Reading+Reflections

Reading Reflection #1

So far I am really enjoying the book. My favorite character so far would have to be Anna Fitzgerald. By finding her attorney and following through with her decision of suing her parents, she is showing real courage of a young, thirteen year old girl. I feel bad for Anna because she feels that her parents show no affection to her and she feels like she's not worth anything in life.

A lot of "so fars" here. Do you think that your opinion might change? Do we think that Jodie Piccoult is holding out on us for a surprise ending? Is courage the best way to describe Anna's action. Some might say that she is not showing courage by abandoning her sister because she does not want to go on with being a donor. I think that we are more likely to praise a child who does/accepts a painful procedure than one who defies their parents, which is a more normal reaction. Is it that Anna feels that her parents show no affection? She seems fond of her father. I think you are portraying her position as too extreme.

Mr. Brunelli

Reading Reflection #2

I think that Annas decision to move in with her dad in the firestation for some time was a very smart idea on her part. Her decision on suing her parents is up in the air at the moment. She'll tell Cambell that she wants to persue in the lawsuit, and then when shes around her family, specifically her mother and father, she will tell them that she wants to forget about all of it, and that its a misunderstanding. Anna was told that if she doesnt want to help out Kate, she basically signed her death statement. When she heard it in that way, she felt horrible and couldnt believe that's what shes trying to do. I think that moving away from her mom for some time will show her how it actually feels if the lawsuit continues and she will not be living in the house with her family. She'll realize how much she misses her.

Illness brings out a lot of "litmus tests" in families and brings other strains to the surface. In particular, it seems that the Fitzgerald family is playing the game of "who cares more (the most)" about. For Anna, it may be that "you don't care enough about me," For Sara, it may be "you don't care enough about your sister if you don't do this." It is a strong thing to say to a child that you "killed your sister" Like many children, Anna wants a clean and simple solution to her situation and would like it resolved, but it will not go away simply by bargaining or denying the basic issue of Kate's illness. Moving to the firehouse may distance herself from her mother's demands, but I do not think it resolves the basic problem they are all facing.

Mr. Brunelli

Reading Reflection #3

In the novel, I read that Kate found a boy that she really likes and his name is Taylor Ambrose. They met in the hospital while they were both getting treated for their illnesses. Taylor has AML while Kate has APL. While I was reading this chapter, I was so happy for Kate that she finally found a boy who she could talk to and he is interested in her as well. I thought it was very cute that after her date with Taylor, she went home and explained to Anna how she feels when she is kissing Taylor. When Kate says "..if theres something as good as Taylor in my life, im going ot pay for it."... I thought that since Kate has been struggling all her life, that she had no hope, and I also didn't think any of this was true..until the end of the chapter when Sara finds out for herself that Taylor has died, three days after the prom. I felt very sad for Kate and her mother because she saw how much her daughter liked this boy.

Reading Reflection #4

I am very suprised on how this book ended. Anna finally went through with her decision about the emancipation. Towards the ending of the novel, the truth finally came out for Cambell and Julia, they both liked eachother and they picked up from where they left off, when they were teenagers. Cambell finally told the truth about his dog too both Anna and Julia. I believe that Judge DeSalvo made a good choice on who should be responsible for choosing on whether or not to help Kate overcome her illness, which would be Anna. He understood where this young thirteen year old girl was coming from because his own daughter had died when she was just twelve years old. When I read that Anna had passed away in the car crash, I was shocked and devastated. For years, the Fitzgeralds have been trying to make Kate get well, and all of Annas life she felt that the only reason she was actually concieved was to help her sister. But when everyone least expects it, Brian is the first one to find out that his other daughter,Kate has passed away. I felt really bad for Sara and especially Kate, since they were very close sisters.

=__﻿Thank You For Smoking__=

Reading Reflection #1 I can't believe that Nick Naylors job is to help promote smoking which basically ends up leaving people with very severe diseases such as emphysema, and even leading young people to their deaths. I don't understand why the smoking and tobacco industry is so large, when all of its products are to end someones life rather sooner than expected. Nick is a very stubborn man, and he states that this is just his job but I'm sure that if one of his family members were to be affected in a negative way by his actions and the company that he chooses to work for, he would eventually feel very bad to know that he is helping the country broadcast something so unuseful.

=**__the curious incident of the dog in the night-time__**= Reading Reflection #2 On page 27 in the book, Christophers father had just told Chris that his mother had just suffered from a major heart attack. Chris is only 15 years old and he knew the difference between the two types of heart attacks, an anuerysm and an embolism. " ,first is an embolism. That is when a blood clot blocks one of the blood vessels taking blood to the muscles in the heart and you can stop this from taking asprin and eating fish. ... an aneurysm is when a blood vessel breaks and the blood doesnt get to the heart muscles because its leaking." When I read this I was suprised that a fifteen year old boy knew the difference between these two and also that aspirin helps embolisms, because not many children know about these health problems that occur, usually in older people.

=__**The MAN Who MISTOOK HIS WIFE for a Hat**__= On page 43, a chapter starts which is called " The Disembodied Lady". It is about a twenty seven year old women who one day was suffering severly from abdominal pain, and it was found she had gallstones which led the doctors to the conclusion that her gallbladder must be removed. She was admitted to the hospital, and one night while she sleeping, she had a dream that she was standing, but with undisturbed balance and she seemed to drop whatever she picked up. Later that day her dream came true. Everytime she would go to reach for something her hand would miss the object completely. Her sixth sense has vanished in a way, her proprioception. The doctors concluded this from the cause of taking to much vitamin B6 (pyridoxine). I could not imagine this happening to me because it is a big life changing occurence. To be able to reach something on the side of me without looking seems to be first nature to me and everyone else. I'm sure it would be very diffucult to live a life where everytime you would have to grab something or even walk, I would have to look at my feet. I know this is a true case and I feel very bad for people who do suffer from this disease.

In part one, on page sixty six a chapter starts which is called "Phantoms". I learned that a 'phantom' is a commonly known term that neurologists use. it is a persistent image or memory of a part of the body which is usucally a limb after it has been removed from the body. I cannot imagine ever losing one of my limbs that humans use everyday and then having a sense that "my hand" was still attatched to my arm. I feel like it would be so hard to go through everyday life. I can't imagine if I were to go and try to pick something up, and finally realize that I actually dont have a hand with five fingers. This is a really sad case, and i know that many soldiers who are serving in the war quite often get their limbs amputated, and I feel terrible that they could possibly have to deal with this devasting experience.

I really enjoy reading __THE HOT ZONE.__ I find it to be very intriguing. I love how the reading is vivid in many different ways, and i can get a clear image in my mind of what I am reading. "Something in the forest" is about Charles Monet. He contracts the ebola virus. When I find out what it does to the human body, such as red bloody eyes and loss of connective tissue in the face, I couldn't believe the pain he was going through. When I was reading "Total Immersion" I found it very shocking that Nancy would want to endanger her life and put herself in that much of a deadly risk. She has a husband and children at home as well. One tiny mistake and in a matter of seven days she can pass away and leave her family behind. I was glad that the blood had not been able to infect her through the contaminated monkey blood.

I sort of feel like as I continue to read this book, it starts to become less intertesting and not so intense as the beginning was. I feel like I would not like to work with a hot level 4 agent. It seems very fun and exciting to discover the latest deadly virus or bacteria, but I feel that the cons greatly outweight the pros in this type of situation. Dealing with such an infectious agent is a great risk. One simple mistake and within a matter of ten to fourteen days, your body will begin to deteriate from the inside out. It must be very frightening to know that one slip up can cost you you own lfie and the lives of other people that are around.

I can't imagine how this country would react if there was an acute outbreak of the ebola virus. This is a very serious threat to the human population. I seem to feel that if someone were to break out with this tropic disease, us as americans would not be prepared for this type of situation just to be thrown our way. It is not just any type of sickness, it is extremely deadly and nine out of ten people will have very painful deaths. It is scary to know that our hospitals have some of the most amazing machines and we can help to fight cancer, but if this virus were to strike one of our people, we would not have a simple clue how to handle it.