The ending of the novel was sad but also hopeful. We all knew Lia could not wake from her vegetative state, but the overview was nice to read as it described some of the cultural competency advancements made since Fadiman wrote her novel. Lia may not have been able to come home to her familyContinue reading The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down Ch.19 & Overview
Unnatural Causes: Becoming American
Becoming American was probably the episode of Unnatural Causes that I found most shocking. It had never occurred to me that newly arrived immigrants were not only in good health, they are generally healthier than most of the American population. It was also shocking to learn that those new immigrants’ health deteriorates overContinue reading Unnatural Causes: Becoming American
The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down Ch. 17 & 18
In chapter 17, life keeps moving for the Lees’ children as they all grow older and pursue their interests, all except for Lia. Foua and Nao Kao lose any faith they had left in Western medicine, but Foua becomes closer to Neil and Peggy. Fadiman discovers Lia became brain dead due to septic shock, notContinue reading The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down Ch. 17 & 18
Unnatural Causes: Place Matters
This installment in the documentary series Unnatural Causes, was aptly named Place Matters as it focused on the effects of location on health. The video opens with the statement that quality of housing and neighborhood have dramatic effects on health. This episode focused on Gwau,a refugee from Laos, who settled in California. It wasContinue reading Unnatural Causes: Place Matters
The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down Ch 15 & 16
Fadiman focuses on the Lees’ experience with the hospital and life with Lia in a permanent vegetative state. Once Lia is no longer able to walk, talk, or think, the nurses at the hospital praise her parents which is a complete turnaround from the way hospital staff felt toward the Lees in the beginning chaptersContinue reading The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down Ch 15 & 16
Departmental Talk
The speaker spoke on the topic of racial differences in PTSD and introduced the rather interesting concept of intergenerational transmission of trauma. I myself did some research on this concept last year, in relation to the intergenerational trauma suffered by the indigenous peoples of Mexico. My understanding of this concept is a group suffering soContinue reading Departmental Talk
The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down 13 & 14
The Lees take Lia home after she has been declared brain dead. I was shocked by Dave Schneider, who took over Lia’s care. He mentioned that when he heard Lia was coming back to MCMC “basically brain-dead” his “heart sank” but shockingly it was not at Lia’s state but at the Lee’s return because heContinue reading The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down 13 & 14
Unnatural Causes: In Sickness and In Wealth
The Unnatural Causes documentary did not shock me with new information but in some ways, but I was still in disbelief at the state of health across different communities in the United States. The opening line was that American spends trillions on healthcare but we still have lower life expectancy and poorer health than otherContinue reading Unnatural Causes: In Sickness and In Wealth
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Ch. 11 & 12
In this reading, Lia has her biggest seizure to date. Her parents called the ambulance to take her to the hospital because they believed this would help expedite her entry into the emergency room. However, they might have been able to save twenty minutes if they had run with Lia to the hospital instead, andContinue reading The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Ch. 11 & 12
The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down Ch. 9 &10
Ch. 9 focuses on Lia’s return home to the Lees and their response. When Lia returns home, it seems the Lees finally find a good balance between Hmong remedies and Western medicine. They sacrifice a cow to bring Lia good health, buy her amulets, and practice other Hmong healing methods. However, they also give LiaContinue reading The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down Ch. 9 &10
