As I waved goodbye, I called out, Have a good time, Mommy!

EARLY CHILDHOOD ( 0 -2 years) Show me the way, show me the way Styx song by Kelly Price In 1959, the birth of my brother, Kent, introduced us to a cheerful, intelligent personality. It also introduced us to our genetic make-up: we were now dealing with severe hemophilia A. Blissfully unaware of my carrier status, I continued my happy little life, growing tall, eating three meals a day with my family and following Debbie around. My mom didnt have to teach me very much. I watched and learned from my sister. This Let Lynne Follow Debbie--the Role Model routine, based on behaviorist theories, worked. When Debbie and her older friends whizzed down the street on their roller skates, I lagged behind, frustrated by my inability to keep up. I lacked the cognitive structure to intuit that I should not expect to be on their level. On my own initiative, I practiced until I succeeded. Initiative became one of my strengths, with very little need for guilt or regret in my life. Kents birth took me from youngest to middle child. Years later when Kent passed away, I realized that I was once again a youngest child. Freud might argue that I had repressed my jealousy for decades. My adjustment to a new sibling must have been harder than usual because of all the extra attention Kent got. Changes in my system included having live-in help and expanding my world to include the hospital waiting room. Swimming for joint health became important to us. One summer, Dad brought home a surprisean above ground pool for the backyard. Everything in the environment, even a padded bedroom, and foam on hallways floors, was planned to support Kents health, in the context of a healthy family. We got a lot of support from our grandparents at this time. Brain maturation and myelination were going well. My biggest cognitive success came when, on my own initiative, I read and understood a 410 page book, The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew , when I was six years old. I had been taken to the library many times and taught to read. Upon entering kindergarten, I shocked everyone by announcing that I would now be called Cheryl at school and Lynne at home. I became a very quiet person at school, self-conscious about my height, my funny last name and my being different from the other children. When my mom and the teacher communicated, it was decided that I would start second grade the following year. This plan helped me grow cognitively while easing my psychosocial adjustment to being tall.

MIDDLE AND LATE CHILDHOOD (7 12 years) Anything you can do I can do better. I can do anything better than you. Irving Berlin, Annie, Get Your Gun I entered second grade in Palo Alto, California, where we had moved to a home with an in ground swimming pool. The adjustment was easy. I already had a best friend, Anne, whose family was close to mine and part of our church social system. I fit right in at school, church and the neighborhood Brownie troop. I was a typical child, an eager, active learner as described by Piaget and Vygotsky . In the excellent school system, I progressed in automatization, attention and memory. Debbie later wrote, Cheryl was always the best of the three children at math. She also commented on my ability to focus for long periods of time, such as when I spent hours organizing my desk at home. Increased concrete thought and social comparison brought perception of strengths and weaknesses. I concluded that I was not very good at art or physical education. My second-grade teacher wrote, Cheryl should have more confidence in her art works, which are always very original. As for athleticism, competitive sports were not part of our lives. These things were not important at home or in our local culture at the time. I did relish playing outside, climbing trees, building forts, riding my bike, swimming often and walking the dog, which was one of my chores. The time in Palo Alto remains idealized in memory as happy and stable in spite of my mothers nearly dying of colitis when I was just eight. The live in help tended to our needs and enriched our cultural lives. Since the au pairs came to our home from Germany, Scotland and France, they brought us a little taste of Europe. Our grandparents also played a huge role in raising us, showering all three of us with love and attention. Psychosocial adjustment became more complex after a rapid series of moves; by the time I was eleven, I had attended five schools in four different states: California, Washington, Arizona and Connecticut. My extended family was now thousands of miles away. I knew nothing of the culture of sophisticated, artsy Westport, the home of many celebrities. A strong family and ongoing involvement in my church family, known as a ward, saved me emotionally. Playing the piano, a talent that motivated me to be very industrious, also buoyed my self-esteem and helped me gain the respect of my peers as I sped toward adolescence in a very competitive, highly driven Jewish influenced system of Wesport. There really is a lot to be said for industry vs. inferiority, as my new Jewish friends in Westport demonstrated by their examples.

ADOLESCENCE (13 19 years) I am sixteen going on seventeen, I know that Im nave Rodgers and Hammerstein, The Sound of Music After the move back East, I began going through puberty at about age 12. This was uncomfortable for me. I had no desire to develop a noticeable figure or wear a bra, I was shy about discussing sexual matters even with my mother, and the appearance of my own blood during menarche caused me some concern even though I knew why it was happening. I associated blood with hemophilia and scary situations. I never understood why Anne Frank got so excited about puberty and her wonderful secret. By the time I was 17, I had gotten too thin and stressed to have a period, experiencing amenorrhea for my entire freshman year of college. I had to work hard to get my period back and be healthy. My physical growth was normal. I was not overweight, but I was a typical teen girl interested in dieting a little. I began exercising for the sake of health and appearance. My long, dark hair grew well, helping me to fit into the carefree styles of the 1970s. Identity development came from a blending of influences, tempered by my devotion to my religious identity. My commitment to living my religion was strengthened when, at age 17, I received a personalized message, called a patriarchal blessing. At school, none of my friends were LDS. I preferred to socialize with my church social crowd, with whom I spent many hours. My first love, Craig, came from an LDS home. We fell madly in love, then waited until I was 16 to date. He wrote me letters in French, adding to my personal fable that no one in history has ever experienced a love like this! It didnt hurt that he really was tall, dark and handsome. As for sex education, in our lives, it was chastity education, but it worked for me. I never had any regrets as I forged my sexual identity in line with the value of abstinence promoted by my faith and family. Academic achievement was extremely important as I aimed for and won a scholarship to Brigham Young University. I was able to graduate early during my senior year. Piaget would remark that I excelled at formal operational thought as I scored in the top 1% on both SATs. I was thrilled to venture off on my own as, at age 17, I flew to Provo, Utah for my next chapter. My vocational identity consisted merely of a passion for playing the piano. I planned to major in music and to graduate from college in the Honors Program.

EARLY ADULTHOOD (20 40 years) A chance for stage folks to say hello, Another opnin of another show Cole Porter, Kiss Me Kate Acting became my next passion.. I graduated from BYU Honors Program with a BA in Theatre. Single, I continued studying acting, singing and dancing. I performed in Utah, New York and Connecticut. Becoming an expert in childrens theater appealed to me. I earned money as a receptionist, a wedding musician, and in odd jobs. I maintained my religious identity .My confidence grew as I won scholarships in singing and acting. Initiative and industry paid off; I was paid to perform characters for singing telegram companies and landed a paid acting job. Offstage, drama in real life brought several major events. On my 27the birthday, I became engaged. I ended the engagement because Lon had temper problems. My ability to break off an engagement in spite of my strong desire to marry shows cognitive maturity. One hallmark of adult thought is the ability to combine emotions and rational analysis, (Berger, p. 416) Shortly after that, my brother died very suddenly. The grief felt bottomless. Eventually, I returned to my pursuits. I met Steve Casazza, whom I married in an LDS temple. I was 31. Eriksons crisis of intimacy vs. isolation had been resolved, or so I thought. We had a son and two daughters, within the first five years of marriage. We moved to the Buffalo, New York area where Steve, where Steve lost his job during a takeover. The next crisis was employment vs. unemployment. We weathered the storm, buying a telephone answering service in Lakewood, New Jersey. Steve set to work learning how to manage the company. My life was about supporting him and being a mother of three beautiful children, Kent, Tess and Caroline. I had always been crazy about children and had earned a masters degree in elementary education during the first years of our marriage. I wanted at least one more. My first three pregnancies had gone well, but the fourth one ended in a molar miscarriage. My psychosocial need for another child stemmed from an experience earlier in my life. We decided to become foster parents in New Jersey, eventually adopting a beautiful blonde toddler, Stephanie, whose parents were HIV positive drug addicts. This completed our family circle, fulfilling my vision that I would have four children in this life. .

MIDDLE ADULTHOOD (40-60 years) Ive looked at love from both sides now Joni Mitchell The physical demands of having four children and caring for them have taken much of my energy for the past 25 years. I neglected my own needs during middle adulthood as I was adversely affected by Steves complicated problems. He was unwilling to be a loving husband and father. I experienced debilitating stress at times, but I kept on keeping on for the sake of everyone . My husband went to the gym regularly while I spent many hours driving our children to lessons, doctors and activities. I was the one to whom they always came for help on homework and personal problems. As a mother, I developed into a less egocentric person. Steve, instead of being a father, increased exponentially in egocentrism in ways that we would never have imagined. I do not regret a minute of serving my children. Now, as I approach late adulthood, I need to better self care habits. My menopause began at about age 51. I combat the hormonal roller coaster with black cohosh and swimming. Love of water is one theme of my life. I am about to be legally divorced. This motivates me to improve myself as I renew old friendships and pursue new ones with all kinds of people. I want to look and feel my best. I need lots of energy for my future. Recently, I hired a personal trainer at Golds Gym. I am trying to get involved in lifting weights and using the machines. I also bought a new bike and have set a goal to complete several triathlons in the next two years. I am still very involved with all of my children, who need help getting through this change in our family. I need some exercise buddies. I will have more fun and progress better in a social context. If personality is stable throughout life, I am still very extroverted and social in spite of everything that has happened. The crisis of generativity vs. stagnation is resolving well, as I have a new passion for songwriting. I am compulsive about it at times, working until 2:00 a.m. The middle of the night is my new best frienda quiet, creative time free of interruptions. This has resulted in more than fifty original creations so far this year. I also get to develop more talents as I pursue new interests in the field of health care, in which I plan to work. In the divorce settlement, I will be awarded partial ownership of our business in New Jersey, which means I will eventually have the opportunity to be a voting, contributing partner. Theres no stagnation here. Hopefully, this cognitive challenge will keep my neurons firing rapidly as my brain functions well.

LATE ADULTHOOD (Age 60 and on) When I get older I will be stronger. Knaan My cognitive approach to staving off the many negative effects of ageism is to convince myself that I am unique, creative and have the energy of someone who is ten years younger than my chronological age. Numbers and social comparisons can be a mental trap. My subtract ten method is based on systems theory. In our 21st century culture in the United States, younger is so much better! I cant change the system, but I can change my mind set. My role models, my parents, now in their early 80s, have not adjusted well to being old. They dont want their friends to know they are that old. Appearing viable is especially important to me. I will be reentering the job market when I am close to age sixty. My cognitive approach tells me that Utah is known for a culture of fitness, large families and higher levels of education. I consciously choose to think outside of the box by adopting a great role model, the late Stephen R. Covey, who taught people to Live life in crescendo. I want mental and physical energy to fuel my quest for self-actualization. I may go on an LDS mission at some point, tying in my spiritual values. I also plan to volunteer, especially in the hemophilia community that has helped us through the years. The crisis of integrity vs. despair looms ahead, as does a life review and rewriting my advance directive. The past year has been a time of discovery, reevaluation and changes in my familys system. I was advised not to make any major decisions for at least a year. I needed a good divorce. While I am overjoyed about this end to a distressing marriage, it is true that the process is not painless. I hope to achieve integrity and independence by going to school for a new career. I also hope to nurture within my psychosocial self, a positive attitude toward men and marriage. I am strongly committed to this in spite of my having just survived a nightmare. There is nothing to be gained from despair. One of my goals is to continually teach my four children that marriage can be a blissful, rewarding relationship that can last for eternity. I am not ready to think about risking my own heart, but I want to enable my children to pursue loving marriages. I know that having hope will benefit them in all of the major developmental areas. I also hope to get lots of happy grandchildren out of this. Being an involved, entertaining grandma will be part of my plan. Family reunions in refreshing places where cousins could get to know and love each other will be a priority. I want some wonderful pictures. Everyone will be loved and valued. The actualization of this will be a reward in my older age.

EPILOGUE

On the Other Side Ive got a mansion waitin on the other side, on the other side, on the other side, Ive got a mansion on the other side. Im gonna go where everybodys wearin white, on the other side, on the other side, Ill go where everybodys wearin white. Glory, Glory, Hallelu, Love is waiting there for you, Glory, Glory, Hallelu, Sweet Jesus will be there, its true! Excerpt from a spiritual song by Cheryl L. Casazza What will a good death look like for me? Ideally, I will be lying serenely in my own bed, gradually fading out, virtually pain-free, surrounded by a loving family as candles flicker gently to the strains of Rachmaninov Vespers. I have read a number of books on NDEs, thus I have a cognitive structure for losing the fear of death. I have never had an NDE, so I dont know how I will cope with the reality of finality. I have performed music at many funerals, including two honoring teenagers who died this year. In spite of this, I cant imagine myself passing on before I finish a great deal more work here on earth. Primarily, I want to be here for my children and my unborn grandchildren. Longevity is hard to predict, as my 4 grandparents range from age 24 to 96 in this area. My parents are living independently in their 80s. I have observed a few memory lapses in my mother, but its not extreme at this point. My cultural background, lifestyle and medical care support the possibility of my living into my 90s or longer. I do have a few bad habits; drinking diet soda, neglecting self-exams and trying to handle all of my stress by myself. I am working on improving my nutrition, drinking water instead of soda and setting up health insurance benefits that will enable me to seek any care that may be needed in the future. My social goals include maintaining numerous close, supportive friendships as time goes by, but thats also easier said than done. The best support systems that I have are usually from my cousins and my church family, a group I will always have in my life. Financially and legally, Im not prepared to go, but these things are in flux right now, so I dont expect to get it all organized immediately. I hope to maintain the high SES of my past, regardless of reduced income. SES can be a state of mind. I hope that I will be able to stay young at heart by being very active physically, mentally and socially.

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