4 comments about I'm Alive and the Doctor's Dead.

1. This book is written from a Christian perspective -- scripture is referenced in context but not thrown in your face -- and is humorous and encouraging to boot! Buchanan makes the point that cancer is as individual as a thumbprint -- everyone has a thumbprint, but each person's is unique in some way. Cancer may "look" the same in different people, but we all have different body chemistires, faith, genes etc. that make it act differently. The reality for a cancer patient is that no one really knows the outcome that any of us will have. I found Buchanan to be wonderful -- she has a sense of humor, faith in God and a dose of good old fashioned common sense. I would highly recommend this book to anyone trying to deal with or understand some of the emotions related to breast cancer. If nothing else, it is a quick, fun read!



2. I found the overt Christianity in this book a little difficult to get past. I do not believe in a god, and if I haad known about this slant before buying I probably would not have bought it.

   I also found Sue Buchanan's adversarial relationship to her doctors and indeed (except at the VERY back of the book) to the medical profession, a little disturbing. She is not required to use any doctor she meets, and if she is going to laugh at them in public and write all over all the tongue-depressors, she should find a new doctor. Yes, it is hard to be kept waiting or to be talked down to by surgeons, but a) the doctor you are waiting for may be coping with another distraught patient, and b) all surgeons I have ever met, while techically skilled, are poor at patient communication. They are skilled,arrogant, decisive, and opinionated -- and that's what I want when I'm in the operating room. But in the office they are abrupt and impatient.

   I found it interesting that she had her chemo treatments BEFORE the blood chemistry results came back. They would NEVER do that where my wife has chemo. Accurate reading of blood counts and differentials is key to proper chemo decision-making. Glad she survived.

   And by the way, they don't take blood to detect cancer -- cancer cannot be detected in the bloodstream even if it is there because of the very low density of cancer cells compared to blood cells. Detecting cancer in the blood is done by inference only.

   She is to be commended on her upbeat approach, but an optimistic attitude, solid family support, and a generous heart are more important than "dissing" the medical profession. Yes, statistics are sometimes grim, but you may always be the 1% who get the good results -- and you may not. Statistics DO help you evaluate procedures and treatments, however.

   Despite my defense of the medical profession, I am not a medical person nor are any of my relatives except one nephew who is a vet. We met the medical profession when my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago.

   So while this was a OK read, I found it much less interesting than Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book, 3rd edition, which (in its earlier edition) was recommended to my wife at the time of her diagnosis by her surgeon and is very readable and well-organized, and quite upbeat too. I also liked Dr. David Spiegel's Living Beyond Limits. Both were far more valuable and thought-provoking than this book.




3. "She will be dead soon." Fifteen years after that awful pronouncement, Sue Buchanan is lecturing, running her successful corporation and reminding all breast cancer patients that we are NOT victims. Stand up for your rights, stand up and do the unexpected, stand up and laugh out loud. Her honest story of her battle with breast cancer and some of the doctors she met along the way is a quick, enjoyable read. Her continued joie de vie and encouragement for all women is delightful. A good book when you are down in the dumps - it's enough to shake you out of the doldrums and into some action!



4. I prefer the original title: Love, Laughter and a High Disregard for Statistics. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer 5 years ago, friends and family (with the best intentions) felt compelled to send me books by survivors of the disease. Some of them were interesting, others downright depressing, but this one really lifted my spirits and helped me to cope. Well written -- a fun read -- I still have it and frequently share it with other women as they face the challenges of cancer. Sue Buchanan, you sure made a difference in this woman's life. Mahalo nui loa!

3 comments about Dancing With Dementia: My Story Of Living Positively With Dementia.

1. This book contains information that most books dealing with dementia do not - HOPE & a personal account from someone who is actually going through the disease themself! Which gives great insight to anyone connected to dementia! I would highly this book!



2. This is evidence that some people can overcome the impossible. The dreaded calamity of not being able to remember in one of its worst forms hit Christin Boden at the age of 46 when she was diagnosed with progressive Althemizer's disease. Of course, she was hit hard and set out to learn all she could about this debilitating disease. The main thing is that she did not just crawl in a corner and give up. After all, she had three children to care for, so she became an advocate for people with dementia.
   
   She wrote a book, WHO WILL I BE WHEN I DIE? and, three years after her initial diagnosis, she married again at the age of fifty and got on with her new life. She lectured around the world for the Dementia Advocy and Support Network International. She sets forth the reality of living with this major setback. Both emotional and physical needs must be considered. Unlike Michael S. Gazzaniga's proposal in THE ETHICAL BRAIN, the consideration of euthansia was not an option.
   
   "It's like a 115-year-old brain trying to power a 55-year-old!" In the Appendix to this book, she makes a point, "Do You Believe in Miracles?" In her case, a supporting husband, along with new drugs, and her high-level of capability have slowed down the progression of this disease. She makes suggestions for caregivers about what to do without demeaning the person.
   
   DANCING WITH DEMENTIA is a vivid account of her tenacity in exploring the effects of memory loss. Ethical challenges are a part of life and emerges as the brain ages. Normal aging involves DNA in the early stages of forgetfulness. During the aging process, we have problems with short-term memory and being able to form new long-term memories. She shows what it is like to live with dementia, the exhaustion of coping with simple tasks, and the many difficulties in communication. Even a simple TMJ probe can cause major problems if the surgeon hits the wrong nerve, causing paralysis of that side of the face and possibly making the patient unable to speak clearly.
   
   Like Christine Bryden, as we get older, it is necessary to keep a positive attitude and believe in miracles.



3. I sent this to my sister who says it's a good book, has helpful ideas in dealing with someone with dementia, but mostly identifies the problems and some of the similar manifestations of someone with the problem.

5 comments about Cooked: An Inner City Nursing Memoir.

1. I was given this book by a friend. I am not from Chicago nor am I a nurse, but I sat down with it and read it from cover to cover in one sitting in an afternoon. I was particularly interested in the time frame of the early 1970's and her descriptions of the various social and political changes going on at the time. I was in secretarial school at the time, and her description of the preciseness of the uniform hemlines and tea time at the nursing school made me think of the white gloves we were required to wear and the "etiquette" of the times we were required to learn. I came away with a newfound respect for the nursing profession and for the challenges she faced. I was particularly stunned to read the current statistics regarding the shortage of nurses in our nation. Karels wrote this book 20 years after quitting the nursing profession. I give her kuddos for the thoroughness of her memories and research.



2. I received a copy of the original release of this book from a friend and had to order my own to be a permanant part of my library. I worked at Cook County Hospital and was impressed with the accurate depiction of the condtions and atmosphere of this incredible institution at that time. It was not perfect, but I remember people striving to make it so along with the great compassion of many dedicated professionals working wth limited resources.
   
   This book took me on personal journey of remembrance, but I feel it can give anyone an insight into the workings of a hospital designed to serve the most needy in a big city.



3. Carol's book was just fabulous - I have read it many times and found it very difficult to put down. I am also a Cook County grad,and Carol has done a great job of helping those who were a part of the that experience stay connected. Memories of CCSN will live on forever thanks to her great skills as a writer (as I recall, she was also an excellent nursing student!) All of us who were once a part of County loved and hated it so much and all at the same time. Thanks, Carol, for sharing with all of us who were part of that great time. Mary Jane(Pratt)McWilliams RN



4. For anyone who has ever been a nursing student this book will bring back memories, of happy times and stressful experiences. For those examining the historical struggle in nursing education this book provides good insight, not only into the student experience, but also into the larger economic and political domains during the early 1970's. The book is written with intelligence and compassion. Readers will marvel at the endurance and wisdom of nurses and the nursing profession.



5. Not coming from a nursing or health care background,I nevertheless thoroughly enjoyed Ms. Karel's book. Each chapter was a new vignette that helped me to identify with the challenging,sometimes shocking life of a novice nurse in an inner city hospital. Its full of passion, joy, humor and wonder. I enjoyed it so much that I have encouraged some friends and nurses that I know to read it, and they have all told me how much they appreciated my recommendation.

5 comments about Sarah's Song: A True Story of Love and Courage.

1. The story of a loving couple that live and love a full life in the shadow of being HIV-positive.



2. This book was wonderfully written, yet extremely sad. A story of two very young, professional, and COURAGOUS people. What stands out most to me, is their courage. If I had found myself in their shoes, I could never handle it as Janice and her husband did. They accepted their fate and bravely lived life to the fullest. I see that Janice's mother has posted here. Your daughter was an inspiration. May she rest in the arms of our Lord
   Traci



3. I loved this little book the first time I read it a few years ago. It's the sad, true story of William and Janice Burns and their struggle with AIDS. Janice tells her heartbreaking story in a clear, honest voice and there is little window dressing on the tragedy of this tale. It's so easy to identify with the Burns, they are so like anyone you would have gone to college with. I'm sad to learn of Janice's death, but I'm glad her mother has posted on here. Janice's words have touched many lives, far more than many other more superficial things in life.



4. Sarah's Song is a wonderful book that takes you on the journey of a newly married couple's discovery of their HIV infection and the struggles they live through as they battle it. There is a bit of all of us in this couple. They could have been any of us or our friends. Their story will make you cry many times. It is told intelligently and with wit and courage.I read the book in 1996 and always wondered how Janice was doing. I see by her mothers' comments above that she did not survive. I had hoped she would. Get snuggled in bed, grab some tissues and hot tea and make an evening of this book. When you are done take a look at your life and count your blessings.



5. I want to thank those readers of my late daughter's book for their comments. To those who might not know, Janice died on Sept.28,1996. She had received transfusions in July and contracte Hepatitis C. She was no longer strong enough to fight off the infection. She was brave and hopeful to the end.

1 comments about Penicillin Man: Alexander Fleming and the Antibiotic Revolution.

1. This a brief, entertaining biography of a great man whose work has saved millions of lives, including, perhaps, my own. It's the type of book one would hope every high school student would be expected to read.

5 comments about King of Hearts: The True Story of the Maverick Who Pioneered Open Heart Surgery.

1. I am a patient that has had heart problems for awhile now. I just had surgery in 2006, so reading this book really helped me to understand where heart surgery all started. It brought it all home for me at the end. There is something about this surgeon that I now have a close connection to, and I didn't even realize it until the end! Those of you who have read "King of Hearts" would understand! This book has taught me a lot, but it also has a lot of great stories intertwined within. Totally worth the read!!



2. The medical history related in this book is one of the boldest and most amazing one. If it wasn't for these highly risk taking individuals, open heart surgery would not be possible today.



3. When a friend gave me this book to read, I thought I'd skim a few chapters and either get bored with the technical details or be bothered by them since I have had heart surgery for congenital heart defects myself.
   
   I thumbed though the first chapter and I was hooked! The writing demonstrates the intensity found in intense pediatric cases very well and uses that and the determination of Dr. Lillehei to move the story along at a fast clip. I finished it in about 36 hours!
   
   I had gotten to the point there I was trying to take care of myself well as an adult with congenital heart disease (treated defects), but I hadn't quite grasped the details of my own surgeries nor did I want to. After I read this book I ordered my surgical records immediately and was excited to read them! The book filled the descriptions of the surgeries with such excitement that it carried over into my own personal education about my health.
   
   I like how they told the story of Dr. Lillehei as a person who did great things, but was also human being as much as his patients - with faults of his own - but also clearly, great gifts.
   
   For more information about the long-term outcome of patients with congenital heart defects/disease and how we continue to lead the longest and healthiest lives possible for us, please visit the Adult Congenital Heart Association's website at www.achaheart.org



4. Once I picked up this book, I couldn't put it down. What a fascinating subject and such wonderful storyteller. From the mom of a "heart baby" it just amazes me how far we've come in such a short amount of time.



5. It's a good story, and Dr. Lillehei blazed an amazing trail, but this man appeared to be a sociopath who destroyed everything and everybody he touched - except, of course, his patients. I can't believe nobody addressed this yet, or maybe they were so fascinated by the story that they missed - or dismissed - it completely. This was more than a massive ego; this guy could have been a Dr. Swango had things been just a wee bit different.
   
   I realize the book was about Dr. C. Walton Lillehei, but his brother Richard was also a transplant surgeon, as are his sons Craig and Kevin.

5 comments about Sight Unseen.

1. I have recently finished this disaster of a novel for a college honors course "Disability through Autobiography." While attempting to read this book, my frustration took over and in a couple of instances, resulted in the book being thrown across the room. Much of the book seems a criticism of those that are not blind as well as the depictions of the blind by those who are not blind, namely authors and Hollywood directors. I can think of a much better topic for a book than nit-picking at random quotes in movies, books, and social groups. Kleege seems to only show the ability for a blind person to criticize those who are not blind and may not completely understand what blindness is. Although I have taken many courses that focus intensely on accepting those with disablilities in society, I find it very difficult to accept severe cynicism no matter what disability the author may have.



2. Like many people who have read this book, I am legally blind. It was recommended to me by a friend who has very good vision. Comparing notes with her was particularly educational. The perspectives of a sighted person and a blind person on the text turn out to be not all that different.
   
   This book has incredible ups and downs. First- the ups.
   Kleege's description of what a blind person sees is incredible, perhaps the best I have ever read. People who haven't had to worry about it are under such misconceptions. A lot of people think that if you can see- kind of- that what you see is a blur. Even the cover of this book appears to tell us the same thing, but that's far from true for everyone.
   
   The author makes the point that the designation of what constitutes legal blindness really was a pretty random decision. Who says 20/20 is normal? How many people do you know who use some kind of correction? Given that, how normal can it possibly be? Also, just because someone is legally blind, they may use their vision so efficiently that you don't know until they tell you that there's anything different about them. Ms. Kleege reports this experience in her own life. Conversely, someone who is legally blind may not use their vision at all. Also, her descriptions of the process of making sense of visual information is well done and should help to explain to people who don't know exactly how sight works, how different it can be for various people.
   
   My favorite of the points made by this book, however, has got to be that the fact that you can see something, doesn't mean you're not blind; doesn't make it not a good idea to learn Braille. Many of us with some useable sight were refused this tool as children. Frankly, if you can't read print at all without pain, this encourages illiteracy. Kleege is spreading the word that Braille is NOT a foreign language- it's just another way to percieve the alphabet that we already know. She raises the question of whether audio books constitute reading in the same way that reading print or Braille do. (given that it stimulates different parts of your brain, I'd argue no, although like Kleege, I think it's a useful tool at times.)
   
   Now for the downs.
   Kleege can be really disparaging of sighted people. There are subtle and less subtle digs and jabs all over the book. She puts words into the mouths of passing strangers, extending a real encounter into a possible outcome, making assumptions about what the sighted person would have said if she'd said something different, herself. Honestly not every sighted person is a complete jerk, or ignorant about how sight works. She asserts that a mother will stop a child from staring at a blind person because if you don't look at something unpleasant, it will go away. No, mothers do that because it's very rude to stare! My sighted friend was really offended by the middle of the book and actually exclaimed "well, so sorry I can SEE!"
   
   Her take on Oedipus' blindness, I thought, was overly dramatic. Kleege regards it as symbolic castration, setting the stage for the way people percieve blindness to this day. Frankly, Oedipus wasn't Freudian until Freud. If Oedipus had meant to castrate himself, given that this is a classical story and they didn't mince words- he would have.
   
   I also thought some of her arguments with modern cinema were perhaps a bit harsh. Not that really bad stereotypes don't exist. Movies like "Jennifer 8", portraying blind people as needful of institutionalisation and completely helpless when confronted by a sighted crazy, are a real problem. The blind aren't the only people stereotyped in Hollywood, though. One could argue that the heroine was helpless as much because she was a woman in a horror movie as that she was blind. Also, wasn't the protagonist in "Scent of a Woman" more stereotypically bachelorish than blind? True, a lot of movies were clearly directed by people who have never met a blind person. however, the unmoving stare empolyed by many film directors to typify the blind, which Kleege finds so offensive- exists. If one has been blind since birth, one sometimes lacks body language, never having observed it. If one lacks eyes, why blink to moisten them? Sometimes one forgets.
   
   All in all, I really enjoyed this book, even though I periodically wanted to yell "OH, come ON! Get over it!" I'd reccommend it to the blind who have not found anyone with whom to relate, lately, or the sighted who want to understand.
   
   And one more thing- anyone who gets embarrassed because they just said "Hey, look at this!" to a blind person. . . It's ok. We do it too.



3. Georgina Kleege, the blind author of _Sight Unseen_, speaks of her book as a kind of coming out narrative where she stops staging a sighted identity and accepts her blindness. Kleege describes her amazing experience dealing with blindness beginning at age 11 and details the ways she has adapted to living in a sighted world. Pretending to be sighted when you are blind poses an incredible challenge, but Kleege explains how the benefits outweigh any effort it takes to conceal blindness due to such a heavy stigma associated with the disability. However, even as she denied her blindness to others, Kleege has never viewed her disability as a punishment or cause for despair. It has not stopped her from becoming the successful writer and professor that she is, nor has it held her back from the activities she loves.
   Kleege opens our minds to her world, and describes with vivid imagery what and how she sees. Her condition causes a block to her central vision, but allows her to distinguish between colors and make use of her peripheral vision. Kleege makes her readers aware of a great many fallacies surrounding blindness, and gives numerous examples of how movies and literature concerning blindness often perpetuate negative stereotypes. Her readers accompany her to an art museum, back in time when she was sighted, and to France where she found inspiration from Louis Braille's accomplishments.
   The amazingly adapted author also invites her readers to try and imagine making use of their eyes the way she does on a daily basis. Her descriptions of viewing art and reading print evoked in my imagination a longing to temporarily share in her experience. I would have expected, however, the once sighted author to better understand the fear that sighted people have associated with blindness. The transition to permanent blindness is a great deal harder than just closing your eyes to simulate the disability. Kleege speaks only on behalf of her own blindness, and effectively captures the attention of her audience in helping them face and appreciate how a rich life without sight is possible.



4. I have just read this book (BTW for the reader who wanted it in audio format- check out NLS (National Library Service- or your state Library for the Blind) as this is how I read this book). I can relate to what the author goes through- as I'm also legally blind. However, unlike the author I was never fully sighted so I appreciate her compairson to being "sighted" as opposed to beling blind.

   Like the author I do have some useable vision and employ the same sort of adaptive devices she does. I believe this book could educate people that being blind does not mean you see nothing -- only 10% of people who are blind see nothing at all. There are varing degrees of blindness, and I think the author does an excellent job of conveaying this to her readers.




5. Yes, this book LOOKS good! But HOW can my husband READ it when he is B-L-I-N-D? Does the author want only to appeal (SELL TO) the majority of the world which is sighted? Blind people NEED books like these but they MUST be A-U-D-I-O.

5 comments about Waking Up In America: How One Doctor Brings Hope To Those Who Need It Most.

1. The sincere/passionate message of service and human accountability to help your fellow man, whether that man(or woman) is homeless or simply has not had the gifts that you may have may have recieved in life, is found throughout this wonderful and inspirational book. I have read it more than once, whenever I need some "perspective". I have asked my teenage children to also read this book as well. My daughter read and analyzed this book in her ninth-grade english class and I would applaud any teacher (high-school or college) to do the same. I guarantee teachers will get a reaction and hopefully that seed of conscience toward human accountability for service will be nourished. I am lucky to know Dr. Greer and the sincerity and integrity that he carries out his calling in life is real and can be validated by anyone who has met him.



2. WHEN I PURCHASED THIS INSPIRATIONAL BOOK ON THE PRACTICE OF MEDICINE, I NEVER SAW THE DAY WHEN I WOULD BE READING AND RE READING A BOOK FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME. BOOK HAS IMPACT ON ANYONE INTERESTED IN SOCIETY AND IT'S ENHANCEMENT AND IMPROVEMENT. THERE SHOULD BE MORE OF DR. GREER'S KIND OF LITERATURE AND FEELINGS EXRESSED IN WRITING. THE TEXT IN GENERAL IS NOT HEAVY READING BUT HAS CONSIDERABLE EMOTION AND GRAPHIC DEPICTION OF AN INDIVIDUAL WITH A WHITE COAT SERVING HIS COMMUNITY ESPECIALLY WITH THE ENDORSEMENT OF HIS WIFE AND FAMILY. THE DOCTOR IS ALSO TRAINING DOCTORS HOW TO BECOME SENSITIVE TO THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY. THE MEDICAL PROFESSION SHOULD BE USING THIS TYPE OF BOOK AS A METHOD OF TEACHING AND EDUCATING OTHER DOCTORS WITHIN THEIR HALLS OF ACADEMIA. AS AM INSTRUCTOR AT AREA COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES IN BUSINESS, I WILL INCLUDE THIS BOOK ON MY SUGGESTED READ LIST FOR ETHICS IN BUSINESS AND AREAS WHERE THEY ARE DEALING WITH PEOPLE.



3. I purchased and read Dr. Greer's book and was expremely impressed with the details that were modestly included. I did see his presentation on cable TV and his image is is as modest as the book is written. I feel that he is an asset to the medical profession and writing profession and would sincerely like to see more work by him in literature. I would like to stresss here that I have read this book 4 times and still pickup different things while reading this text. The book is an excellent credit to his modesty, profession, humbleness, an sincerity to society.



4. DR.PEDRO JOSE GREER,M.D.-REKINDLED THE PHRASE BY PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY-ASK NOT WHAT YOUR COUNTRY CAN DO FOR YOU-ASK WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR COUNTRY."THE COMPASSION THAT THIS MAN SHOWS TOWARDS THE LOST AND FORGOTTEN SOULS IN AMERICA NEEDS TO BE REKINDLED IN ALL OF US.IT REMINDED ME OF THE TIME I SPENT AT THE LOS ANGELES FREE CLINIC DURING THE EARLY 70'S.DR.GREER SHOWED US THAT SOCIAL AWARENESS AND COMPASSION MUST BE AVAILABLE 7 DAYS A WEEK -24 HRS/DAY.TACKLING MEDICAL PROBLEMS IN AMERICAN SOCIETY CAN BE ACHIEVED IF ALL OF US WORK TOGETHER AS A TEAM FOR THE BETTERMENT OF A HUMAN BEING.



5. The book was exellent. It made me really see what goes on with the homeless. Dr. Greer has struggled with giving the homeless medical service, as well as becoming their friend. The same way Dr. Greer has learned from the homeless, we all should learn from him and help him in this.

2 comments about Discombobulated: An Inspiring Journey of Hope Through Mental Illness.

1. Discombomulated is a powerful story of one woman's experience with mental illiness. Commentary by the therapist which parallels the author's perception of therapy is very insightful. This well written book provides a realistic portrait of life with mental illiness.



2. I found "Discombobulated" to be a very heartbreaking and yet inspiring story of the author's experience with mental illness. It was wonderfully written and literally takes a person inside the head of the author. This book should be read by anyone whose life has been touched by mental illness in any way.

No comments about My Lobotomy: A Memoir.