Out of It: The Story of a Boy Who Went to Bed with a Headache and Woke Up Three Years Later

by simon-hattenstone

Aged nine Simon Hattenstone one day woke up with a headache. By 10 he had lost half his body weight, talked baby talk and looked retarded. The medical profession labelled him a malingerer. When he resurfaced it was an alien environment every bit as terrifying as the one he'd just escaped from.

228 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Sid Nuncius · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of the author's three-year childhood illness. Simon was nine years old when he developed serious symptoms, but was faced with a cast of characters familiar to sufferers from chronic, hard-to-diagnose conditions and their carers: a GP who blamed the patient when he didn't recover, a social worker who was certain that Simon was just desocialized, a doctor specializing in necks who insisted that the cause was loose neck ligaments, a blinkered psychiatrist, and so on. The desperation of being frightfully ill but not being believed is brilliantly evoked, and when he also developed pneumonia he says, "The pain was bad, but how wonderful to have such a simple, non-ambiguous illness.....You're ill, they give you pills,... you recover. I couldn't believe that a disease could be so easy."

The author gives brutally honest accounts of his own behaviour, some of which is dreadful. Much of it is understandable when we know what was going on within and around him, but it must have been very difficult for others to bear. There are also portraits of wonderful humanity in friends, the doctor who finally listened and correctly diagnosed a brain infection, and in Simon's mother. She received almost continual abuse from doctors and plenty from Simon himself, but her belief that he was ill and could be cured never faltered. Nor did her love for her son, and she is the quiet heroine of this story. She says, "Those who helped our son, not necessarily with cleverness, but with kindness and humility, we'll never forget. Ordinary people who recognised suffering whether it had a name or not." She sets an inspiring example of this herself.

This book wrung my heart, made me angry, made me laugh and thrilled me with triumph. Warmly recommended.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much of this book could have been written about me, it was quite painful to read. Simon Hattenstone's character is very different to mine but the attitudes of the doctors, the school and people around him were almost identical. He is a lot better at articulating how he felt about it all than I am so I may be recommending this as reading to a few people now!

[Elisa Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this. It really got you thinking about the things that this boy had to go through, the lack of knowledge of the medics and those around him.

[Jacqui Relph · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book description is a little book misleading.
Having said that it was interesting read and not fiction.
It was expectedly poignant as Frank is going through his chemo.Not the same in any way but still if puts a young life on hold and the parents

[Ben Chandler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Out of it is a lingering but comfortable journey through the eyes of Simon Hattenstone the boy who is has a crippling illness but that doesn't stop him from any desires he wants to have. This book had engaging sections but can feel like an overall bore considering its focused nature

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly recommended for anyone who has been ill for months or years at a time.

[Reema · Rating 3 out of 5]

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