In Chapter 5 we learn more about Lia’s treatment and the disconnect between the Hmong people and Lia’s doctors. The first part of the chapter talks about Lia’s relationship with her parents, how her dad likes that she is a little overweight and how Lia is much more soothed when she is around her mother.Continue reading Chapters 5 & 6
Unnatural Causes: Becoming American
In this episode of Unnatural Causes, we learn about the health of immigrants and how moving to the United States influences their mental and physical health. On average Mexican immigrants have been healthier than the average American, where there have been lower rates of death, heart disease, cancer, and other illnesses. However, the health statusContinue reading Unnatural Causes: Becoming American
Chapter 19 & Book Overview
In the last chapter, The Sacrifice, we are reminded of the extend the Hmong culture influences the Lee’s life. The chapter describes the sacrificial ceremony of two pigs done by a txiv neeb the Lee’s invite in their home. Two pigs are sacrificed, one to represent the healing of the Lee family and another forContinue reading Chapter 19 & Book Overview
Chapters 17 & 18
In Chapter 17, we learn about Lia’s life as she continues to live. While the rest of the Lee children go to college and start to work, Nao Kao and Foua start to send Lia to a Special Education program during the day both for her benefit as well as their own. We also learnContinue reading Chapters 17 & 18
Unnatural Causes: Place Matters
In this episode of Unnatural Causes, we discussed how external environment matters when it comes to a person’s health. The video discussed how place matters because it determines what physical or chemical agents your exposed too, the social environment, violence and crime, if it is easier to walk or find healthy foods, neighbors you haveContinue reading Unnatural Causes: Place Matters
Chapter 15 & 16
In Chapter 15, we fast forward roughly two years since Lia left MCMC when they assumed, she only had a short time to live. Against the doctor’s expectations, Lia became stable when she returned home from the hospital. Doctor Neil confronts and apologizes to Nao Kao and Foua when they bring Lia in for herContinue reading Chapter 15 & 16
Trauma & PTSD Talk
I thought that Jennifer Coleman’s talk on PTSD and Trauma was very interesting and brought a new perspective on mental illness. What I found most interesting in the talk was the notion that we don’t truly know what PTSD is, and the concept that how PTSD is categorized will change in the next few years.Continue reading Trauma & PTSD Talk
Chapter 13 & 14
The next two chapters follow the usual pattern of present and historical past. In Chapter 13 we learn about Lia’s severe health status when she returns to MCMC for an examination. While at MCMC there is a noticeable change in how doctors like Peggy and Neil interact with the Lia and the Lee’s. Their attitudeContinue reading Chapter 13 & 14
Chapter 9 & 10
In this chapter, we learn a lot about the Hmong sacrificial traditions as well as how these sacrifices were perceived in the United States when the Hmong people continued to carry out these practices then they migrated to the US. When Lia returns home from foster care, the Lee’s sacrifice a cow as this isContinue reading Chapter 9 & 10
Chapters 11 & 12
In Chapter 11, we learn about the extent that Lia’s infection and disease is progressing. Lia ends up having a seizure that lasts almost two hours long. Immediate fear of the damage this could do to Lia’s cognition and its potentially fatal outcome causes the doctors at MCMC to insist that Lia be moved toContinue reading Chapters 11 & 12
