Reading+Reflections

__My Sisters Keeper__: 1. "There's way too much to explain, and so I do the best I can. 'It''s not god. Just my Parents,' I say. 'I want to sue them for the rights to my own body.'" (Page 19) I find this quote to be very interesting. I don't think I could ever sue my parents for anything. This makes Anna a strong person for sticking up for what she thinks is right. However, I can't understand her relationships with her parents because the relationship that I have with my parents is so much different then hers is. I feel as if Anna is getting mistreated by her parents, and does in fact bring up a valid point about getting her rights back. If Anna had her own rights instead of her parents making the decisions every time Kate was sick, she might feel differently about helping her sister out because her body is her own and not her parents.

2. "When Kate was born, I used to imagine how beautiful she would be on her wedding day. Then she was diagnosed with APL, and instead, I'd imagine her walking across a stage to get her high school diploma. When she relapsed, all this went out the window: I pictured her making it to her fifth birthday party. Nowadays, I don't have expectations, and this way she beats them all... Kate is going to die. It took me a long time to be able to say that." (Page 43) When Brian says this, I think it says a lot about his character. It's very difficult for a parent to bury their own child. In reality, children usually bury their parents. To not see it coming is one thing, but to know that you will have to see your child die has to be the worst feeling in the world. When I read this, my heart sank, as if I were in Brian's shoes. Brian had to see his own daughter grow up with a sickness that he knew would never go away. In my opinion, Brian is one of the strongest characters in this book because of the way he acts, and the way he handled this situation.

3. “ ‘Brian?’ She asked. ‘How did Kate look to you?’… Better than Anna did, I thought but this was not what she was asking… ‘Kate looks great,’ I lied, because this is what we do for each other…” (Page 44) I believe this quote is another example of how strong Brian's character really is. He would always keep a calm and positive outlook on the worst situations, and try to make them better. Despite the fact that Kate was dying, he was always there for his family, and would do anything for them. In this quote, he lied to his wife to make her feel better about Kate's cancer, and to not make her feel uncomfortable about the whole situation. I can't understand how Brian always has a positive attitude about his daughter dying, because I know if I was in that situation, I wouldn't be able to be as strong as he is. Brian, I believe, is what is holding this family together with his love and support, and if everyone could have his beliefs on life, the world would be a much happier place in which one could live in.

4. "Kidney donation is considered relatively safe surgery, but if you ask me, the writer must have been comparing it to something like a heart-lung transplant... safe surgery is the kind where you go into the doctor's office... and the procedure is finished in five minutes... On the other hand, when you donate a kidney, you spend the night before the operation fasting and taking laxatives...you have a 1 in 3,000 chance of dying on the operation table" (Page 50) When Anna says this it just makes me realize how serious a kidney transplant actually is. It amazes me how most people call it an easy surgery, however the risks are much worse, and more dangerous then an easy surgery would be. When people give or get kidney transplants, others forget how much pain he/she has to go through. This quote is just a reminder to people who forget the pains, and troubles that others go through to get these transplants, and the risks that are involved with it. I believe that kidney, as well as other transplants should be taken more seriously.

__Thank You For Smoking__:

5. "...smoking also leads to something called Burger's disease, a circulatory ailment that requires having all your extremities amputated. Just once, Nick thought, it would be nice to get back to the office to something other than blame for ghastly new health problems." (Page 7) When I first started reading this book, this line really made me think. I truly believe that smoking causes so many health problems. there are people in my life that I love, that are suffering because of smoking. If smoking causes so many problems with one's own health, then why do people continue to do it? Maybe I just feel this way because the people I love are really sick because of smoking. I just wish I could show people that want to smoke, just started to smoke, or are having trouble quitting smoking, the people that I know that wish they had never started. So many years of my loved ones lives could be given back if they never started smoking, and I wish they had those years as well. I believe that not only does smoking affect one's own life, but also the loved ones around them that truly care.

6. "...so why //not// come out and say, 'All right, in some cases, sure smoking's bad for you..., I think a lot of people would thing, 'Hey, they're not such liars after all.'" (page 16) When I saw this quote, it made me think how bad the tobacco industry really was. I feel as if this industry is very deceiving, and many people fall for their lies. I can't understand why people would actually, in a way, want to harm someone else, and his/her own health. Sure they make a good profit off these people, but tobacco takes the lives of so many people each year, and causes a lot of problems. I believe that the tobacco industry is almost like a snake. In the biblical story of Adam and Eve, it was the snake (Satan) that convinced Eve to eat the apple. In this comparison, the people of society are related to Eve, and the tobacco industry is the snake, and a change needs to be made in my opinion.

7. "Their regular table was in the smoking section of Bert's, next to a fireplace with a fake electric fire that gave off a cozy, if ersatz, glow." (Page 22) As I read this, the thing that stuck out the most to me was "the smoking section". This made me think back to the times when I was younger. There was actual smoking sections in restaurants, hotels, malls, bowling alleys, etc. In today's society, this is unheard of. I can't believe that people would smoke in front of everyone and give off second hand smoke. I remember whenever I would go to the bowling alley, I would smell so bad of smoke. This being a true fact, I hardly ever would go bowling because I hated having that smell on me. I can't imagine the second hand smoke that smokers were giving off during this time, and especially in an in closed area. It's amazing how much the time has changed in no more then ten years. I wonder, in another ten years what will life be like?

Th__e Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time__: 8. "Eight years ago, when I first met Siobhan, She showed me this picture :( and I knew that it meant "sad,"..." (Page 2) When I read this I thought it was really interesting. Throughout the world, there is so many language barriers. Although I probably could not communicate through words with someone that speaks Spanish, I know if that person were to frown, he/she would be sad. On the other hand if a person were to smile, he/she would be happy. Many symbols throughout the world, are universal. There is no language that is needed to smile. Even though I couldn't speak as in language with a Spanish person, I sure can communicate using facial expressions and/or gestures. I believe this is really cool that there is some way to communicate with everyone throughout the whole world.

9. "Chapters in books are usually given the cardinal numbers **1,2,3,4,5,6** an so on. But I have decided to give my chapters prime numbers **2,3,5,7,11,13** and son on because I like prime numbers." (Page 11) I think this is a really cool way to start a book. A lot of times I don't enjoy reading certain books because they are always the same, and have the same story line. Also they seem to follow this plot that is similar between most books. This book is so different, and so enjoyable to read. I like how this book has a different story line, and doesn't follow any order or guidelines, and is almost as if I am not reading at all. I also like how in the book itself the author stated he was going to use prime numbers because he "liked" them. This book is very interesting and I always want to read more!

10."People believe in God because the world is very complicated and they think it is very unlikely that anything as complicated as a flying squirrel or the human eye or a brain could happen by chance. Buyt they should think logically..." (Page 164) Reading this it made me think of all my friends that do not believe in any religion. I myself am a religious person, and care a lot about God. I can't imagine living life knowing there was nothing after you die. This would create a world of nothingness and I would feel lonely and confused. I am happy that my parents brought me up going to church, and knowing the stories of the lord. If I only thought logically, I would live a completely different life. Going to church made me who I am today, and set up all my basic beliefs and morals. My parents also play in account for my beliefs, however it was them who got me to believe in the Lord in the first place, and I am so thankful for that!

__The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat__: 11. "'He's an idiot,' the attendant broke in. 'don't even ask him. He don't know what it is--he can't tell time. He can't even talk. The says he's 'autistic', but he's just an idiot.'" (Page 214) When I first started reading this chapter, this was the first big thing that stuck out in my mind. I can not understand how judgmental people can actually be to each other. The man in this chapter was actually an amazing artist, and no one would work with him because he was different from everyone else. This makes me really upset that society treats people who are not like themselves with such hate. In reality, how does a person really know what normal is? Just because someone is not like you does that make them strange and different? This makes me wonder what those judgmental peoples lives are like. He/she must be so perfect if they can say mean things about other people. I know for sure that I am not perfect and I am different from everyone on this earth, but that just makes me who I am and all the more special. I think that people need to change the way he/she views the world and realize that everyone is different in his/her own ways

__The Hot Zone__: 12. "The light grew dim, and the floor of the cave rose upward in a series of shelves coated with green slime. The slime was bat guano..." (Page 11) In the beginning of this book Charles Monet is so adventurous. The fact that him and his friends were walking through a cave willingly without fear shocked me. I would never in my life walk in a cave like that for any reason. Charles also is so friendly and good with animals. I myself love animals and am even a vegetarian. However loving animals as much as I do, I would never go as close as Charles does to any of them. I am terrified of birds and Charles has a connection to every bird in Africa it seems like. Although this is shocking I give the man credit for caring for those animals as much as he does. All animals are unique and it is neat to be able to connect with them. I guess this is something I will never experience, but it's nice reading about how Charles feels about them!

13. I can't even imagine what living with Ebola would be like. How would people act if he/she knew I was infected? People would be so afraid of me and he/she wouldn't want to come into contact with me. I wouldn't get the proper help I needed and I would be treated like a monster. Its terrifying to think of what would happen if one actually had this disease. Nine out of every ten people die if they get this disease and chances show that there is no hope. It makes me realize that when I'm sick with a little cold I can pull through because some people are suffering with this disease. I was really into this book because I was so interested in seeing what it is like if one is infected with Ebola. Ebola just seems like the most unpleasant thing someone could ever come into contact with.

14. " They had to make a decision about whether to turn off the respirator...' We're much better off not letting him survive, because of brain death'" (Page 137) I believe for a doctor this decision has to be the hardest to make. If a person is brain dead or in a coma do you turn of the respirator; his/her only link to life? That question is hard to answer. I believe that this decision should be in the hands of loved ones because it will affect them the most. What if the person on the respirator is suffering or what if he/she can actually hear what is going on but can not react to anything. This overall concept scares me and I would never want to be put in this situation of being the deciding factor of someone's life.

15. In class we all discussed what would happen if Ebola were to have an outbreak in America. In a previous reflection i mentioned how I couldn't imagine what it would be like if I had gotten this terrible disease. If one person has it however, it can spread to others easily. I truly believe America isn't ready for a disease like this.Are hospitals are good, however they are not capable of handling something as serious as Ebola. Ebola is to easily spread from person to person. this communicable disease is not like the common cold, it is much worse than that. Once this disease is caught, a person has about two weeks to live. I really could not imagine this disease in America. This says a lot about how American's think. We are not a perfect country, though many think we are.Things can go wrong, and I think America should have a plan of attack if a disease like this were to ever enter the country.

16. On page 300 a lot of description of how monkey's were killed was explained. I can not imagine being able to kill as many monkey's as were in this section. This statement goes along with the whole animal testing debate. So many people are against this debate but do not realize how many things were actually tested on animals. I think it is cruel to hurt animals for no reason, however I am not sure weather testing on animals is a positive or negative thing. I am a strict vegetarian and I still do not know what my answer to weather animal testing is right or wrong. I would not want to have a power to kill animals like that in my hands. Hopefully with today's technology there will be alternatives to animal testing. That would make everyone in society a lot more comfortable and able to forget about this societal problem.

17. I had recently just written an essay discussing the this novel. One of the main issues that I talked about was how as a society, Americans worry to much about disease. I have many events that have just happened within my life time that can support my reasoning. In my opinion this is due to the lack of education that we get as a whole. I have never heard of Ebola until reading this novel. I can not understand the types of reactions people get towards outbreaks that are not that harmful and I can not even imagine what it would be like if there ever were to be an Ebola outbreak. I think that hospitals should continue to take these safety measures and treat every patient the same whether he/she has a serious case or not. As someone that is planning on going into the health field, I will make every effort in becoming as educated as possible and making every step to making a person feel comfortable.

18. "Milton Frantig, the man who had thrown up on the lawn, had now been kept in isolation at Fairfax Hospital for several days" (Page 353) As I have talked about in several other posts, I can not imagine what it can be like contracting a disease like Ebola. If I or a loved one had a sickness like Ebola, I would want to be treated as soon as possible. The fact that this man had to go into isolation made me feel sorrow for him. If I was ever in a state where I had no choice but to go into isolation, I do not believe I would be able to handle myself. I would feel alone and disconnected from society. Now that I am going into the health field and becoming a nurse, I want to help as many people as I can regardless how sick they are. Isolation must be a terrifying thing. I believe to reduce the fears of going into isolation every patient should be treated the same. This way if someone were actually in isolation, he/she would not even realize.

19. Part of my senior exit project is to discus the ways of quarantine for Ebola and other communicable diseases. I found it interesting the ways of quarantining this disease as well as the epidemics of quarantine around the world. I also researched the time line of quarantine and I found out so much information that I had never learned before. The first quarantine dates back to biblical times and it is so interesting how without technology people were able to figure this out. Now that technology becomes greater and people become highly educated, I believe that quarantine will continue to change and become more sufficient.

__Mountains Beyond Mountains__: 20. On the first page of this book there is a description of Haiti. When I read this, I loved what Tracy Kidder had done. "...the open sewers and the ragged clothing and the looks on the faces of malnourished children and the extended hands of elderly beggars..." (Page 1) This quote stuck out to me the most. I admit to always taking advantage of everything I have. Even though I may have some issues here or there, nothing can compare to what life must be like in Haiti. I could tell from the start of this book that it was going to be a detailed and enjoyable novel to read. I was able to create a picture in my mind within seconds of reading this book which I found to be extremely impressive. I can not wait to continue reading this book and see what the overall outcome is!

21. There was a particular quote on page two that in my opinion was truly amazing. "He asked the captain if his team had any medical problems. The captain said they had some sick prisoners whom the local hospital had refused to treat. 'I ended up buyin' the medicine myself.'" (Page 2) I can not imagine in any circumstance not being treated while seeing a doctor or medical professional. I think this also shows how the new health care will even improve what we have in America now. I also think that the captain is an amazing person for buying this medication himself. That really shows off his character and how great of a person he truly is. I am just so thankful for being blessed withe everything I have and never being put in this terrible situation.

22. "...they'd have to treat about two thousand chronic MDR patients and cure at least 80 percent." (Page 241) I believe this is a lot of pressure to put on a person. To be able to treat this many people with as serious of an illness is unreal to me. Although if I were working on a project like this and was able to cure this many individuals I would feel a great sense of pride and accomplishment. I think that mostly everyone can agree with me on this subject. I do not know if I would want to be put in this situation on the other hand. Personally I do not think I could handle dealing with something like this. If I messed up than everyone would be pointing the finger at me. This is the reason why I do not want to be a doctor in the health care field. I would much rather be a nurse and have someone telling me orders rather than telling others what to do. If I made a bad decision I do not think I would be able to handle the negative outcome of it.