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You Can Stop Humming Now: A Doctor's Stories of Life, Death, and in Between
For readers of Atul Gawande and Jerome Groopman, a book of beautifully crafted stories about what life is like for patients kept alive by modern medical technology.
Modern medicine is a world that glimmers with new technology and cutting-edge research. To the public eye, medical stories often begin with sirens and flashing lights and culminate in survival or death. But these are only the most visible narratives. As a critical care doctor treating people at their sickest, Daniela Lamas is fascinated by a different story: what comes after for those whose lives are extended by days, months, or years as a result of our treatments and technologies?
In You Can Stop Humming Now, Lamas explores the complex answers to this question through intimate accounts of patients and their families. A grandfather whose failing heart has been replaced by a battery-operated pump; a salesman who found himself a kidney donor on social media; a college student who survived a near-fatal overdose and returned home, alive but not the same; and a young woman navigating an adulthood she never thought she'd live to see -- these moving narratives paint a detailed picture of the fragile border between sickness and health.
Modern medicine is a world that glimmers with new technology and cutting-edge research. To the public eye, medical stories often begin with sirens and flashing lights and culminate in survival or death. But these are only the most visible narratives. As a critical care doctor treating people at their sickest, Daniela Lamas is fascinated by a different story: what comes after for those whose lives are extended by days, months, or years as a result of our treatments and technologies?
In You Can Stop Humming Now, Lamas explores the complex answers to this question through intimate accounts of patients and their families. A grandfather whose failing heart has been replaced by a battery-operated pump; a salesman who found himself a kidney donor on social media; a college student who survived a near-fatal overdose and returned home, alive but not the same; and a young woman navigating an adulthood she never thought she'd live to see -- these moving narratives paint a detailed picture of the fragile border between sickness and health.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published March 27, 2018
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2842 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 182 reviews
July 28, 2018
Why, "You can stop humming now"? Humming increases the pressure in the chest. The author was about to pull out an intravenous line and before she would be able to cover the little hole with a dressing an air bubble might enter the patient's body, travel to his heart and kill him! So she told him to hum to increase the pressure. After the dressing was applied, he could stop humming!
I quite enjoyed this book, it had a more unusual angle than most, dealing as it with people dependent on machines to keep them alive and delving into how they live their lives whilst on the machines and afterwards when they have either recovered (few), had transplants or are just suffering the consquences of, say, too little oxygen for the brain for too long.
The author might be a great doctor, I don't know, but as far as a writer is concerned, it's don't give up the day job. She's good, but in a market saturated with doctors' stories and memoirs, she doesn't stand out, certainly not in the same way that Philip Allen Green does with his luminous, insightful stories.
Notes on reading the book
One thing the author does make a point of that so many others forget: it's just as hard a row to hoe for the families as for the person suffering from a much damaged quality of life. They become the permanent, usually unpaid nurses and carers. Sometimes their own lives are permanently changed, and much for the worse. The things we do for love.
I quite enjoyed this book, it had a more unusual angle than most, dealing as it with people dependent on machines to keep them alive and delving into how they live their lives whilst on the machines and afterwards when they have either recovered (few), had transplants or are just suffering the consquences of, say, too little oxygen for the brain for too long.
The author might be a great doctor, I don't know, but as far as a writer is concerned, it's don't give up the day job. She's good, but in a market saturated with doctors' stories and memoirs, she doesn't stand out, certainly not in the same way that Philip Allen Green does with his luminous, insightful stories.
Notes on reading the book
One thing the author does make a point of that so many others forget: it's just as hard a row to hoe for the families as for the person suffering from a much damaged quality of life. They become the permanent, usually unpaid nurses and carers. Sometimes their own lives are permanently changed, and much for the worse. The things we do for love.
March 3, 2018
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
You Can Stop Humming Now is a non fiction memoir of sorts that takes us through the wonders of modern medicine by examining various patients past and patient under the care of Daniela Lamas. Rather than baffle you with science and facts, Lamas takes us on a journey through the emotional and physical side effects of people suffering from long term or chronic illnesses that 5, even 10, years ago they might not have survived due to the amazing advances in medicine. It's a very human approach to an often aseptic topic.
As a student I was always taught the importance of evidence based practice. We can only continue to improve and grow as a profession within medicine if we have the means and foresight to continually expand our knowledge and abilities. This book is a perfect example of that. Lamas speaks with passion and empathy as she relays the stories of several patients who've directly benefitted from such treatment, and what it knw means to survive past an expected 'expiration date'.
Patients include a kidney transplant recipient who found his donor through Facebook, a woman with cystic fibrosis nearing her 40th birthday when she wasn't expected to live past 30, and a number of patients suffering from chronic pulmonary or cardiac diseases who fought through time in ITU with the help of various ingenius machines or devices to reach a purgatory existence on the other side. Lamas has a history in ITU care, and as such most of the patients discussed have some form of background spent here. This was a refreshing side to understanding medical care which I haven't read before, and it was also nice to hear from a medical professional across the pond. As a stoic advocate for the NHS, the American 'care' system baffles me greatly, and this resonates throughout the book with some mentions of limited insurance payouts for rehabilitation centres and endless cycles of paperwork for pharmaceuticals. Thank goodness we don't that kind of health system.
Getting back to the stories themselves, it's clear that Lamas has a passion for healthcare and a high regard for all the patients and colleagues she speaks of. There's some lovely little snippets of stories that show levels of dedication that go above and beyond the duty of care and endless warmth for patient care that shines through.
An interesting read, and one I would highly recommend for people interested in the amazing advances in medicine that are greatly changing the face of modern medicine as we know it.
You Can Stop Humming Now is a non fiction memoir of sorts that takes us through the wonders of modern medicine by examining various patients past and patient under the care of Daniela Lamas. Rather than baffle you with science and facts, Lamas takes us on a journey through the emotional and physical side effects of people suffering from long term or chronic illnesses that 5, even 10, years ago they might not have survived due to the amazing advances in medicine. It's a very human approach to an often aseptic topic.
As a student I was always taught the importance of evidence based practice. We can only continue to improve and grow as a profession within medicine if we have the means and foresight to continually expand our knowledge and abilities. This book is a perfect example of that. Lamas speaks with passion and empathy as she relays the stories of several patients who've directly benefitted from such treatment, and what it knw means to survive past an expected 'expiration date'.
Patients include a kidney transplant recipient who found his donor through Facebook, a woman with cystic fibrosis nearing her 40th birthday when she wasn't expected to live past 30, and a number of patients suffering from chronic pulmonary or cardiac diseases who fought through time in ITU with the help of various ingenius machines or devices to reach a purgatory existence on the other side. Lamas has a history in ITU care, and as such most of the patients discussed have some form of background spent here. This was a refreshing side to understanding medical care which I haven't read before, and it was also nice to hear from a medical professional across the pond. As a stoic advocate for the NHS, the American 'care' system baffles me greatly, and this resonates throughout the book with some mentions of limited insurance payouts for rehabilitation centres and endless cycles of paperwork for pharmaceuticals. Thank goodness we don't that kind of health system.
Getting back to the stories themselves, it's clear that Lamas has a passion for healthcare and a high regard for all the patients and colleagues she speaks of. There's some lovely little snippets of stories that show levels of dedication that go above and beyond the duty of care and endless warmth for patient care that shines through.
An interesting read, and one I would highly recommend for people interested in the amazing advances in medicine that are greatly changing the face of modern medicine as we know it.
August 21, 2020
Lamas starts off with telling us "I became the resident who didn’t let anyone die." A seemingly laudable goal, but she never looked beyond that moment. These are stories of what comes after extreme life saving measures are taken. The stories start out pretty gloomy, but get more hopeful as the book goes along, so don't bail. I almost did, but I'm glad I didn't.
Still, I don't think she dug deeply enough. Her stories left me with a lot of questions she didn't answer. For instance, finances didn't seem to be a problem for anyone in her stories. I find that very difficult to believe. Even 20 years ago when I had the best health insurance available, we took a huge hit when my son had his chest crushed by a horse breaking its leg. The bills trickled that in for over a year were staggering & he only spent a week in ICU with very little aftercare. I can't imagine what the bills would be like today.
Well narrated & put together. I'm glad I read it, but I'm torn between 3 & 4 stars. She just didn't dig deep enough for all the good info she did present. Still, I recommend it.
Table of Contents
Introduction: She sets up what her work was like, briefly seeing patients as they came in & needed life saving treatments. The tech was dazzling in what it could do that night, but eventually she wanted to find out what happened after that.
1: You Can Stop Humming Now: This is the first case where she got close enough to a patient to want to see what happened to him afterward. She was upbraided by the administration for checking without any work-related need & prior authorization. IOW, the system wanted her to remain focused & distant. That's not terrible since the constant pain could tear a doctor apart. Still, it's not great, either. People become room numbers.
2: Ten Percent: In far too many cases, too few people ever make it out of critical care units. Sure, their lives are saved, but they might be vegetables or zombies drugged into accepting the tubes & machines that keep them 'alive'. That's not life, IMO. I watched 2 grandfather's suffer that way for weeks against their & family wishes. It's plain torture, but the sadistic assholes 'saved' them again. Hell no! So make a Living Will & make sure you have a proper Health Proxy filled out even if you're on the same page with the person you've been married to forever. We have.
3: Life on Battery: This is the first hopeful story about a guy that has a heavy duty pacemaker & has to wear a battery pack unless he's plugged into a 20' extension cord. He still manages to live, though. His story is followed up in the Afterword, too.
4: Nightmares After the ICU: PTSD from the torture of ICU care. Yes, it's a real thing. My son has told me about it. Many medical procedures are tough to distinguish from torture, but life saving ones, complete with drugs & restraints, are often scarring.
5: Emergence: A sad case of the aftermath from a drug overdose where the brain was starved of oxygen for too long. IMO, another case where saving the patient wasn't worth it.
6: Where the Bridge Ends: A lung transplant is horrendous, but this young lady has managed it fairly well.
7: Networking for a Kidney: The hospital donor lists are long & tough to get on, but this guy managed to find one through social media. Strange as hell. I can't imagine anyone would give up a kidney to a stranger. I'm far too self-centered to even contemplate it.
8: An Unexpected Adulthood: Cystic Fibrosis treatment has come a long way very quickly. Kids from the 1980s thought they'd die before they were 20, but now they're approaching 40 & still surviving, sometimes very well. How the hell do you live a life like that? Marriage, kids, & a house weren't in the cards, but suddenly become possibilities. Wow! Mind blowing.
9: How It Begins: The transplant process. If you've ever thought about one or know someone who has, this is worth reading.
Afterword: Follows up on her & the folks mentioned in these pages. Pretty good ending.
Still, I don't think she dug deeply enough. Her stories left me with a lot of questions she didn't answer. For instance, finances didn't seem to be a problem for anyone in her stories. I find that very difficult to believe. Even 20 years ago when I had the best health insurance available, we took a huge hit when my son had his chest crushed by a horse breaking its leg. The bills trickled that in for over a year were staggering & he only spent a week in ICU with very little aftercare. I can't imagine what the bills would be like today.
Well narrated & put together. I'm glad I read it, but I'm torn between 3 & 4 stars. She just didn't dig deep enough for all the good info she did present. Still, I recommend it.
Table of Contents
Introduction: She sets up what her work was like, briefly seeing patients as they came in & needed life saving treatments. The tech was dazzling in what it could do that night, but eventually she wanted to find out what happened after that.
1: You Can Stop Humming Now: This is the first case where she got close enough to a patient to want to see what happened to him afterward. She was upbraided by the administration for checking without any work-related need & prior authorization. IOW, the system wanted her to remain focused & distant. That's not terrible since the constant pain could tear a doctor apart. Still, it's not great, either. People become room numbers.
2: Ten Percent: In far too many cases, too few people ever make it out of critical care units. Sure, their lives are saved, but they might be vegetables or zombies drugged into accepting the tubes & machines that keep them 'alive'. That's not life, IMO. I watched 2 grandfather's suffer that way for weeks against their & family wishes. It's plain torture, but the sadistic assholes 'saved' them again. Hell no! So make a Living Will & make sure you have a proper Health Proxy filled out even if you're on the same page with the person you've been married to forever. We have.
3: Life on Battery: This is the first hopeful story about a guy that has a heavy duty pacemaker & has to wear a battery pack unless he's plugged into a 20' extension cord. He still manages to live, though. His story is followed up in the Afterword, too.
4: Nightmares After the ICU: PTSD from the torture of ICU care. Yes, it's a real thing. My son has told me about it. Many medical procedures are tough to distinguish from torture, but life saving ones, complete with drugs & restraints, are often scarring.
5: Emergence: A sad case of the aftermath from a drug overdose where the brain was starved of oxygen for too long. IMO, another case where saving the patient wasn't worth it.
6: Where the Bridge Ends: A lung transplant is horrendous, but this young lady has managed it fairly well.
7: Networking for a Kidney: The hospital donor lists are long & tough to get on, but this guy managed to find one through social media. Strange as hell. I can't imagine anyone would give up a kidney to a stranger. I'm far too self-centered to even contemplate it.
8: An Unexpected Adulthood: Cystic Fibrosis treatment has come a long way very quickly. Kids from the 1980s thought they'd die before they were 20, but now they're approaching 40 & still surviving, sometimes very well. How the hell do you live a life like that? Marriage, kids, & a house weren't in the cards, but suddenly become possibilities. Wow! Mind blowing.
9: How It Begins: The transplant process. If you've ever thought about one or know someone who has, this is worth reading.
Afterword: Follows up on her & the folks mentioned in these pages. Pretty good ending.
January 30, 2023
I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher, in return for an honest review. This review is based entirely on my own thoughts and feelings.
Overall Rating: 4*
Writing : 5*
Information : 4*
Uniqueness : 4*
This was a great medical memoir. Each chapter focused on an individual medical technology and case study. We read about unique and personal stories, delving into the lives of people living with incurable diseases, waiting for transplants, and the survivors. Her writing style was brilliant, even an unknowledgeable scientific dunce like myself pretty much understood what was doing on, and the medical advances Lamas was describing. If you liked Adam Kays books I think you'll enjoy this, but be warned there's no humor to mask the tragedies.
Overall Rating: 4*
Writing : 5*
Information : 4*
Uniqueness : 4*
This was a great medical memoir. Each chapter focused on an individual medical technology and case study. We read about unique and personal stories, delving into the lives of people living with incurable diseases, waiting for transplants, and the survivors. Her writing style was brilliant, even an unknowledgeable scientific dunce like myself pretty much understood what was doing on, and the medical advances Lamas was describing. If you liked Adam Kays books I think you'll enjoy this, but be warned there's no humor to mask the tragedies.
March 22, 2018
A compassionate look at medical care from a clinician’s perspective. Dr. Lamas is a gifted writer in addition to being a sympathetic healer. This book should be required reading for every doctor in training. Truly gorgeous reading.
April 29, 2018
As the patient with CF, I loved how she brought to life many of my experiences. She clearly captured all the joy, struggles, and fun in my life. I am grateful to be part of this book, and sincerely appreciate all the work she has done to bring awareness to Cystic Fibrosis.
April 15, 2018
I thought this book by a critical care physician would be much like "Being Mortal", but I found it to be less informative. The author becomes curious as to what happens to patients she sees in the CCU after they leave and find themselves with a different life than they had before a health crisis occurred. Other than reporting on what she saw, she didn't spend much time discussing the dilemma of "how much is too much" when a patient is facing a health crossroad. I would have liked to learn more from her as to how she feels regarding balancing the life extending interventions of modern medicine with the emotional and physical costs to the patients and their families instead of just relating stories with a variety of outcomes.
March 7, 2018
I went into this book wanting to learn more about the science and policies of my health care colleagues across the pond. My expectations quickly shifted as I realised this book was about the people we care for, their stories and the impact of medical interventions on them. Dr Lamas writes beautifully, full of compassion as she shares the highs and lows of patients experiencing the cutting edge of our latest advancements in medicine. The focus of the book was entirely on the people we work towards saving/ prolonging life rather than about Dr Lamas' career but I am sure she has had a journey many would love to read about. I appreciate that the realities of the darker side of medicine are briefly touched upon when Dr Lamas explains patients give up one set of crappy reality for another set of unexpected crappiness in the hope of disease improvement, but overall the message of the book is about hope. Thank you to Dr Lamas for her work, to the people who shared their stories, and to the publishers and netgalley for my e-arc. I don't usually mention covers in my reviews but I love the simplistic design of my e-arc cover with the stethoscope and can't wait to pick up a physical copy once these hit the bookshelves. Definitely recommend to all involved/interested in healthcare provision and those who love stories of everyday people overcoming challenges.
July 25, 2018
Maybe it's me. I stopped reading this book about 2 anecdotes in. It's like romance/suspense books--so few authors do it as well as Mary Stewart, that they're just not worth reading. Having inhaled (over and over) Oliver Sacks' and Atul Gawande's books, this one is just.not.there. IMO, she could be, someday. There's talent here--it's a gift to not only be able to retain the humanity of medicine, but also to be able to convey it to laypeople in ways that demonstrate the poignancy without the sheer terror that comes with so much illness. IMO, she needed a more ruthless editor. The stories I read were repetitive in some of their content; they need tightening. But there is also this: I'm too old and jaded in healthcare to bring the appropriate level of awe to these stories. I found myself critiquing the actual plans of care... ye gods. Spare me that. So, give it a go. You may love it. I may try again another time. She should keep writing, but be ruthless in her editing.
May 18, 2018
It gets 4 from me because of the interesting topic and subtle presentation of such. I had never really thought about there being a group of patients who spend much of their last years suspended between life and death. The irony is there are increasingly more of these people because of the myriad advances in medical care. People who would have died a decade ago are left alive but only partially so.
The reason the book is not a 5, in my opinion, is that there is much more detail than what interest me.
The reason the book is not a 5, in my opinion, is that there is much more detail than what interest me.
July 5, 2018
Interesting, but that's about the best comment I can make. I was taken aback by the fact that the author crossed the line (and she admitted it) when she accepted a patient's friend request on Facebook. But I was left with a bitter taste in my mouth after reading that she visited his page more than once (stalking?), but never responded to his question to her. And then she writes an article about him - and then makes that her leading story for this book - and THEN uses his question to her for a title for her book??? Shameful.
January 31, 2022
This was a surprising deviation from many of the medical-bio books I have read. Lamas writes very little about herself or her role in the patient stories presented, which is a breath of fresh air. The stories focused on how the advances in medical technology and care have changed the critical care landscape and patient outcomes. Patients are not necessarily offered a illness-free life when choosing medical advancement alternative, such as organ transplant or LVAD; they are replacing one set of medical needs and problems for another with hopefully a better quality of life. There is a lot to think about in these stories…..
November 24, 2024
So interesting to read about an ICU doctors perspective on working in the ICU. She follows up with patients months to years after their hospitalization and writes so much detail on patients and their stories on surviving the ICU but never recovering from their illness, getting a trach/peg and crossing from acute illness to chronic; patients and families with PTSD from their illness, restraints, procedures and sedation, and goes through the technology and transplantation that has extended or saved lives
July 24, 2023
so good! put off reading it for a minute bc I thought it would hit too close to home - and it did hit real close, but in a good way. Reading this after a month of working in a hospital every day made me teary, because it felt like so much of what I see everyday, written on the page with beautiful perspective. loved!
June 15, 2018
I received a free copy via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
An Emotional and sometimes upsetting insight into critical care for patients.
A riveting read throughout.
An Emotional and sometimes upsetting insight into critical care for patients.
A riveting read throughout.
July 24, 2018
Shortly after I started this book, I felt as if I were falling into it. I got completely caught up in the author's world, even though I am not a doctor or a transplant patient. I knew that sometimes people experience delirium while in a hospital, but I didn't know that people can have PTSD related to that delirium. Even though the person with PTSD knows that the hospital was the safest place and the threats were not real, the body reacts as if the walls really were bleeding.
May 17, 2018
This was fine. Lamas is a capable writer and the stories are both interesting and moving. When I finished it, though, I was left not quite sure what point she was trying to make. Without a connective thread beyond "these people spent time in the ICU and only survived, when they did, due to amazing medical advances," the book felt kind of voyeuristic and exploitative. What were we supposed to take way, exactly?
Audio production also fine. A few interpretations that seemed off to me, and the volume on the author's epilogue was quite a bit louder than the previous section, but otherwise, unremarkable and inoffensive.
Audio production also fine. A few interpretations that seemed off to me, and the volume on the author's epilogue was quite a bit louder than the previous section, but otherwise, unremarkable and inoffensive.
February 7, 2019
This book was very promising at the start. If you ever, or always, feel your doctor does not understand the entire situation or how you feel, according to this author you may well be right. Doctors see you in short 'grabs' and do not know or try to know more. When this author realised there may be other results from ICU care other than 'life or death'. Most of the book details those who have after effects and the accompanying changes. Apparently that is news to some of the medical profession.
November 15, 2021
This book is described as gripping, soaring, and inspiring, but I wouldn't choose any of those adjectives. It is definitely interesting as it looks at various patients who are living lives of chronic pain or disease. They are living on the edge, so to speak, in that they are diagnosed and often are being kept alive with the use of amazing medical machinery or medication. Their lives revolve around the hospital, doctor's appointments, dragging their families along with them as they search for answers. But the whole book just seemed so darn depressing. Most of these patients are discouraged as they face their problems, and they are dependent on science to help them. Unfortunately, in most cases, medicine looks at the end goal of prolonging life no matter the cost, while these people are dealing with the emotions of day-to-day living. I felt a big disconnect between the philosophy of being determined to hang on by using miracle drugs/machines and the individual's sense of self and desire to grow and flourish. Even the author, who admittedly showed compassion, is still on the side of medical science and didn't really seem to personally feel the stories that she told. Perhaps I read this too soon after I underwent my own recent serious medical intervention, but I found it very sad and was astonished by how many poor people there are out there who are dealing with chronic problems for endless months and years.
May 17, 2018
Daniela Lamas has written a book about many of the patients she has looked after in her years in medicine. As well as talking about the care they receive in the critical units of the hospital, she goes and talks to some of the patients after they have been discharged to see how their lives have been impacted by illness, and how their recovery is going. For many doctors they often see their patients for a limited amount of time, but the patient may have ongoing problems related to their treatments.
I am a bit of a fan of these types of books, but I felt a little like I missed the point of this one as I came away a little bit like I hadn't learnt a lot or completely understood the point of her book.
I am a bit of a fan of these types of books, but I felt a little like I missed the point of this one as I came away a little bit like I hadn't learnt a lot or completely understood the point of her book.
March 29, 2019
I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in the realities of life for people who have "chronic critical illnesses" in the 21st century. The focus is on the effects of organ transplants, medications, ventilators, the ministrations of health-care workers in ICUs, and the unpaid support of family members and friends. This book is not about miracles and happily-ever-after existences but nor is it as grim as it could have been, given that people are living longer but not necessarily better thanks to "modern medicine."
Read
August 27, 2024not the book i thought it was and wanted to like it maybe more than i actually did, but i still enjoyed listening.
i really would have loved if each chapter had more of a take home message, but i thought the afterword was thought provoking. i also really enjoyed her content about ICU delirium and post intensive care syndrome (ICU PTSD).
what does life look like after the hospital or intensive care? what does recovery mean and actually look like for each person?
i really would have loved if each chapter had more of a take home message, but i thought the afterword was thought provoking. i also really enjoyed her content about ICU delirium and post intensive care syndrome (ICU PTSD).
what does life look like after the hospital or intensive care? what does recovery mean and actually look like for each person?
August 20, 2022
I listened to this one and particularly liked the discussion of PTSD as experienced by people in the ICU. There are also interesting stories and interviews for other advanced life saving technologies that dramatically change the patient’s quality of life. The book humanizes many of our medical advances.
May 15, 2018
I learned a lot here (particularly about the "in between") about the medical world that I had no knowledge of before. The stories are told with thoughtfulness and tenderness and really bring the people to life.
October 2, 2018
Actually I didn’t finish the book but it was due to the library because it was on hold for another reader. It was ok but I’m not sure I’ll request it again to finish it.
September 9, 2021
I love listening to doctors tell human interest stories about their patients.
November 23, 2018
Enjoyed this one. Daniela Lamas writes well and draws you into the lives of her patients. Should be required reading for anyone providing care to patients in an intensive care unit (ICU).
August 12, 2018
These stories were directly relevant to my work on a hospital oncology floor, and reminded me of many ethically murky cases we've had. It was helpful to read about Lamas' reflections to help me process my own. At the same time, I was disappointed that sometimes it seemed she repeated herself without adding anything in the reflection, merely a summary... and re-summary. Could have been some tighter editing. Regardless, I'll likely recommend it to my colleagues in medicine.
September 19, 2019
Audiobook. Several stories of different patients who have life threatening illnesses from the effects of being in critical care to life before and after kidney or lung transplants. Great insight into the emotions of the patient, their loved ones, and the medical health professionals that treat them.
June 25, 2018
This book was well written and opened my eyes fully to the horror of palliative care and what that really means. My takeaway is that there are lots of things worse than dying. I left it depressed and desperately afraid of head injuries. Our medical situation in America doesn't even work for normal injuries and illnesses. Head injuries are just stacked up and intubated and left to live out years with no quality of life. Terrifying.
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