Analysis The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Fediman - Book Report/Review Example

? The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Introduction Important Issues Regarding Healthcare and Religious Belief The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down is a book that irrefutably brings out the divergence sandwiched between the modern ways of life accompanied with the contemporary beliefs and the outmoded cultural and religious disparities. Generally, the inconsistency has been enormous thus raising questions among the so-called fashionable society such as what the pioneers of these ethnicity could have been thinking about and weather they strongly cared for human life. A number of these traditions could deny an individual some of his palpable indispensable rights such as right to life by purely taking less concern or barely being ignorant about the importance of some phenomena such as giving birth. In this portion of writing, the issues regarding healthcare and religious belief, practices and their challenges to healthcare professionals in The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Friedman are critically explained. Anne Fediman evidently conveys the two cultural differences between the Hmong customs and the contemporary society in America that includes the professional doctors. The Hmong’s beliefs were merely objectionable especially when it comes to healthcare matters. For instance, during birth, a pregnant woman would be expected to squat on the ground regardless of the untidiness of the floor then pull the child out of her womb. The mother was to ensure that the baby does not touch the dust and that the umbilical cord was to be cut by the father. In case of any problem during childbirth, Lia’s mother, Foua Yang could resort to numerous remedies regularly used by the Hmong such as shaman who was believed to have natural powers to negotiate for his patient’s health with the spirits that lived in the dominion that was invisible (Fediman 1997). In addition, a woman would take a number of precautions to avoid childbirth predicaments such as a woman could ensure her child’s health by concentrating on her food cravings. The child’s placenta would be buried in different places of the house depending on the child’s sex. However, currently childbirth is treated with lots of precautions with the use of modern techniques as seen in the Foua’s case while giving birth to Lia in Merced Community Medical Centre where the writer describes her birth as like any American woman. She greatly doubted the American medicine in general and how they handled the childbirth differently from what she expected such as offering ice water to stop blood from flowing freely instead of warm water to facilitate blood flow from the womb and the nature of food she was given which she refused to eat. Furthermore, the Hmong believed that loss soul was one major cause of sickness and diseases to the child hence the community was to carry out several rituals to please the soul providers (Fediman 1997). Despite Lia’s cautious fixing of her soul, she was attacked by epilepsy when she was about three months old. There was a mixture of reactions due to the epilepsy since some people considered it as a great deal of social status in their community since a healing spirit would not choose somebody of no account. Nevertheless, the doctors regarded this belief as vague. The diagnosis for the epilepsy failed as Foua and Kao were strongly convinced that the issue was not an illness but an issue of spirit catches you and you fall down as they described it. Moreover, both parents and Dr Murphy believed that constant seizures increased the dangers of the epilepsy. Interestingly, the doctor after several tests could find the cause of the disease after admitting Lia in ward for some time thus recommending her discharge after prescribing Ampicilin for pneumonia and Dilantin for the seizures (Fediman 1997). Additionally, the Hmong’s had dreadfully horrific beliefs in American doctors and their confidence towards them was low. They were convinced that the American doctors took a lot of their patients’ blood and that they removed the patient’s brain after death and cut their bodies into pieces. They believed that the American doctors were less concerned about their patients compared with the shammas. As far as the Hmong’s were concerned, American doctors had to carry out several tests before the patient’s problems as compared to the shammas. Hmong is although believed in a few things such as antibiotics, they never agreed on many matters such as use of anesthesia. Out of ignorance, Lia’s parents could not care for Lia as was required by the medical instructions thus leading to Lia being taken to foster home so that compliance for medication could be achieved. Nearly all Hmong suffered serious diseases and disorders due to their own beliefs and culture that required doctors’ close attention. However, assisting them was extremely difficult because of their continuous complaints that had no basis hence making it difficult to offer any treatment. It could be challenging to convince Hmong’s accept surgery or any other invasive treatments because they would incessantly debate and ultimately refuse the doctor’s proposals. It was hard to influence Hmong woman to practice family planning as they bore as many children as possible and they could wait until last minute to rush to hospital without going to clinic. Hmong did not make a distinction between mental and physical problems since they generalized all the health setbacks to be spiritually instigated. Administering medicine and other drugs that are not properly checked may cause problems to the patient’s health (Fediman 1997). What Was Done Well vs What was Done Differently These beliefs are a great challenge to the healthcare because there are always possibilities of complications during childbirth that may even lead to the death of both the mother and the child. While giving birth, there is always excessive blood loss by the mother that always need to be controlled before the mother gives birth. In addition, it is necessary to use sterilized equipments during the childbearing process especially for cutting the umbilical cord to shun germs and infections that may affect the new born and even the mother. It is ironical that a woman was expected to pull a baby while giving birth yet at that moment; someone may be expected to be even unconscious due to the labor pain. The issue of soul losing being the cause of sickness and diseases is unacceptable in the medical professionalism. There are various causes of diseases and sicknesses that people should be precautious of than just a mere belief in some spiritual powers. Measure such as vaccinations and other preventive techniques are medically prescribed and explained that may later prevent the child from being attacked by some diseases such as polio. A mother should therefore receive medical advice from the medical practitioners on the actions she is supposed to take to improve both her own and her child’s life. Thinking that a disease is just a simple spiritual hitch is intolerable. The society need to understand the need of seeking medical attention without any prior belief. This would hearten the medical professionals to be able to exercise their medical duties. It would also help the doctors diagnose the cause of the diseases at early stage hence easement of treatment process. Disbelief in a doctor is a key crisis that may make an individual suffer most while sick. Further mistrust may make someone not to relay important information to the doctor thus hindering proper and efficient treatment of the patient. It is also important for the parents and whoever takes care of the patients cautiously follow the instructions. Careful following of instructions deter complications that may arise due to drug abuse or any other complication that may arise. The Lees who strappingly believed in their own Hmong’s medicines complained that the doctors did not allow them to remedy to their own daughter. The fact that Lia was taken from her parents care, was disappointing to the couple who loved their daughter so much. According to Foua, she thought that life in America was more rigid and stern as she was described a child abuser after denying her the chance to care for her sick daughter. She told the author that there was freeness back in Laos as compared to America. In this scenario, the need to be taken serious and be heard was the predicament of the Lees’ family unlike the American medical system whose main concern was to break the Hmong medical and cultural barrenness. What I have learned Taking Lia to foster home was an excellent idea as far as caring for a patient’s health is concerned. However, it is surprising that some societies do not trust modern hospitals and the doctors in the current society even at their point of death. I think the whole book is surprising since it is contradictory to what I have ever thought that everyone believes in doctors for their wellbeing. Surely, patients should be taken care of by keenly following the doctor’s instructions. This article has taught me the need to seek medical professional help as soon as someone falls sick and adhere to the instructions given by the doctors to avoid harming the patient. As a Muslim, I believe in spiritual component along with modern medicine hence I will not have problem with taking a patient to hospital as I pray for the patient and advice him to ask Allah for forgiveness. The doctors and other health experts should involve the patient’s family in every treatment and medical action they want to take on him. The health professionals should communicate with the family and imams to advice on how to care for the patient. Muslims are not opposed to medical requirements such as blood transfusion so long as it is done to save the children of Allah. Reference Fediman, A. (1997).The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and The Collision Of Two Cultures. New York: San Val. Read More