Ms. L is 46 years old and physically handicapped due to a mine explosion after the Vietnam War.  She lost both of her legs in the explosion.  For mobility she used two small plastic chairs.  Ms. L came to us complaining of numbness and pain in her shoulders and generally not feeling well. After a full examination it was confirmed that she had diabetes and high blood pressure.  She is also a heavy smoker and is having difficulty quitting because she sells cigarettes in her shop.  We gave her materials to read on her ailments and started her on medication.  Her diabetes and hypertension are controlled and she feels much better.  With some small lifestyle modifications she has decreased the amount of medicine she takes.  Through Karen Leonard at Lifestart, Ms. L has a wheelchair and is working to create arts and crafts that she will sell online.  We have worked together with Lifestart to improve her life both through controlling her chronic diseases as well as helping her with a sustainable and enjoyable career.



Mr. N is 48 years old and had an accident in the past that left him permanently disabled in his left leg.  He came to us on intermittent meds for a recurrent skin conditions.  Testing revealed he had high blood pressure and moderately severe diabetes.  It initially took 2 medications to bring his sugars into the normal range.  Mr N starting exercising and watching his diet.  In spite of his disability, he would ride a bicycle to our clinic visits instead of getting a motorbike ride.  He lost 3 kg and is now close to coming off medications.  He takes pride in his health now and we will have him talk to our patients on healthy living in Viet Nam.   He is a good example of a wholistic approach to health.  Though education as well as changes in diet, activity level and stress coping mechanisms, he has taken control of his health.

Mr. C is a 60 year old man who was left permanently disabled from polio.  He uses his hands to walk around and is self-employed as a carpenter.  He was a lifelong smoker with high blood pressure.  Mr. C was unaware of the impact that smoking has on your health.  We gave him some reading materials and discussed this over the course of a few visits.  He quit smoking the day he read about tobacco and hasn’t started back.  He feels much better and has offered to take our staff out clam diving in the river as a way of saying thank you.  He represents a number of our patients who are lifelong smokers and haven’t been told the ill-effects of tobacco.  We have had a significant number who quit smoking the day we tell them what cigarettes do to your lungs and heart and have remained smoke-free on follow-up.

Mr. T is a 22 year old male who had a motorbike accident 1 year ago and is quadriplegic.  He is cared for by his father at home.  He had been using a catheter given to him by the hospital a year ago to catheterize his son daily.  Due to hygiene issues, Mr. T would get a bladder infection every 1-2 weeks.  We have provided the father with education and supplies for sterile catheterization as well as disposable sterile catheters and medications in the event of an infection.  We visit the family frequently and address any needs as they arise.

Mrs. T is a lady who had been seen by many doctors and taken many medications for chronic neck and shoulder pain.  She has significant postural misalignment and suffered daily from this.  Nancy Nguyen devised a treatment plan that consisted of massage therapy and acupuncture.  After a few treatments, Mrs T was feeling much better and didn’t require any medications for pain.  Her relief has been sustainable after treatment has stopped.  We work to include eastern medicine when appropriate to help our patients.









Mr. H is 34 years old and disabled from polio.  He has no use of his legs and gets around with a walking board.  He has recently had the onset of weakness, tremor and muscle wasting in his arms.  After some workup we concluded this is the “post-polio syndrome”, a recurrence of the neurological decline seen in some polio patients.  Though there is no treatment for this, understanding it has taken away some of the fear and allowed us to plan for the future when he will not be mobile