Précis: As I met with the Johnson after the premature death of their eighteen year old daughter. They, as nearly all the people who see me regarding business, were devastated. Like all my customers, I handled them delicately being sure not to force them into any potentially rash while still giving them a complete overview of what I had to offer to the care of their dead daughter. Once they made their decisions, I continued to embalm their daughter as I would with any other client.
Quotes:
- “Like most of his clients, the Johnsons don’t think to question Fielding's request to embalm, even though the GPL states that embalming isn’t required by law.” (Harris, 8)
- “Had the Johnsons known enough to ask fielding if he’d instead hold Jenny in a refrigeration unit until the viewing, which also would have slowed her decay (and at a fraction of the cost of embalming), Fielding would have said he doesn’t offer refrigeration because it won’t make Jenny look “nearly as good as she could be” in the casket” (Harris, 8-9)
- “What’s best really depends on personal preference and how one feels about the value of protecting a loved one, Fielding offers. “I’ll leave you now and let you peruse as much as you like. If you have any questions I’ll be just outside the door.” (Harris, 13)
These quotes remind me that although the matter is a very sensitive one, the care of the dead is still a business and that is Fielding’s primary goal here. He wants to make money and keep his customers happy.
Analysis:
One quote that I found very interesting which was on page 25, “he stipples onto her smooth, shaved face the kit’s pinker hues, to raise a blush he believes will complement the rose colors of the casket and her gown; he follows the makeup with light rouge… Using the prom picture as a guide, Feilding proceeds to darken the eyebrows with pencil and, after mixing a bit of cosmetic oil with her lipstick in the palm of his hand, paints the lips with a fine brush.” (Harris, 25) As in the previous birth unit, I find myself taking a serious interest in an aspect that some may say does not really matter. For the birth unit it was the idea of “cravings” and now it is the whole makeup deal with the dead. I suppose I understand the reasoning; however I guess I just do not agree. I think that one should be remember as they were most of the time. Generally people do not wear makeup constantly, so having excess makeup on the dead is wrong to me. Even with Jenny, the unfortunate teenager here a substantial amount of makeup is applied. This happens despite the fact that, “Fielding is not one to use a lot of makeup, and fortunately in this case he doesn’t have to.” (Harris, 25) Given the first quote in this paragraph, it sounds like more than enough makeup is applied. Wonder how much makeup this man puts in cases that are less fortunate and do need a lot of makeup.
The makeup point also challenges what the character Fielding himself said, that he wants Jenny to look like she was merely asleep and “at peace”. On page 18 the author states, “With his arsenal of tools, and techniques, he’s an illusionist who literally changes the face of death, transforming the ashen, lifeless corpses in his care into lifelike bodies at rest.” (Harris, 18) How many people do you know that wear makeup to sleep? Also, how many people have this calm image during their prom night? In society today prom can be one of the biggest events to someone. This being the case, they will want to live it up, not be calm and at rest, as Fielding claims are his goal in the embalmment and decoration of Jenny.
In addition to this, the entire embalming process interested me. The entire time I wondered what would be going through the mind of the operator, as Fielding was. How does doing the embalming differ from time to time, or from the first time doing it to all the others, or maybe even the last? Honestly it grossed me out at times. It just made me feel uncomfortable and I do not know how people with this occupation can stand it. In fact, I do not see what would motivate someone to take up this job. I do not see many pros to it, unless there is a great deal income as a result. I do not think I would ever even consider this as a job. I also wonder how people like Fielding remain emotionally unaffected at all by everything, from meeting the family, to hearing the sad stories, to the embalming, and to making them pay such a great deal of money to care for a dead loved one. In the end, I suppose it is just a business, “The total cost of the embalming, funeral, and burial of Jenny Johnson comes to $12,376.” (Harris, 14)
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
HW 48 - Family Perspectives on the Care of the Dead
Mother:
My mother was very brief in her responses. She said that the closest experience she had with death was that of her father. He died visiting his family in Puerto Rico, which possibly made it even more difficult to handle. He was cremated, but my mother did not seem to care very much about that. She really did not want to talk about the subject; however she mentioned that she wanted to be buried, unlike her father. I never truly understood the differences in being buried as opposed to cremated past the literal differences. What do they symbolize and how do they differ when considering personal opinion or religious aspects?
Grandmother:
Of all of my family members, my grandmother has likely the most experiences with death and the most devastating. She said that the closest experience that she had was with her younger brother, who was fighting illnesses that I am not sure of. She went to visit him in the hospital she said that “I could feel his end nearing as I held him in my arms. He died in my arms and that’s why my baby brother Allen was the closest and saddest experience that I had with death.” She meant this literally, as she was holding him in her arms when he passed.
My grandmother said that she is not sure how she wants to be handled when she dies. She is still debating cremation or being buried. Her main concern is the afterlife. My grandmother has become quite a religious person and she is very worried about her existence in the afterlife. She is Christian and wonders if being cremated will prevent her from having an afterlife. Despite her indecisiveness, she knows for sure that she wants people to remember her and to make a difference in the lives of my family and I. She always tries her hardest to set a positive example and help to make sure that we do not experience the same mistakes as she had.
Analysis:
I still wonder about many things after these interviews, mostly concerning my mother. I am aware that my grandfather sometimes struggled with his alcohol consumption and I wonder if, given that the alcohol issue played a role in his relatively youthful death, my mother had at all resented him because of that. I think at least to some extent that she had, or does. It may not be conscious as I’m sure she may think that she experienced mostly sadness and dread, but she is actually upset that he left her and he is responsible for it.
My uncle also had an alcohol issue. This must have make things unbearable for my grandmother, considering that both her husband and brother died as a result of same issue. Now, my grandmother never drinks. Obviously these deaths have played a role in her hatred towards alcoholic beverages as she has had hands-on experiences with alcohol and how deadly it really can be. Whenever a discussion of alcohol or alcoholism comes up, she refers to it as a disease. It is not simply a choice that one makes, it can easily become more than that. It becomes a disease that eats away at one’s life to a point where it is out of their control. It interests me that she describes the alcoholism this way. I think she may be describing it like this in an attempt to take some of the blame off of her husband and brother for allowing the “disease” to eat away at them. I do not personally understand how an addiction of that extent truly works, however looking from the outside in it seems like people always have choices. The choices that people make determine the path that they set on. One thing that upsets me is that if it was clear that this “disease” existed in their lives, why was a cure not sought out? There are rehabilitation centers to go to and I wonder why either my uncle or my grandfather was ever in one. This is something that to me, could potentially lead to more angry feelings towards them.
*The above two paragraphs discuss aspects of the interviewees lives that I felt were too sensitive or too personal to address with them. They would have likely become to sad or maybe even hostile to give thoughtful answer.
My mother was very brief in her responses. She said that the closest experience she had with death was that of her father. He died visiting his family in Puerto Rico, which possibly made it even more difficult to handle. He was cremated, but my mother did not seem to care very much about that. She really did not want to talk about the subject; however she mentioned that she wanted to be buried, unlike her father. I never truly understood the differences in being buried as opposed to cremated past the literal differences. What do they symbolize and how do they differ when considering personal opinion or religious aspects?
Grandmother:
Of all of my family members, my grandmother has likely the most experiences with death and the most devastating. She said that the closest experience that she had was with her younger brother, who was fighting illnesses that I am not sure of. She went to visit him in the hospital she said that “I could feel his end nearing as I held him in my arms. He died in my arms and that’s why my baby brother Allen was the closest and saddest experience that I had with death.” She meant this literally, as she was holding him in her arms when he passed.
My grandmother said that she is not sure how she wants to be handled when she dies. She is still debating cremation or being buried. Her main concern is the afterlife. My grandmother has become quite a religious person and she is very worried about her existence in the afterlife. She is Christian and wonders if being cremated will prevent her from having an afterlife. Despite her indecisiveness, she knows for sure that she wants people to remember her and to make a difference in the lives of my family and I. She always tries her hardest to set a positive example and help to make sure that we do not experience the same mistakes as she had.
Analysis:
I still wonder about many things after these interviews, mostly concerning my mother. I am aware that my grandfather sometimes struggled with his alcohol consumption and I wonder if, given that the alcohol issue played a role in his relatively youthful death, my mother had at all resented him because of that. I think at least to some extent that she had, or does. It may not be conscious as I’m sure she may think that she experienced mostly sadness and dread, but she is actually upset that he left her and he is responsible for it.
My uncle also had an alcohol issue. This must have make things unbearable for my grandmother, considering that both her husband and brother died as a result of same issue. Now, my grandmother never drinks. Obviously these deaths have played a role in her hatred towards alcoholic beverages as she has had hands-on experiences with alcohol and how deadly it really can be. Whenever a discussion of alcohol or alcoholism comes up, she refers to it as a disease. It is not simply a choice that one makes, it can easily become more than that. It becomes a disease that eats away at one’s life to a point where it is out of their control. It interests me that she describes the alcoholism this way. I think she may be describing it like this in an attempt to take some of the blame off of her husband and brother for allowing the “disease” to eat away at them. I do not personally understand how an addiction of that extent truly works, however looking from the outside in it seems like people always have choices. The choices that people make determine the path that they set on. One thing that upsets me is that if it was clear that this “disease” existed in their lives, why was a cure not sought out? There are rehabilitation centers to go to and I wonder why either my uncle or my grandfather was ever in one. This is something that to me, could potentially lead to more angry feelings towards them.
*The above two paragraphs discuss aspects of the interviewees lives that I felt were too sensitive or too personal to address with them. They would have likely become to sad or maybe even hostile to give thoughtful answer.
Monday, April 25, 2011
HW 47 - Peer Perspectives on the Care of the Dead (THIS ONE FOR COMMENTS)
Anthony Vargas, close friend:
Possibly my closest friend, Anthony Vargas was the first person that I interviewed. He has similar responses to the care of the dead as I had, not having put much thought into the subject either. He said that his parents taught him to respect the dead and that he had one very personal experience with death, which was his grandfather. Being a close friend of his, I was aware of when his grandfather died. He was devastated, as I suspect anyone would be if they were close to their grandfather. Anthony also said that he wants to be buried and have an open casket. He wants to be remembered and for those who love him to be able to see him one last time. I wonder if this is actually good for them or just causes more pain. Although his loved ones will undoubtedly want to see him again, it may just cause them more pain knowing that they will never see him again after that. Then again, pain is just a part of life so it may actually be worth the pain.
Julian Baez, a friend of a friend:
This person is more like an acquaintance to me, I have known him for a while but we are not really friends. He feels that death is not something to be discussed. It is a topic that brings back dreadful, painful memories of loved ones. He likely feels this way being that he lost his mother sometime last year and now lives alone with his father. A lot has changes since parting with his mother, and he seemed to get sadder just by speaking of the event. He also said that his father had gone through a lot of change in losing his wife, which does not surprise me. His father now drinks much more than he used to, and is not home much either. He seems to ignore his responsibilities and an adult and as a father. It saddens me that one death can change so much.
Joshua Barbosa, similar background:
Josh and I are friends and we grew up together, living on the same block. Our families were even close friends. This made it a lot easier to have a friendship. Our families were in very similar situations, his father was not around and I saw mine occasionally. Both of our mothers were very young and very busy, so our grandparents spent most of the time raising us. Things have changed for me however, as I have moved away from the neighborhood and now live with my father. Sadly, the only change for him has been the death of his grandmother. She was more like a mother to him than his own mother. Josh was unarguably the most damaged from the loss than any of the previous interviewees. He entered a depression and even stopped going to school. He felt as if his life was pointless. Just speaking about the matter, he began to stream tears. I decided not to ask any further questions given the emotional breakdown that my peer was experiencing.
I went to his grandmother’s funeral and there was an open casket. This was my first and only time seeing a dead person up close. I was shocked in the woman that I saw. There was so much different about her, she hardly looked the same. There was so much makeup on her and it was not even like I was looking at the person that I remember. In addition to this, being that she was dead obviously took away the cheer that had always just radiated from her. She made people around her happy and it was weird being in a room full of sadness with her there.
These interviews reminded me of how fortunate I have been not to have any people close to me pass away. I cannot even imagine losing my mother, grandfather, or grandmother. It would tear me apart. Despite this, I feel that my family and I would handle the situations differently that the interviewees and their families had. I feel that if my mother or stepmother were to die, my stepfather or father would, rather than allowing the death to eat him apart, somehow turn it into their favor. It would be some sort of motivation to do better in his life, for the sake of their wife. I feel that if my grandmother were to die, I would try even harder in school than I ever had before. I would want to do it for her because I know that she always wanted me to succeed. I would be more motivated.
When it comes to being cared for post death, I would, like Anthony, want to be buried with a closed casket. The closed casket is due to the way that Josh’s grandmother was cared for. I do not want to be seen as something I am not. If it is an open casket, I want it to be all me, all natural. I do not want makeup making me look any different. I do not want to be cremated because I feel that I would be better remembered this way. For my great - great grand children and so on, to be able to know who I was and what I was to them. My views may change however because my being remembered may only cause pain to those that remember me, at least those that knew me. This may make me reconsider what I want done with me when I am gone. I do not wish to be remembered if it is at the expense of another.
Possibly my closest friend, Anthony Vargas was the first person that I interviewed. He has similar responses to the care of the dead as I had, not having put much thought into the subject either. He said that his parents taught him to respect the dead and that he had one very personal experience with death, which was his grandfather. Being a close friend of his, I was aware of when his grandfather died. He was devastated, as I suspect anyone would be if they were close to their grandfather. Anthony also said that he wants to be buried and have an open casket. He wants to be remembered and for those who love him to be able to see him one last time. I wonder if this is actually good for them or just causes more pain. Although his loved ones will undoubtedly want to see him again, it may just cause them more pain knowing that they will never see him again after that. Then again, pain is just a part of life so it may actually be worth the pain.
Julian Baez, a friend of a friend:
This person is more like an acquaintance to me, I have known him for a while but we are not really friends. He feels that death is not something to be discussed. It is a topic that brings back dreadful, painful memories of loved ones. He likely feels this way being that he lost his mother sometime last year and now lives alone with his father. A lot has changes since parting with his mother, and he seemed to get sadder just by speaking of the event. He also said that his father had gone through a lot of change in losing his wife, which does not surprise me. His father now drinks much more than he used to, and is not home much either. He seems to ignore his responsibilities and an adult and as a father. It saddens me that one death can change so much.
Joshua Barbosa, similar background:
Josh and I are friends and we grew up together, living on the same block. Our families were even close friends. This made it a lot easier to have a friendship. Our families were in very similar situations, his father was not around and I saw mine occasionally. Both of our mothers were very young and very busy, so our grandparents spent most of the time raising us. Things have changed for me however, as I have moved away from the neighborhood and now live with my father. Sadly, the only change for him has been the death of his grandmother. She was more like a mother to him than his own mother. Josh was unarguably the most damaged from the loss than any of the previous interviewees. He entered a depression and even stopped going to school. He felt as if his life was pointless. Just speaking about the matter, he began to stream tears. I decided not to ask any further questions given the emotional breakdown that my peer was experiencing.
I went to his grandmother’s funeral and there was an open casket. This was my first and only time seeing a dead person up close. I was shocked in the woman that I saw. There was so much different about her, she hardly looked the same. There was so much makeup on her and it was not even like I was looking at the person that I remember. In addition to this, being that she was dead obviously took away the cheer that had always just radiated from her. She made people around her happy and it was weird being in a room full of sadness with her there.
These interviews reminded me of how fortunate I have been not to have any people close to me pass away. I cannot even imagine losing my mother, grandfather, or grandmother. It would tear me apart. Despite this, I feel that my family and I would handle the situations differently that the interviewees and their families had. I feel that if my mother or stepmother were to die, my stepfather or father would, rather than allowing the death to eat him apart, somehow turn it into their favor. It would be some sort of motivation to do better in his life, for the sake of their wife. I feel that if my grandmother were to die, I would try even harder in school than I ever had before. I would want to do it for her because I know that she always wanted me to succeed. I would be more motivated.
When it comes to being cared for post death, I would, like Anthony, want to be buried with a closed casket. The closed casket is due to the way that Josh’s grandmother was cared for. I do not want to be seen as something I am not. If it is an open casket, I want it to be all me, all natural. I do not want makeup making me look any different. I do not want to be cremated because I feel that I would be better remembered this way. For my great - great grand children and so on, to be able to know who I was and what I was to them. My views may change however because my being remembered may only cause pain to those that remember me, at least those that knew me. This may make me reconsider what I want done with me when I am gone. I do not wish to be remembered if it is at the expense of another.
Monday, April 18, 2011
HW 46 - Initial Thoughts on the Care of the Dead
Fortunately I have not had a lot of experience with the care of the dead. This is something that I am not very familiar with or have put much thought into. Although my experiences are very limited I had one that stood out to me. When I went to my best friend’s grandmothers’ funeral, it was open casket. When I saw her, it was as if I was looking at a different person. It was like looking into a broken mirror. There was so much makeup on her and she was so still. It was my first time ever seeing a dead person up close. It was actually scary and although I was expecting something devastating, I felt a distinctive feeling that I cannot describe. It made my stomach turn, and this is what comes to mind when I think about or reminisce on my experiences with the care of the dead.
Generally I do not think that society puts much thought into the care of the dead. Personally, I do not see the significance in this study. I am very interested to see the different aspects of the care and how they contrast. I predict that we will do a lot of investigative work on how religions handle the care of the dead differently. Things that I look forward to are seeing how this unit will be different from the illness and dying unit. It is clear to be that there is a distinction between the topics however I wonder how Andy will make them less related. The thing I really look forward to is doing the end of the unit project, where I will likely do an experiential assignment as I have with the previous units. I am probably even less knowledgeable on the contents of this unit than I had been on the others. This makes me more interested in what I will learn.
Generally I do not think that society puts much thought into the care of the dead. Personally, I do not see the significance in this study. I am very interested to see the different aspects of the care and how they contrast. I predict that we will do a lot of investigative work on how religions handle the care of the dead differently. Things that I look forward to are seeing how this unit will be different from the illness and dying unit. It is clear to be that there is a distinction between the topics however I wonder how Andy will make them less related. The thing I really look forward to is doing the end of the unit project, where I will likely do an experiential assignment as I have with the previous units. I am probably even less knowledgeable on the contents of this unit than I had been on the others. This makes me more interested in what I will learn.
Friday, April 15, 2011
HW 45 - Reply to Other Peoples' Comments
Megumi,
Thank you for your comment. I too found this experience helpful and interesting. One thing that I advise you to do in your future comments, or even your own work if it applies is to be more elaborate. When you said “I find a relief in a way” I wonder what kind of relief you felt and why. I appreciate your comment, thanks.
Leticia,
Thanks for your comment. I feel like you actually spent time reading and thinking about my blog and I appreciate this. I like that also like your initial comedic tone that was expressed in your curiosity, which made me more interested in what you had to say. One thing that you can do to improve your comments in the future is include constructive criticism. Thanks again for your comment, it was fun to read.
Amhara,
Thanks for your comment. I like that you read my blog despite not hearing my elevator speech and being that I am unfamiliar with your writing, I was more interested to see it. Including constructive criticism would make your comments better. Thanks for your comment.
Thank you for your comment. I too found this experience helpful and interesting. One thing that I advise you to do in your future comments, or even your own work if it applies is to be more elaborate. When you said “I find a relief in a way” I wonder what kind of relief you felt and why. I appreciate your comment, thanks.
Leticia,
Thanks for your comment. I feel like you actually spent time reading and thinking about my blog and I appreciate this. I like that also like your initial comedic tone that was expressed in your curiosity, which made me more interested in what you had to say. One thing that you can do to improve your comments in the future is include constructive criticism. Thanks again for your comment, it was fun to read.
Amhara,
Thanks for your comment. I like that you read my blog despite not hearing my elevator speech and being that I am unfamiliar with your writing, I was more interested to see it. Including constructive criticism would make your comments better. Thanks for your comment.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
HW 44 - Comments on Other People's Projects
To Jay,
In my blog I wrote short summaries of the interviews rather than the actual dialogue. Both methods can have pros and cons however I think the dialogue makes it easier and more fun for the reader. I did not even think of that. The most insightful thing in your blog had to be the last nurses’ comment, “N: In my country, most babies were born in homebirths, but it is a different culture. Personally, I would feel more safe in a hospital, knowing there is medical equipment on site and rooms for surgery. It's more appealing.” This makes me question the education that doctors receive, even with all that schooling. One thing that you should have done to make this blog better is include some sort of response that you had after each interview. This would have given the reader something potentially more interesting to think about. I’m sure that you had interesting reactions to some of the things that were said.
To Larche,
I though your blog was very interesting and I enjoyed reading it because it was not very long while being informal. I particularly liked that it was a topic that I suspect many people did not research. In my opinion, the most insightful thing in your blog was, “That having them around them is somehow going to negatively affect them. This makes those who suffer from infertility question why they deserved this. Why do they deserve to be treated differently from other women because of their inability to reproduce. This leads them to having feelings of “there’s something wrong with me.” This made me realize how there can be many imperfections in life and some are more significant to certain people than others. One thing that you could have done to make your blog better was simply to proofread it. There were some careless errors that could have easily been avoided. I recommend typing in word then copying and pasting to limit them if you know your not going to proofread.
To Michelle,
I thought your blog was very good. Of the blogs that I have read, your by far educated me the most. I could tell that you really put a lot of effort into your work and it reflects that effort. The most insightful aspect to me was, “After all this research, I still cannot make a generalization of how all Indian men are not being present during the woman’s childbirth. Although there was certainly a correlation between the men and women who were more traditional and religious who did not allow father to be present during delivery while those who weren’t had the male/father there. Just like in the U.S. we see TV and how father is always there in delivery room, how can we be so sure that during most of these births that the father is present? We cannot generalize because of the different views one country can have, especially in the US “the melting pot” with so many ideas, cultures and religions how can one infer that the father is always present, and even if he is there the extent of his ability to comfort her will differ.” This really gave me the feeling that you put thought into your writing and were not very judgmental or critical on the males. One thing that you should try not to do as much is use the word “so” because it can sometimes degrade take the formal tone of your work. Also, first paragraph may not have been necessary or very relevant to your actual topic. However if you are including this information, you should try to make a smoother transition as you change topics. Despite this, I thought it was an interesting addition to your work and a good hook. Your blog was overall one of the best I read.
From Megumi,
For this project, you had the experience of being able to interview three women at a hospital about their opinion on midwifery, obsterics, and the rise in c-section. I really enjoyed reading this post in addition to listening to your elevator speech. The three women you interviewed had different reactions and opinions which was very interesting. This matters to me because its always nice to listen to the opinion of the people who actually work in hospitals. I found it suprising that one of the interviewed women was open about her opinions about midwifery, and I find a relief in a way.
From Leticia (“Lp”),
Hi Rossi, I don’t know you and I don’t think you are in my grade?..I’m in 12th you?. Well I was snooping around and I saw your name and I said Why not!. MY name is leticia. I really liked your blog because I never heard a prospective from a nurse. I liked the questions you asked because; it gets into details with what the nurse thinks. For person #1 ... I like the line when she mentioned "used “judiciously” and to a doctor or patients liking. She claimed that patients may have a cesarean on a certain day just so that they would not be in the hospital on another" I think that explains, the point of doctors ability to do what they please and get the mothers out as soon as possible. For person # 2 I liked how she backed up the hospital, it explains she is either against it or with it but she is scared, she could lose her job "When asked about C-section rates, she said that Roosevelt hospital has the lowest C-section rates in the city. “Do you think if you interview outside the hospital it would have been different. For person #3 I liked how she was honest and straight forward. I liked she compared Jamaica and US she was not saying one is better than other. I also liked when she mentioned “it’s not that the doctors are not properly trained, they just are not fully educated.” In saying this she agreed that they handle situations as if they are in emergency and said that the trainings for doctors should be different. During her training she was trained like a midwife and working in the field that she does, surrounded by doctors and many unnatural births she said that they are just accustomed to the emergency situations" Which made ask do doctors want to know how to do natural birth? or are they force to not be educated about it.?. Overall I think you did a good job, Its nice to hear from people who work in the hospital,. This made me feel that doctors of a sense of people views.
From Amhara,
I believe the most effective way to learn is through experiences so it was smart of you to go out of your way and converse with these nurses for a real honest outlook on this medical system. The voices of the nurses are very un-sung so it was nice to see their perspective. Based on these answers it seems that a nurse's main objective is to be protective; either of the women and newborns, the doctors, or the hospitals. These nurses seemed to be very informed about their area of interest and are definitely aware of what goes on behind the scenes. I'm glad that they are there and hopefully they keep the obstetricians they work with very grounded.
From Dad,
With the birth of my second child just two months ago, I can most certainly say I am all for modern technology and medicine. My greatest fear was the thought of losing my wife or child during childbirth. Not having done any actual research on this subject, but I'm pretty sure deaths from complications to mother and/or child is a lot less common these days, and I truly believe it is due to modern medicine. Not that complications still will not arise today, but to me the utilization of modern technology and medicine minimizes a tragic outcome. As for C-sections, the fact that the cost is rising is disturbing. I do feel that doctors use this method only if it is necessary and in the best interest healthwise for mother and child. Hopefully the rising cost of this procedure does not affect a woman's decision as they do still have to give consent, and may lean towards vaginal birth, although it may not be the best for the baby. This may hold especially true when it comes to mothers w/out medical insurance. In the case of epidural; it was the only thing that gave my wife comfort, so I'm all for it. To me, the more comfortable a mother is during birth, it will result in a much less stressful experience for mom and baby.
In my blog I wrote short summaries of the interviews rather than the actual dialogue. Both methods can have pros and cons however I think the dialogue makes it easier and more fun for the reader. I did not even think of that. The most insightful thing in your blog had to be the last nurses’ comment, “N: In my country, most babies were born in homebirths, but it is a different culture. Personally, I would feel more safe in a hospital, knowing there is medical equipment on site and rooms for surgery. It's more appealing.” This makes me question the education that doctors receive, even with all that schooling. One thing that you should have done to make this blog better is include some sort of response that you had after each interview. This would have given the reader something potentially more interesting to think about. I’m sure that you had interesting reactions to some of the things that were said.
To Larche,
I though your blog was very interesting and I enjoyed reading it because it was not very long while being informal. I particularly liked that it was a topic that I suspect many people did not research. In my opinion, the most insightful thing in your blog was, “That having them around them is somehow going to negatively affect them. This makes those who suffer from infertility question why they deserved this. Why do they deserve to be treated differently from other women because of their inability to reproduce. This leads them to having feelings of “there’s something wrong with me.” This made me realize how there can be many imperfections in life and some are more significant to certain people than others. One thing that you could have done to make your blog better was simply to proofread it. There were some careless errors that could have easily been avoided. I recommend typing in word then copying and pasting to limit them if you know your not going to proofread.
To Michelle,
I thought your blog was very good. Of the blogs that I have read, your by far educated me the most. I could tell that you really put a lot of effort into your work and it reflects that effort. The most insightful aspect to me was, “After all this research, I still cannot make a generalization of how all Indian men are not being present during the woman’s childbirth. Although there was certainly a correlation between the men and women who were more traditional and religious who did not allow father to be present during delivery while those who weren’t had the male/father there. Just like in the U.S. we see TV and how father is always there in delivery room, how can we be so sure that during most of these births that the father is present? We cannot generalize because of the different views one country can have, especially in the US “the melting pot” with so many ideas, cultures and religions how can one infer that the father is always present, and even if he is there the extent of his ability to comfort her will differ.” This really gave me the feeling that you put thought into your writing and were not very judgmental or critical on the males. One thing that you should try not to do as much is use the word “so” because it can sometimes degrade take the formal tone of your work. Also, first paragraph may not have been necessary or very relevant to your actual topic. However if you are including this information, you should try to make a smoother transition as you change topics. Despite this, I thought it was an interesting addition to your work and a good hook. Your blog was overall one of the best I read.
From Megumi,
For this project, you had the experience of being able to interview three women at a hospital about their opinion on midwifery, obsterics, and the rise in c-section. I really enjoyed reading this post in addition to listening to your elevator speech. The three women you interviewed had different reactions and opinions which was very interesting. This matters to me because its always nice to listen to the opinion of the people who actually work in hospitals. I found it suprising that one of the interviewed women was open about her opinions about midwifery, and I find a relief in a way.
From Leticia (“Lp”),
Hi Rossi, I don’t know you and I don’t think you are in my grade?..I’m in 12th you?. Well I was snooping around and I saw your name and I said Why not!. MY name is leticia. I really liked your blog because I never heard a prospective from a nurse. I liked the questions you asked because; it gets into details with what the nurse thinks. For person #1 ... I like the line when she mentioned "used “judiciously” and to a doctor or patients liking. She claimed that patients may have a cesarean on a certain day just so that they would not be in the hospital on another" I think that explains, the point of doctors ability to do what they please and get the mothers out as soon as possible. For person # 2 I liked how she backed up the hospital, it explains she is either against it or with it but she is scared, she could lose her job "When asked about C-section rates, she said that Roosevelt hospital has the lowest C-section rates in the city. “Do you think if you interview outside the hospital it would have been different. For person #3 I liked how she was honest and straight forward. I liked she compared Jamaica and US she was not saying one is better than other. I also liked when she mentioned “it’s not that the doctors are not properly trained, they just are not fully educated.” In saying this she agreed that they handle situations as if they are in emergency and said that the trainings for doctors should be different. During her training she was trained like a midwife and working in the field that she does, surrounded by doctors and many unnatural births she said that they are just accustomed to the emergency situations" Which made ask do doctors want to know how to do natural birth? or are they force to not be educated about it.?. Overall I think you did a good job, Its nice to hear from people who work in the hospital,. This made me feel that doctors of a sense of people views.
From Amhara,
I believe the most effective way to learn is through experiences so it was smart of you to go out of your way and converse with these nurses for a real honest outlook on this medical system. The voices of the nurses are very un-sung so it was nice to see their perspective. Based on these answers it seems that a nurse's main objective is to be protective; either of the women and newborns, the doctors, or the hospitals. These nurses seemed to be very informed about their area of interest and are definitely aware of what goes on behind the scenes. I'm glad that they are there and hopefully they keep the obstetricians they work with very grounded.
From Dad,
With the birth of my second child just two months ago, I can most certainly say I am all for modern technology and medicine. My greatest fear was the thought of losing my wife or child during childbirth. Not having done any actual research on this subject, but I'm pretty sure deaths from complications to mother and/or child is a lot less common these days, and I truly believe it is due to modern medicine. Not that complications still will not arise today, but to me the utilization of modern technology and medicine minimizes a tragic outcome. As for C-sections, the fact that the cost is rising is disturbing. I do feel that doctors use this method only if it is necessary and in the best interest healthwise for mother and child. Hopefully the rising cost of this procedure does not affect a woman's decision as they do still have to give consent, and may lean towards vaginal birth, although it may not be the best for the baby. This may hold especially true when it comes to mothers w/out medical insurance. In the case of epidural; it was the only thing that gave my wife comfort, so I'm all for it. To me, the more comfortable a mother is during birth, it will result in a much less stressful experience for mom and baby.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
HW#42
My peers Anthony Vargas, Jay McCarthy and I decided to have a personal experience for the assignment. We went to St. Luke's Roosevelt hospital on 59th street, 10th av and spoke with three nurses about their views concerning birth and the practices surrounding it. Here are the core questions that were asked (some improvising was done during the process):
-What inspired you to choose this occupation and/or what do you enjoy most about it?
-How do you feel about the rising rates of cesarean sections?
-Do you think the use of epidural and pitocin is more beneficial to the mothers and their child or to the doctors? Why/why not?
-How do you feel about midwifery and homebirths?
-Do you think that it’s right that doctors are generally trained as if every birth was an emergency situation? Why/why not?
Person #1:
This nurse was very honest and straightforward with her answers as she seemed to be fine with our asking the questions. She enjoys the occupation because she genuinely cares about helping women and children. This woman was interesting, because she seemed to lean towards midwives rather than obstetricians despite her occupation. She mentioned that she did not support the rise in Cesareans, stating that they were used “judiciously” and to a doctor or patients liking. She claimed that patients may have a cesarean on a certain day just so that they would not be in the hospital on another. I agree with her because a c-section should not be some kind of luxury to someone, it should only be used in cases where it is vital. This woman also disputed the use of epidural and pitocin. She felt that it is a bad decision to use it and in cases where it is used it should be the minimum, “so rather than using six shots use two.” In her talk of midwifery she mentioned “The Business of Being Born” and spoke of how it was a great movie, stating that she felt midwives are able to handle births just as well and any doctor would. In fact, she gave birth via midwife to both of her kids and, surprisingly enough, without the use of any drugs. When it came to the training of the doctors, she felt that at the end of the day the most important thing with the birth is that the baby gets out okay, regardless of the process. Despite expressing that, “birth is one of the most natural processes and it should go back to being that way” she still felt that the most important thing all in all, is that the baby gets out safely. When asked about the training of the doctors, she felt that at the end of the day the most important thing with the birth is that the baby gets out okay, regardless of the process. Despite expressing that, “birth is one of the most natural processes and it should go back to being that way” she still felt that the most important thing all in all, is that the baby gets out safely. This makes me wonder what life she would choose if given an ultimatum: the mother or the child?
Person #2:
This woman was by far the vaguest of all the interviewees. The seemed uncomfortable, possibly because of the room we were in (a slightly smaller room than the last, about a forth of Andy’s) or because she may have felt pressured by us. Her job title was the director of parent and family education and she chose this occupation because she feels that it is very important for patients to be knowledgeable on the subject. I wonder if the information provided by her is biased towards the obstetricians, her responses give reason to question how impartial her ‘education’ may be. She was consistently evasive in her responses and avoided saying anything that may undermine obstetricians. When asked about C-section rates, she said that Roosevelt hospital has the lowest C-section rates in the city. This is an interesting statistic and I wonder if this is true (although I could not find any recent and reliable sources to verify, that does not mean that she is a liar, I am simply a poor researcher). When asked about midwifery, she simply said that “it is great” and elected not to elaborate. She came off almost defensive when asked about the doctors training and said that doctors are trained to handle every situation they are given. She claimed that they are prepared to handle both normal and high risk situations.
Person #3:
This woman was arguably the most helpful of the three. She chose the profession out of a childhood desire to learn about birth and how it all worked, which has lead her to being the manager of the nurses department. She was honest and by far the most elaborate with all of her answers. She only supports cesareans in situations of necessity. With homebirths, she said that they are “prevalent” in her country (Jamaica) and that she still supports them. When it came to speaking about the training of the obstetricians, she said that “it’s not that the doctors are not properly trained, they just are not fully educated.” In saying this she agreed that they handle situations as if they are in emergency and said that the trainings for doctors should be different. During her training she was trained like a midwife and working in the field that she does, surrounded by doctors and many unnatural births she said that they are just accustomed to the emergency situations. This made me wonder what the point of so much schooling to be a doctor is if the majority of them are not able to handle a ‘normal’ birth situation. This also makes me wonder about the recent birth of my almost two month old baby brother. I was at the hospital with my family post-delivery and was told that everything went smoothly. I then learned that the birth was via a cesarean and wondered why, although I never got around to having that conversation. My stepmother and her doctor are just another example of how cesareans are abused in this generation of mothers and doctors are not as knowledgeable as they should be and do not appreciate the ‘birthing experience.’
-What inspired you to choose this occupation and/or what do you enjoy most about it?
-How do you feel about the rising rates of cesarean sections?
-Do you think the use of epidural and pitocin is more beneficial to the mothers and their child or to the doctors? Why/why not?
-How do you feel about midwifery and homebirths?
-Do you think that it’s right that doctors are generally trained as if every birth was an emergency situation? Why/why not?
Person #1:
This nurse was very honest and straightforward with her answers as she seemed to be fine with our asking the questions. She enjoys the occupation because she genuinely cares about helping women and children. This woman was interesting, because she seemed to lean towards midwives rather than obstetricians despite her occupation. She mentioned that she did not support the rise in Cesareans, stating that they were used “judiciously” and to a doctor or patients liking. She claimed that patients may have a cesarean on a certain day just so that they would not be in the hospital on another. I agree with her because a c-section should not be some kind of luxury to someone, it should only be used in cases where it is vital. This woman also disputed the use of epidural and pitocin. She felt that it is a bad decision to use it and in cases where it is used it should be the minimum, “so rather than using six shots use two.” In her talk of midwifery she mentioned “The Business of Being Born” and spoke of how it was a great movie, stating that she felt midwives are able to handle births just as well and any doctor would. In fact, she gave birth via midwife to both of her kids and, surprisingly enough, without the use of any drugs. When it came to the training of the doctors, she felt that at the end of the day the most important thing with the birth is that the baby gets out okay, regardless of the process. Despite expressing that, “birth is one of the most natural processes and it should go back to being that way” she still felt that the most important thing all in all, is that the baby gets out safely. When asked about the training of the doctors, she felt that at the end of the day the most important thing with the birth is that the baby gets out okay, regardless of the process. Despite expressing that, “birth is one of the most natural processes and it should go back to being that way” she still felt that the most important thing all in all, is that the baby gets out safely. This makes me wonder what life she would choose if given an ultimatum: the mother or the child?
Person #2:
This woman was by far the vaguest of all the interviewees. The seemed uncomfortable, possibly because of the room we were in (a slightly smaller room than the last, about a forth of Andy’s) or because she may have felt pressured by us. Her job title was the director of parent and family education and she chose this occupation because she feels that it is very important for patients to be knowledgeable on the subject. I wonder if the information provided by her is biased towards the obstetricians, her responses give reason to question how impartial her ‘education’ may be. She was consistently evasive in her responses and avoided saying anything that may undermine obstetricians. When asked about C-section rates, she said that Roosevelt hospital has the lowest C-section rates in the city. This is an interesting statistic and I wonder if this is true (although I could not find any recent and reliable sources to verify, that does not mean that she is a liar, I am simply a poor researcher). When asked about midwifery, she simply said that “it is great” and elected not to elaborate. She came off almost defensive when asked about the doctors training and said that doctors are trained to handle every situation they are given. She claimed that they are prepared to handle both normal and high risk situations.
Person #3:
This woman was arguably the most helpful of the three. She chose the profession out of a childhood desire to learn about birth and how it all worked, which has lead her to being the manager of the nurses department. She was honest and by far the most elaborate with all of her answers. She only supports cesareans in situations of necessity. With homebirths, she said that they are “prevalent” in her country (Jamaica) and that she still supports them. When it came to speaking about the training of the obstetricians, she said that “it’s not that the doctors are not properly trained, they just are not fully educated.” In saying this she agreed that they handle situations as if they are in emergency and said that the trainings for doctors should be different. During her training she was trained like a midwife and working in the field that she does, surrounded by doctors and many unnatural births she said that they are just accustomed to the emergency situations. This made me wonder what the point of so much schooling to be a doctor is if the majority of them are not able to handle a ‘normal’ birth situation. This also makes me wonder about the recent birth of my almost two month old baby brother. I was at the hospital with my family post-delivery and was told that everything went smoothly. I then learned that the birth was via a cesarean and wondered why, although I never got around to having that conversation. My stepmother and her doctor are just another example of how cesareans are abused in this generation of mothers and doctors are not as knowledgeable as they should be and do not appreciate the ‘birthing experience.’
Friday, April 1, 2011
HW #40
"Hey Tina Cassidy thanks for writing Birth. Your reflection on the history of birth with unique connections from several different perspectives really got me to rethink my ideas on birth and how it is usually handled in contrast to if that is actually the best way.”
"Really, which parts were most effective or important for you?"
"Well, in the last third of the book you focused on the father's role in birth and what they go through physically, mentally, and emotionally in the months while their partner is pregnant and the moments of delivery”
Specifically,
1. Studies show that when the father is there to comfort the mother, she actually tends to be significantly more relaxed throughout the process (Cassidy, 198)
2. The father’s role in birth is now a necessity rather than an option. I feel that to some extent their role was always a necessity, people just never realized. Children without a male role model in their life are more likely to have childhood struggles than those who do. (Cassidy, 207)
3. How breast - feeding impacts the mother and/or the child (Cassidy, 236)
"But what could I have done to make this a better book - that would more effectively fulfill its mission?"
"Well, let's be clear - your text sought to provide narratives from the perspective of a mother just having given birth for the book-reading-public to better understand pregnancy & birth in our culture. In a second edition I feel that it would be a good improvement to try not to linger on one thing for too long. Generally you did a good job at this, however there were some things parts where you did. However I don't want you to feel like I'm criticizing. I appreciate the immense amount of labor you dedicated to this important issue and particularly for making me think about the history of birth & the way that society generally approaches birth, as most people do not even consider midwives. In fact, I'm likely to approach birth differently and more open minded as a result of your book."
"Thanks! Talking to you gives me hope about our future as a society!"
"Really, which parts were most effective or important for you?"
"Well, in the last third of the book you focused on the father's role in birth and what they go through physically, mentally, and emotionally in the months while their partner is pregnant and the moments of delivery”
Specifically,
1. Studies show that when the father is there to comfort the mother, she actually tends to be significantly more relaxed throughout the process (Cassidy, 198)
2. The father’s role in birth is now a necessity rather than an option. I feel that to some extent their role was always a necessity, people just never realized. Children without a male role model in their life are more likely to have childhood struggles than those who do. (Cassidy, 207)
3. How breast - feeding impacts the mother and/or the child (Cassidy, 236)
"But what could I have done to make this a better book - that would more effectively fulfill its mission?"
"Well, let's be clear - your text sought to provide narratives from the perspective of a mother just having given birth for the book-reading-public to better understand pregnancy & birth in our culture. In a second edition I feel that it would be a good improvement to try not to linger on one thing for too long. Generally you did a good job at this, however there were some things parts where you did. However I don't want you to feel like I'm criticizing. I appreciate the immense amount of labor you dedicated to this important issue and particularly for making me think about the history of birth & the way that society generally approaches birth, as most people do not even consider midwives. In fact, I'm likely to approach birth differently and more open minded as a result of your book."
"Thanks! Talking to you gives me hope about our future as a society!"
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