My doctor has always considered my high blood pressure to be a significant concern, and she makes sure I am managing it effectively. After thinking about the Asian Americans that I know who have had a stroke and this recent report and video, I should really be thankful. Preliminary results from an analysis of 1.7 million stroke cases between 2004 and 2016 reveal that Asian Americans are more likely to have more severe ischemic strokes and worse outcomes than whites. In addition, Asian Americans studied were less likely to receive clot busting stroke treatment, although this difference seems to diminish during the studied time period. Study lead author Dr. Sarah Song, who revealed the initial results at the American Stroke Association International Stroke Conference, said:
“Asian Americans may have a distinctive pathophysiologic profile of ischemic stroke than whites. Regardless, this study highlights the need for more focused research, improved stroke prevention and possibly different treatment strategies for Asian Americans.”
Synopsis: Evan and Jessica notice a Student of the Week at Abraham Lincoln Elementary bumpersticker on someone else’s minivan. Shocked that such a thing would exist and not go to Evan, they are determined to ramp up their Good Student game. Evan joins the School Dance committee and the French club. He organizes a school garden. And in a moment of breaking under pressure, he throws glitter in a girl’s face. He is referred to Mr. Tim, the school counselor, which Jessica does not take well, since “counselor is school language for therapist.”
Vanilla Ice: The other two (or three, depending on if you count the framework of the rival moms) stories are just kind of terrible. As soon as Louis says, “Shall we take a joint family road trip to the Grand Canyon?” I knew his part of the episode was going to be terrible.
Synopsis: Louis sees Eddie shaving for what he believes is the first time. Overjoyed that his eldest son is now a man, he extends Eddie’s bedtime, long enough so he can watch the first part of The Late Show with David Letterman on school nights. Eddie, puffed up by his new manhood, takes Louis’s declaration to mean he can decide for himself what he can do with that extra time, opting instead to spend it roaming around the neighborhood at night with his friend Barefoot Dave, who of course has no bedtime since his single-parent mom works graveyard shifts. Jessica, heartbroken that Michelle Kwan has taken silver (and not gold) at the ’98 Winter Olympics, lies to Emery and Evan, telling them that Kwan has won. The boys, upon learning the truth, develop a conspiracy theory involving a Kwan imposter, which Jessica tries to convince Nancy Kerrigan to confirm.
ICP: Honey can do whatever she wants with her hair, but that Lipinski cut did not do it for me! Also, Marvin continues to be too weird even for this show. I was into the Olympics story, as nit-witty as it was, right up until the Nancy Kerrigan cameo, which just doesn’t work. Or maybe, like the Huangs, I was rooting for Michelle.
Synopsis: Jessica’s deeply involved with edits on her novel, A Case of a Knife to the Brain, and Louis worries that he and his wife are growing apart because of it. Taking Marvin’s advice, Louis plans several surprises in order to keep the spark alive, but Jessica is not very receptive. Evan gets bumped up to seventh-grade English, where he and his classmate Emery compete to be their teacher’s favorite (it’s Tig Notaro!). It’s clear that the teacher doesn’t favor either of them, so they raise their teacher’s-pet game, asking Eddie for advice, since he seems to have had a great relationship with her.
Wack: Marvin’s getting to be a pain, and Louis’s over-the-top behavior is wearing thin. I can’t stand the way the principal and the detention teacher treat “Stripes,” the student they pretty much bully.
