Working Stiff ch 7-12 PDF

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Pizzella 1 Olivia Pizzella Dr. Hartnett-McCann Working Stiff Questions Chapter 7-12 1/25/20

Chapter 7. According to Dr. Melinek guns leave distinct wounds at different ranges and together, two bullets can tell a story (117, 122). She describes “face peels” to trace the paths of bullets. She claims bullets are predictable and the clues gunshot wounds leave are the determining factor between self-infliction and homicide. What science behind gunshot wounds and bullets allowed Dr. Melinek to determine a cause of death? What have you learned about ballistics and autopsies that left you fascinated? Chapter 8. 50% of all gun deaths in the US are a result of suicide. According to Dr. Melinek, gun suicide is not full-proof, or always instant. Melinek discusses a case of a mentally challenged man found decomposing in his locked apartment. He had a gun in his hand and a bullet wound in his temple. The autopsy revealed the bullet went straight between his eyes- a sign that he lived in severe, agonizing pain for about 30 minutes after shooting himself. Would you be able to emotionally detach and perform your job, emanating professional neutrality as a forensic pathologist? Chapter 9. The coolest part of the book to me was the TRALI conclusion. I kept thinking, wow, this chick was an addict and boyfriend had no idea. I was totally judging, and I felt bad, completely thinking, how did she hide her addiction. Then the story unfolds, she received the transfusion and then respiratory arrest. Crazy! And then to have the blood sent out, the entire while I was thinking the blood bank was giving out bad blood. I had the goose bumps reading it. And then it gets even better, the antibodies were in her, not the blood. It

Pizzella 2 wasn’t a law suit like I was thinking, it was bad luck. That was the coolest story. I was fascinated, turning the pages, and literally popping popcorn as if I was watching a horror movie. I think it is so cool how Dr. Melinek not only figures out how these folks died, but aides in solving crimes. What investigation did you find most fascinating or disturbing? Chapter 10. Dr. Melinek trained in New York City during the terrorist attacks of 9/11 on The World Trade Center. Chapter 10 describes the scene- both at the disaster site, and at the morgue. Her experiences, the things she saw, the smells she smelled, the tears she cried would not have been experienced if not for 9/11. A tragedy, yet an amazing opportunity to train, 9/11 gave Dr. Melinek an edge and a resume unlike others. The story of her work at the site was fascinating, compelling, and touching. Do you think Dr. Melinek’s training would have been the same as in any other city- regular morgue stuff- if not for 9/11? Explain citing chapter 10. Chapter 11. American Airlines flight 587 crashed 81 seconds after taking off from JFK (245). All passengers died due to the fierce fire when the plane crashed. Dr. Melinek was assigned to do autopsies on the mass-casualty disaster. The bodies were badly mangled, charred, missing faces and skulls, and hearts were left dangling outside the chest, most arriving at the morgue as “parts.” And then the bag of full-bodied children arrived. As a mother, Dr. Melinek could not face the horror the exploding airplane created. For a long time after working on the scene of flight 587, Dr. Melinek said the sound of an airplane overhead would send a jolt of fear through her (248). Has something you experienced in life caused post-traumatic stress such as what Dr. Melinek experienced? If so, can you describe this event and the trigger? If not, respectfully create a similar scenario.

Pizzella 3 Chapter 12. In chapter 12 we find out Dr. Melinek and her family move out of the city and back to the west coast. After her experience with the 9/11 disaster she was eager to go. She was ready to dedicate more time to her husband and son, as she often missed out on family life due to her career commitments. Although her time spent in New York City was a learning experience, Dr. Melinek says she was eager to move to a place where her only fear would be an “act of God,” (251). Do you think those that work on the front line of such disasters should be afforded mental health programs to help them recover from the effects of their working environment?...