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Blue Water, White Water
Without self-pity, former New York City newspaperman and prize-winning magazine editor, Robert C. Samuels tells his own harrowing story of medical survival. He's filled it with tears, humor, love and triumph. "Audacious, brilliantly written, Blue Water, White Water, is a rare, first-person look at a world that is often closed to the average person. It is well worth your time," raves an early critic. "A riveting, vivid story!" Jan Dye Gussow, author of Growing Older: A Chronicle of Death, Life, and Vegetables. "Producers will pounce. This book IS a movie!" Carolyn Fox, Entertainment News Calendar. "Should be required reading for all medical and nursing students! A must read!" Nursing Professor Barbara Riso, R.N. "Wow! Written with an amazing ability to portray a true, horrific story that keeps readers glued to the page and laughing at the same time," Peggy Whalen, R.N. "A powerful description of genuine helplessness," Tyler Lucas, M.D.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
October 19, 2012
this was a rough book to read -- fully paralyzed and unable to voice his discomfort due to guillain-barre, robert samuels documents his mistreatment, verbal abuse, and near fatal mistakes at the hands of countless nurses and doctors. like johnny got his gun it was a very claustrophobic read, this one a bit more uncomfortable because it was true. hard to read robert's often abusive language towards his nurses, but totally understandable and honest that the human mind goes there in times of severe pain and neglect. i would love follow up to this book, and i'm going to try to get in touch with the author to see if his tormenting nurse contacted him after publishing as it would be interesting to hear about.
April 9, 2012
Ouch, reading this, as a nurse, I have to admit that I sometimes take his rage personally. His rage seems sometimes out of proportion...Did I say that??? What do I know about being locked-in with no way to communicate pain? This condition, Guillain-Barré syndrome, is awful!!! Unimaginable what how a person would react. He writes about his total dependence on others.
Mr. Samuels writes about it clearly and with no-holds-barred. More patients should write about their experiences with doctors and nurses. What an incredible valuable lesson.
By the way... he had wonderful experiences too!!! and he gave those equal credit :-). Facebook page about the book has some interesting links for those who are interested.
Mr. Samuels writes about it clearly and with no-holds-barred. More patients should write about their experiences with doctors and nurses. What an incredible valuable lesson.
By the way... he had wonderful experiences too!!! and he gave those equal credit :-). Facebook page about the book has some interesting links for those who are interested.
February 12, 2022
As a healthcare worker (ICU physical therapist), reading this account was enlightening and understandable. I've seen a lot in my 11 years of practice and have experienced colleagues similar to all described in the book. It is true that there is a lot wrong with our medical system, but there are workers that genuinely care and push patients to recover also. Thank you for sharing your story!
February 5, 2023
An inside look at being in a hospital. Well written. Helpful to those in medicine and those considering entering it.
June 13, 2012
Now, this is the book to read if you want to know how awful it can be to be in the hospital when you are paralyzed and unable to speak or communicate in any way except with your eyes. The author paints a vivid and horrifying picture of true helplessness and of the rage he feels at being mistreated, ignored, and ridiculed by health care professionals, especially the nurses assigned to care for him. Robert Samuels, a former New York City newspaperman, is diagnosed with Guillain-Barre disease in the 1980s and this book chronicles his tortured climb back to some semblance of health while a patient in NYC hospitals. It is funny, sad, and enraging and very well written. To quote Samuels: "We think we are in control until we hit white water and our fate is suddenly changed." The book should be required reading for all medical students and health care professionals, but those of us who might someday require long-term care for a chronic and debilitating illness (which could be any of us) will also come to a greater understanding of what it is like to have your entire life totally at the mercy of strangers labeled "health care professionals". An eye-opening read.
May 2, 2012
Wow.
Started because of a NY Times review.
Here's what I put on my blog (http://www.magpiemusing.com/2012/05/s...
On the other hand, you may well want to read Blue Water White Water. It's a mesmerizingly fast read about a guy with Guillain–Barré syndrome - paralyzed in the hospital, trapped in his own body and only able to communicate by flicking his eyeballs from side to side. Somehow, he captures the vicissitudes of his ordeal with a sharp, unsentimental, first person eye - horrible nurses, wonderful caretakers, insane pieces of medical equipment, months of boredom, rage, nostalgic memories. The book is breathtaking, the kind of book you read in one gulp. Even though you know the ending, you keep turning the pages.
Read it. And hope that you never end up there.
Started because of a NY Times review.
Here's what I put on my blog (http://www.magpiemusing.com/2012/05/s...
On the other hand, you may well want to read Blue Water White Water. It's a mesmerizingly fast read about a guy with Guillain–Barré syndrome - paralyzed in the hospital, trapped in his own body and only able to communicate by flicking his eyeballs from side to side. Somehow, he captures the vicissitudes of his ordeal with a sharp, unsentimental, first person eye - horrible nurses, wonderful caretakers, insane pieces of medical equipment, months of boredom, rage, nostalgic memories. The book is breathtaking, the kind of book you read in one gulp. Even though you know the ending, you keep turning the pages.
Read it. And hope that you never end up there.
March 9, 2013
I work as a respiratory therapist so I deal with patients on ventilators all the time. This book has made me more aware of what the patient is going through and I hope, it's given me a little more patience with my patients.
One thing I found very strange was that the family had to pay separately for a nurse at the hospital and had to find coverage if a nurse couldn't be there--and this takes place at one of the most well-known hospitals in the country. I have never heard of a family having to do that and I've worked in several different facilities and have since a few years after the events in the book took place. I've even worked in a rehab facility and nursing care was included. (More LPNs than RNs, but still, someone was there to take care of patients.)
One thing I found very strange was that the family had to pay separately for a nurse at the hospital and had to find coverage if a nurse couldn't be there--and this takes place at one of the most well-known hospitals in the country. I have never heard of a family having to do that and I've worked in several different facilities and have since a few years after the events in the book took place. I've even worked in a rehab facility and nursing care was included. (More LPNs than RNs, but still, someone was there to take care of patients.)
September 5, 2014
I spent nearly two weeks trapped in the same body as the author. I was diagnosised with GBS in 2009 and spent a great deal of time depending on a lot of people for my everyday needs. I read the book out of curiosity to try and understand what other people with this terrible Syndrome were going through. While I didn't feel the need for so many F bombs along with the assortment of name calling, especially toward the female nurses, the writer/patient did a fairly good job explaining what happens when a person cannot communicate his/her needs. I can't say I enjoyed the book, as it conjured up so May bad times as I lay in a hospital bed wondering if I would ever be able to walk and care for myself.i am giving the book 3.5 stars for language.
October 29, 2012
I read this with my BCBC book club. While it was not my favorite, and I felt the writing was not very good, and I did not like the main character (nonfiction true story about a patient dealing with a very difficult disease)-inspite of all this, I am still very glad I read the book. A good book for health care professionals.
October 23, 2014
Had to read for school and pleasantly surprised!
Gives you a real look of what it's like to be patient, from the perspective of the patient as he experienced the downward slope and eventual progression through Guillen-Barre syndrome. I highly recommend it as it's a raw perspective of the nursing and medical world, from inside the bed rails.
Gives you a real look of what it's like to be patient, from the perspective of the patient as he experienced the downward slope and eventual progression through Guillen-Barre syndrome. I highly recommend it as it's a raw perspective of the nursing and medical world, from inside the bed rails.
October 19, 2015
What a page turner! Anyone who has spent time in a hospital can relate to the story if on no other level than to feel lucky to at least have been able to communicate their discomfort and annoyance. Every health care professional should read it.
November 17, 2012
Wow. I'm fascinated by medical stuff and this was quite a journey. Pretty terrifying considering how at the mercy of caregivers a patient is.
March 30, 2012
Creepy, scary. Seemed like a vendetta against the medical system in the eighties.
Want to Read
April 16, 2012As seen in the
New York Times
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March 15, 2013
I thought the
February 9, 2013
This book was extremely frustrating to read. As an RN I can respect the patients point of view, but some of the language the author uses is a bit harsh and unnecessary.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews