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Ice Bound: A Doctor's Incredible Battle For Survival at the South Pole
A physician stranded at a South Pole research station describes how she discovered a lump in her breast, treated herself with a biopsy and chemotherapy, and was rescued by the Air National Guard during a daring mission to Antarctica and reflects on the meaning of her experience and the dedication and support of her colleagues. Reprint. 150,000 first printing.
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
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August 22, 2022
One of the first things I did when I read Ice Bound was to check on Nielsen's wiki page. I thought she would not have one. But she had a wiki entry. And though I was temporarily monumentally gutted about Nielsen dying as far back as in 2009, I was glad because she beat her cancer the first time around, and was ready for the cruel and fated rematch where the cancer took her on her terms. She and death went from this mortal world hand in hand.
I took my time reading Jerri Nielsen's memoir. It is a superb book. It is a direct, touching, and humane story of a self imposed exile to the South Pole for a woman who was a tough customer and who was adventurous to her bones. Antarctica is the remotest, coldest, and loneliest place on earth. The continent thought, " well, I can't count on malaria and dengue to discourage visitors, let's mess with their minds directly through cold". Cold like the South Pole is beyond cold such as what is found in your freezer. Cold in the South Pole is probably - and I am relying on my imagination here - like fire and knives combined.
I was sad that Nielsen did not survive, but I thought that I would rather die at the age of 57, the age when the cancer in the doctor metastasised to her brain, rather than die at the age of 85, with all my kin (or almost) dead before me. How sweet would it be, to have my parents and brother surrounding my deathbed, while I drifted to a morphine induced unconsciousness, safe in the knowledge that my sight had transferred the most comforting and perfect image from my life to my dying brain.
After I had started reading the book, I found that I was getting affected by it. I felt numb as if I was getting cold. I felt solitude like I was in a slum or a cell or a maze. I decided to read the book only when there was someone in my room. This way the book lasted longer and I was pitched into the thoughts of Doctor Jerri Nielsen and Big John, and Roo, and Lisa the woman who for April Fool raided the store of their base at Antarctica with a fellow female (excuse the contradiction).
There was no bugs or animals of any kind in the bottom of the world. The elements and the Circadian rhythm of the inhabitants there though, got messed up. Though there was law active on the continent, there were only the customs that the Polies (as they called themselves) made up on the spot. There was the regression of Jerri and Big to a more primitive state. They became closer to their neighbours. They became feral, and they didn't mind not speaking for hours. The group of well drilled and physically and mentally tough people, all of them carrying experience and skills such as medicine (for Jerri only, the sole doctor in that group) engineering, science, and astronomy among many other skills such as polymathy, multilingualism, and artistry, turned into a stone age tribe.
The group of Polies had to contend with loneliness, yet Jerri had been looking forward to the temp workers leaving the place so as to winter during the ultimate of all winters. For the companion of Jerri was to be the Dark, and the Cold, where the Sun would not appear for months. No wonder the group became like cave dwellers. No wonder Jerri felt reluctant to return to civilisation as we know it. For Nielsen has tasted the loneliness and the silence of a bare world. She could not get enough of it yet.
So you see, the taught and received ideas of comfort, safety, and communication that seemed so natural in the here and the now, vanished there. Nielsen had realised the blinding thought that by domesticating animals and cultivating grain, humanity had domesticated itself. By refraining from nomad status, humanity has farmed out intellectuals and labourers alike. Humanity had made a social ladder to climb. And Nielsen was not eager to return to the rat race, to the corporate ladder and all that it meant. Who can blame her?
So Jerri Nielsen, after a clean bill of health from her clinic, got waylaid by breast cancer in a place and at a time cut off from the rest of the human population. She had not the personnel nor even the tools to cure her. She had to be evacuated. She performed a biopsy on herself and underwent chemotherapy while the US was corralling a couple of high tech planes to reach and rescue her. The book, apart from the experience that it sprang upon you, was an account of adventure and hope. Jerri survived for enough time to make her life a success. I have so much more to say on this book, but it will have to suffice that the memoir changed me. Death has fear over me but no longer holds thrall over me. That has changed for the better.
I took my time reading Jerri Nielsen's memoir. It is a superb book. It is a direct, touching, and humane story of a self imposed exile to the South Pole for a woman who was a tough customer and who was adventurous to her bones. Antarctica is the remotest, coldest, and loneliest place on earth. The continent thought, " well, I can't count on malaria and dengue to discourage visitors, let's mess with their minds directly through cold". Cold like the South Pole is beyond cold such as what is found in your freezer. Cold in the South Pole is probably - and I am relying on my imagination here - like fire and knives combined.
I was sad that Nielsen did not survive, but I thought that I would rather die at the age of 57, the age when the cancer in the doctor metastasised to her brain, rather than die at the age of 85, with all my kin (or almost) dead before me. How sweet would it be, to have my parents and brother surrounding my deathbed, while I drifted to a morphine induced unconsciousness, safe in the knowledge that my sight had transferred the most comforting and perfect image from my life to my dying brain.
After I had started reading the book, I found that I was getting affected by it. I felt numb as if I was getting cold. I felt solitude like I was in a slum or a cell or a maze. I decided to read the book only when there was someone in my room. This way the book lasted longer and I was pitched into the thoughts of Doctor Jerri Nielsen and Big John, and Roo, and Lisa the woman who for April Fool raided the store of their base at Antarctica with a fellow female (excuse the contradiction).
There was no bugs or animals of any kind in the bottom of the world. The elements and the Circadian rhythm of the inhabitants there though, got messed up. Though there was law active on the continent, there were only the customs that the Polies (as they called themselves) made up on the spot. There was the regression of Jerri and Big to a more primitive state. They became closer to their neighbours. They became feral, and they didn't mind not speaking for hours. The group of well drilled and physically and mentally tough people, all of them carrying experience and skills such as medicine (for Jerri only, the sole doctor in that group) engineering, science, and astronomy among many other skills such as polymathy, multilingualism, and artistry, turned into a stone age tribe.
The group of Polies had to contend with loneliness, yet Jerri had been looking forward to the temp workers leaving the place so as to winter during the ultimate of all winters. For the companion of Jerri was to be the Dark, and the Cold, where the Sun would not appear for months. No wonder the group became like cave dwellers. No wonder Jerri felt reluctant to return to civilisation as we know it. For Nielsen has tasted the loneliness and the silence of a bare world. She could not get enough of it yet.
So you see, the taught and received ideas of comfort, safety, and communication that seemed so natural in the here and the now, vanished there. Nielsen had realised the blinding thought that by domesticating animals and cultivating grain, humanity had domesticated itself. By refraining from nomad status, humanity has farmed out intellectuals and labourers alike. Humanity had made a social ladder to climb. And Nielsen was not eager to return to the rat race, to the corporate ladder and all that it meant. Who can blame her?
So Jerri Nielsen, after a clean bill of health from her clinic, got waylaid by breast cancer in a place and at a time cut off from the rest of the human population. She had not the personnel nor even the tools to cure her. She had to be evacuated. She performed a biopsy on herself and underwent chemotherapy while the US was corralling a couple of high tech planes to reach and rescue her. The book, apart from the experience that it sprang upon you, was an account of adventure and hope. Jerri survived for enough time to make her life a success. I have so much more to say on this book, but it will have to suffice that the memoir changed me. Death has fear over me but no longer holds thrall over me. That has changed for the better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 21, 2020
Terrific read! Why did I leave it on my shelf unread all these years!!?? Dr. Jerri Nielson loves a good adventure, is tiring of the bureaucracies of the practice of medicine and has been beaten down by a disastrous marriage & the loss of her children. She sees an ad seeking a physician for a year assignment at the South Pole and before ya know it, she is packing for what will be a life-changing period in her life ( good and bad). You may remember her. There was a lot of publicity about her discovering a mass in her breast, how they biopsied it & subsequent treatment before she could leave. But that really doesn't happen until after halfway through the book. I loved reading about the interesting characters that seek to winter over on Antarctica (the Polies), the wonderful close-knit family they become, and the crazy stuff they do to spice up life in perpetual darkness and cold. Talk about being locked-down!!! I wanted to dance with them, have a few slushies and feel warmed by the friendship of people thrown together who care about you warts and all! I'm cold averse so that assignment would never entice me, but the lifestyle does. There is plenty of humor along with some scary moments.
In one of the chapters the poem that was cited might strike you as especially relevant for us now
Counting flowers on the wall,
that don't bother me at all,
Playing solitaire till dawn, with a deck of fifty-one, smoking cigarettes and watching Captain Kangaroo,
Now don't tell me,
I've got nothing to do.
"Flowers in the Wall" by the Statler Brothers.
In one of the chapters the poem that was cited might strike you as especially relevant for us now
Counting flowers on the wall,
that don't bother me at all,
Playing solitaire till dawn, with a deck of fifty-one, smoking cigarettes and watching Captain Kangaroo,
Now don't tell me,
I've got nothing to do.
"Flowers in the Wall" by the Statler Brothers.
January 23, 2021
Dr. Jerri Nielsen was serving a one year contract as the only doctor at the research center located at the South Pole when she discovered a lump on her breast. With no way to evacuate her for months and with limited equipment, she made international news when she biopsied herself. A daring air drop provided her with chemo drugs until it was safe to land a plane. I particularly enjoyed the earlier part of this book which described life at an isolated research station in extreme conditions. Maybe because I have read other cancer accounts, I was less intrigued by her very honest and raw account of reacting to a cancer diagnosis. 3.5 stars
March 28, 2008
This was one of my favorite books ever. I found the most interesting part to be the description of what they do at the South Pole to stay sane and keep themselves amused. How much they look forward to receiving 'freshies' (fresh fruit and veggies) from the next drop-off.....how they form bonds with each other.......how they survive the long dar cold times...how cut-off they are from the world, yet have e-mail access....the story about the Doctor finding the lump doesn't even come about until about halfway through. Then, it's an amazing description about how everyone comes together to help her. I have read it twice and it's one book I don't think I will ever give away.
April 25, 2011
Twelve years ago Jerri Nielsen wintered over at Antarctica, discovered a lump in her breast, and had to be airlifted out.
Eleven years ago she published a book about the experience, and signed the copy I have.
Three years ago she died.
Her story is tremendously compelling, and much of it is well-written. The book alternates between narrative and emails between Dr. Nielsen and her family and doctors. The emails show that Dr. Nielsen was a good writer. The narrative parts seem more like the ghostwritten parts - a bit more stilted and formulaic, though not bad.
I recommend it.
Eleven years ago she published a book about the experience, and signed the copy I have.
Three years ago she died.
Her story is tremendously compelling, and much of it is well-written. The book alternates between narrative and emails between Dr. Nielsen and her family and doctors. The emails show that Dr. Nielsen was a good writer. The narrative parts seem more like the ghostwritten parts - a bit more stilted and formulaic, though not bad.
I recommend it.
May 1, 2023
4.5/5 (I'm rating her writing and biopsy etc not her experiences)
This was a motivational and an interesting biography.
My Personal Thoughts
Leena and Luffy, many thanks for the buddy read which made the book more memorable.
This. Was. Surreal.
The events in this book were so unbelievable. I love Nielson's family. She herself is a great survivor. This book was also my first nonfiction of the year. And this did not disappoint.. I especially liked all her parties at the Pole. It was also an inspirational book..
The Experiences
I won't judge her experiences, but her adventure at the Pole was just so good. The book deserves 4 stars for that. I just didn't love the fact that Nielson sweetened the South Pole a little too much.. but that wasn't a big deal..
The BR
I loved reading this book, especially with a BR. It was nice to read in a group. Who knows I'd have never read this if it weren't for Luffy. Lol.
The Writing
The writing wasn't too that good. But come on she wrote really well for a doctor. Most of the events were described properly and the writing was also understandable.
Overall, a good read, might reread it later.
This was a motivational and an interesting biography.
My Personal Thoughts
Leena and Luffy, many thanks for the buddy read which made the book more memorable.
This. Was. Surreal.
The events in this book were so unbelievable. I love Nielson's family. She herself is a great survivor. This book was also my first nonfiction of the year. And this did not disappoint.. I especially liked all her parties at the Pole. It was also an inspirational book..
The Experiences
I won't judge her experiences, but her adventure at the Pole was just so good. The book deserves 4 stars for that. I just didn't love the fact that Nielson sweetened the South Pole a little too much.. but that wasn't a big deal..
The BR
I loved reading this book, especially with a BR. It was nice to read in a group. Who knows I'd have never read this if it weren't for Luffy. Lol.
The Writing
The writing wasn't too that good. But come on she wrote really well for a doctor. Most of the events were described properly and the writing was also understandable.
Overall, a good read, might reread it later.
August 9, 2019
Although the author felt almost possessed to tell her side of the bitter divorce and her estrangement from her children, I felt that it didn’t impact the story and could have easily been edited out. I know she was saying that this history was one of the reasons she choose to go to to the South Pole and that ultimately the family dynamics were almost as traumatic for her as the breast cancer, but without this information, it would have been just as intriguing for me.
My favorite part was reading about how no task seemed insurmountable to the team at the Antarctic and the ingenuity used to achieve them. If we could all live like everything is possible.....
The letters between Dr Nielsen and her oncologist was particularly poignant and reflected all the stages of grief (Nielsen) and an amazing compassion and insight (Miller).
My favorite part was reading about how no task seemed insurmountable to the team at the Antarctic and the ingenuity used to achieve them. If we could all live like everything is possible.....
The letters between Dr Nielsen and her oncologist was particularly poignant and reflected all the stages of grief (Nielsen) and an amazing compassion and insight (Miller).
February 18, 2010
As of the time covered by this book, 1999, only 1,200 humans had ever lived at the geographic South Pole, the center of Antarctica and the very bottom of the world. Even fewer had "wintered," there, hunkering down to survive from Feb-October when the temps could get to minus 100 and pitch darkness blankets the land and sky. The people who volunteer to take on the assignment -- free-spirits who nonetheless pull together in a jam -- comprise an almost cult-like exclusive band, self-dubbed "Polies." A Polie scoffs at the coddled people who work at McMurdo Station (or "Mactown"), 800 miles away at a lower elevation with better temps, more oxygen and more facilities. After spending a few months of the "summer" at the Scott-Amundsen U.S. South Pole station -- during which time the sun never sets, making a circular orbit of the sky -- Dr. Jerri Nielsen (the station's sole physician for the season) and the remaining winter crew "shut down" the post to wait out the long, dark Antarctic winter. Because of the increased cold, the atmospheric pressure and low oxygen at that altitude and other factors, living at the pole can cause all kinds of unusual physical ailments and drive people mad; becoming "toasted" is what they call it. It's not uncommon to treat the common malady of cracked and bleeding fingers -- due to the severely dry air -- with Super Glue, a practice that would be deemed toxic elsewhere. In this remarkable book, the late Dr. Nielsen crafted a tale that is part personal memoir, part journey of self-realization in the face of death, and part rollicking good adventure yarn. The first half of the book is an excellent rundown of all the peculiar tactics people have to resort to to survive in a completely uninhabitable environment, and the constant jury-rigging and ingenuity needed to contend with the everyday breakdowns of equipment (and people) that occur in that climate. The South Pole station has been greatly improved since this book was written. In the mid-2000s the "Dome" station in use since 1975 was abandoned for a larger, more comfortable, better equipped and better staffed facility. Hopefully, the new digs will help avert the everyday catastrophes recounted in vivid detail in this book. The book's second half relates Nielsen's battle with breast cancer that suddenly flared up during her wintering; how she had to do biopsies on herself in tandem with her medically inexperienced colleagues and via very dodgy communications hookups with the outside world. It was a story that gained a lot of international media attention in 1999. The earliest part of the book goes into Nielsen's backstory, a quick overview of the circumstances of her life that brought her to take on this unusual adventure. Some of it deals with a horrendous marriage and the fear she had of her ex-husband. Although some of this doesn't pass the smell test (it's hard to fully trust a "he said, she said" account of marital strife, and it's hard to quite understand how a brave woman could be so cowed by this apparent jerk) it does make one understand partly why Nielsen had to get away from the "real world." With mysterious "ice booms" reverberating throughout the facility, sudden fires started by static electricity in the dry air and countless other everyday dangers, Nielsen had to somehow care for patients while treating herself in a weakened state under chemo and in the already tiring polar conditions. It's a great story that might have done with a bit more trimming, but the writing is clear and the voice sincere. All in all, certainly one of the best adventure-survival books out there, and a first-rate primer on the unique problems humans face on the pole.
May 11, 2022
We've two signed copies of this at Heirloom Books. Looking for a light read between customers at the shop and being interested in what life is like at the South Pole, I picked this off the shelves.
Dr. Jerri Nielsen was the sole physician at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in 1999. While there she contracted breast cancer. Thus, while the first half of her book is about adjusting to life at the Pole, the second is a memoir about cancer under extreme conditions, much of it consisting of emailed communications.
This tale was reproduced as a made-for-television movie starring Susan Sarandon, a film I was able to watch on the Web last night. It isn't great and wasn't, disappointingly, filmed at the Pole, but it does stick pretty well to the book.
Dr. Jerri Nielsen was the sole physician at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in 1999. While there she contracted breast cancer. Thus, while the first half of her book is about adjusting to life at the Pole, the second is a memoir about cancer under extreme conditions, much of it consisting of emailed communications.
This tale was reproduced as a made-for-television movie starring Susan Sarandon, a film I was able to watch on the Web last night. It isn't great and wasn't, disappointingly, filmed at the Pole, but it does stick pretty well to the book.
February 11, 2023
Wow! I knew very little about this book and was blown away by Dr. Jerri Nielsen's story. I don't envy her experiences in life but appreciated her sharing them in her book. I don't know if I'm adventurous enough to want to spend a year at the South Pole, but I loved hearing about her experiences in Antarctica. I'd never really given much thought about people that live there, so it was very fascinating getting a peek into what life at the South Pole was like in 1999. It's made me wonder if and how things have changed a couple of decades later.
As things take a turn for the worse and Jerri discovers breast cancer in herself, things got pretty serious. For me, it hit a bit too close to home as my mom had breast cancer. The last part of the book was very heavy and hard for me to get through; however, I really appreciated hearing Jerri's perspective, hopes, dreams, and fears.
I would recommend this book as I definitely learned a lot.
As things take a turn for the worse and Jerri discovers breast cancer in herself, things got pretty serious. For me, it hit a bit too close to home as my mom had breast cancer. The last part of the book was very heavy and hard for me to get through; however, I really appreciated hearing Jerri's perspective, hopes, dreams, and fears.
I would recommend this book as I definitely learned a lot.
August 31, 2009
In the continuous stream of NPR that is my life, I just learned that Jerri Nielson died of breast cancer. Dr. Nielson wrote a book I’ve read more than once, and that has now become the final solidification of my vow not to lend out well-loved books.
Her book, Ice Bound a Doctor's Incredible Battle For Survival at the South Pole, co-written with Maryanne Vollers, fit every criteria I have for a great read: engrossing plot (which I remember in more detail than usual, considering I read it years and years ago) writing which flows (just read the first page on Amazon,) gotta-find-outness (for goodness sake, she discovers she has breast cancer while in Antarctica,) and all sorts of juicy subplots (family troubles, check; intriguing setting which is a story in itself, check; side characters who you deeply care about, check; heroics large and small, check, check, check.
Nielson was hired for one year at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station on Antarctica, a place where a year brings one sunrise and one sunset. It remains night for the entire winter; you can’t leave during this weather. “Winterover” crews are there for the duration, dependent only on each other.
Saying it’s cold is like saying ants are small.
Nielsen must perform a biopsy on herself after finding a lump in her breast. And that is just the beginning of this amazing tale of medical courage and adventure. I’ve already sent for two copies from Amazon—one for me, and one for lending. I know no better way to honor this woman, than by re-reading her memoir.
The best of authors become part of the book family who whom keep you going. They offer solace, fun, interest, company, adventure, insight, escape, and flashes of brilliance. Dr. Jerri Nielson felt like one of those friends. Rest in peace, Jerri.
February 27, 2009
Finished it last night Feb. 26.
Overall it was interesting, I liked to learn a bit more about how they lived there but after a while it became repetitive, all the talk about what they did daily, how much they loved each other and how much better they are than people not on the ice. (that was what I felt)
The first half of the book is about how they live there and just a little part is about the cancer.
Did she fall in love with a married man? was I the only one who noticed that? I do know when you live in close quarters you will fall in love quicker.
Overall it was interesting, I liked to learn a bit more about how they lived there but after a while it became repetitive, all the talk about what they did daily, how much they loved each other and how much better they are than people not on the ice. (that was what I felt)
The first half of the book is about how they live there and just a little part is about the cancer.
Did she fall in love with a married man? was I the only one who noticed that? I do know when you live in close quarters you will fall in love quicker.
October 21, 2008
Though I don't particularly like her writing style, this woman had a pretty incredible experience. She wintered over at the South Pole, and had to diagnose and treat herself for breast cancer. It was a little taxing at times to read through a voice so eager to sound nonchalantly adventurous and poetic. But, despite that it's a book that provides some interesting food for thought.
August 12, 2008
How I Came To Read This Book: My mom owned it.
The Plot: Jerri Nielsen is reeling from a messy divorce and overall estrangement from her family. She takes a doctor's post in Antarctica to escape her life, and is quickly enchanted (but also a tad frightened) by the hearty, jolly, community lifestyle down there. Things take a turn for the worse when Jerri diagnoses herself with serious, potentially fatal, breast cancer - right in the peak of the season when planes cannot fly in or out of the region. To top it off, she has to deal with ill (sometimes mentally) community mates, and a ill-fated romance with a married man. Sounds like a great piece of fiction right? It's not, it's real.
The Good or Bad: This book is an awesome glimpse into life in Antarctica - and certainly an eye-opening one as well. However, I truly disliked the author/main character. The book is written defensively and plaintively, as though we should be extremely (forcefully) empathetic with Jerri, even though her behaviour throughout the book suggests otherwise. I found she spent too much time in her head and her emotions rather than focusing on her incredible survival story and overall experience in Antarctica. I remember thinking she also was very smug in the way she wrote the book - as in, although she relayed her tales at the pole, she often had this tone (if not explicitly stated) that suggested "You wouldn't understand anyway."
Anything Memorable?: I lent this book to a now ex-boyfriend of mine as he was interested in visiting/living in Antarctica. The book was a wake-up call for me to the contrary (not that I ever had the desire to live there). Anyway I left the book at his place and sorely wish I hadn't.
Bottom Line: A unique glimpse at the South Pole lifestyle - but one that could have been made better with a more objective author (See Trevor Corson for a good example of nonfiction!)
50 Book Challenge?: Nope.
Retro Review: Dr. Jerri Nielsen's trek to the South Pole would have been filled with danger no matter what...most of the people that head down there must have a few screws loose to want to spend a year in complete darkness, with extremely cold temperatures, only to lose (in part) their social skills, their memories, and their sanity. What makes her story somewhat extraordinary is the fact that as the only trained medical professional 'wintering over' at the South Pole, she diagnosed and was forced to treat her own breast cancer with a small untrained support staff.
The book takes you on the journey of how Nielsen got to the pole - and how she got out, and the factors attributed to both. With mounting frustrations over her estranged family, including her children, and with the US medical system, Nielsen, an adventurer in her mind, took up the opportunity to head down south...way south. What lay there was a network of amazing friends, and a workload of amazing proportions. Even in the cancer-ridden portions of Jerri's story, she often mentions lighthearted evenings and events and the plight of others over her own pain.
My problems with the book? First off I'm not a huge fan of how Nielsen wrote the story. Her tone is somewhat smug, as though she is writing an insiders guide that can only really be understood by her fellow "polies". She re-iterates many times over how special and wonderful it was, and how clueless the rest of the world is, and while I believe the experience was incredible, 160+ pages of exposition about the day-to-day events of the pole isn't necessarily relevant to the tag line of the book "A Doctor's Incredible Battle for Survival"...it almost feels as though Jerri would have written this book as a memoir for herself had it not been for the international interest in her cancer case. The main interest being her cancer, it is somewhat misleading as to what Jerri actually puts into the book, as though she wants to make sure she acknowledges every person that came across her path while she was there, rather than discuss her cancer case.
My second issue was with the language. At times the medical talk was too intense for the average reader, leaving you drawing blanks. Most of the understanding of Jerri's cancer came from the back and forth e-mails between Nielsen and her cancer specialist Kathy.
Another issue I had was how the book meandered at times with Jerri's dreams and plans for the future. There were some e-mails and long descriptions of what Jerri and other wanted to do that I could hardly be bothered to read them in entirety. I think most people, like myself, would be more interested in the present situation in the story rather than read a two-page letter her brother wrote on sailing his boat into space.
I think altogether I appreciated this book more of a study of Antartica and what it is like to live there (insane by the way) rather than reading it for the sensational story Nielsen promises to divulge in regards to her cancer. I have admiration for what she did, and think it was important for her to acknowledge the media in some way, but I just wasn't totally sold on the actual book itself.
Plus Amazon comment (woo!): Good review. Thank you for having the courage not to 'rubber stamp' a popular book.
The Plot: Jerri Nielsen is reeling from a messy divorce and overall estrangement from her family. She takes a doctor's post in Antarctica to escape her life, and is quickly enchanted (but also a tad frightened) by the hearty, jolly, community lifestyle down there. Things take a turn for the worse when Jerri diagnoses herself with serious, potentially fatal, breast cancer - right in the peak of the season when planes cannot fly in or out of the region. To top it off, she has to deal with ill (sometimes mentally) community mates, and a ill-fated romance with a married man. Sounds like a great piece of fiction right? It's not, it's real.
The Good or Bad: This book is an awesome glimpse into life in Antarctica - and certainly an eye-opening one as well. However, I truly disliked the author/main character. The book is written defensively and plaintively, as though we should be extremely (forcefully) empathetic with Jerri, even though her behaviour throughout the book suggests otherwise. I found she spent too much time in her head and her emotions rather than focusing on her incredible survival story and overall experience in Antarctica. I remember thinking she also was very smug in the way she wrote the book - as in, although she relayed her tales at the pole, she often had this tone (if not explicitly stated) that suggested "You wouldn't understand anyway."
Anything Memorable?: I lent this book to a now ex-boyfriend of mine as he was interested in visiting/living in Antarctica. The book was a wake-up call for me to the contrary (not that I ever had the desire to live there). Anyway I left the book at his place and sorely wish I hadn't.
Bottom Line: A unique glimpse at the South Pole lifestyle - but one that could have been made better with a more objective author (See Trevor Corson for a good example of nonfiction!)
50 Book Challenge?: Nope.
Retro Review: Dr. Jerri Nielsen's trek to the South Pole would have been filled with danger no matter what...most of the people that head down there must have a few screws loose to want to spend a year in complete darkness, with extremely cold temperatures, only to lose (in part) their social skills, their memories, and their sanity. What makes her story somewhat extraordinary is the fact that as the only trained medical professional 'wintering over' at the South Pole, she diagnosed and was forced to treat her own breast cancer with a small untrained support staff.
The book takes you on the journey of how Nielsen got to the pole - and how she got out, and the factors attributed to both. With mounting frustrations over her estranged family, including her children, and with the US medical system, Nielsen, an adventurer in her mind, took up the opportunity to head down south...way south. What lay there was a network of amazing friends, and a workload of amazing proportions. Even in the cancer-ridden portions of Jerri's story, she often mentions lighthearted evenings and events and the plight of others over her own pain.
My problems with the book? First off I'm not a huge fan of how Nielsen wrote the story. Her tone is somewhat smug, as though she is writing an insiders guide that can only really be understood by her fellow "polies". She re-iterates many times over how special and wonderful it was, and how clueless the rest of the world is, and while I believe the experience was incredible, 160+ pages of exposition about the day-to-day events of the pole isn't necessarily relevant to the tag line of the book "A Doctor's Incredible Battle for Survival"...it almost feels as though Jerri would have written this book as a memoir for herself had it not been for the international interest in her cancer case. The main interest being her cancer, it is somewhat misleading as to what Jerri actually puts into the book, as though she wants to make sure she acknowledges every person that came across her path while she was there, rather than discuss her cancer case.
My second issue was with the language. At times the medical talk was too intense for the average reader, leaving you drawing blanks. Most of the understanding of Jerri's cancer came from the back and forth e-mails between Nielsen and her cancer specialist Kathy.
Another issue I had was how the book meandered at times with Jerri's dreams and plans for the future. There were some e-mails and long descriptions of what Jerri and other wanted to do that I could hardly be bothered to read them in entirety. I think most people, like myself, would be more interested in the present situation in the story rather than read a two-page letter her brother wrote on sailing his boat into space.
I think altogether I appreciated this book more of a study of Antartica and what it is like to live there (insane by the way) rather than reading it for the sensational story Nielsen promises to divulge in regards to her cancer. I have admiration for what she did, and think it was important for her to acknowledge the media in some way, but I just wasn't totally sold on the actual book itself.
Plus Amazon comment (woo!): Good review. Thank you for having the courage not to 'rubber stamp' a popular book.
January 13, 2025
Fascinating look at daily operations at the South Pole during winter. Everything about Antarctica is interesting to me. I can't imagine going through this ordeal!
September 12, 2020
A memoir of a physician who was part of the crew "wintering over" at South Pole Station in Antarctica, who developed breast cancer about a month after the 7ish-month period began where no one could get in or out due to cold and ice.
Imagine the claustrophobic terror of this. You can't get out for another half a year. There's a lump in your breast that is growing steadily. You start having constant pain under your right arm as well. And as the only doctor, you'd be endangering everyone else as well if you died or became incapacitated.
I found this book completely riveting. The obvious drama of the main storyline was interesting enough on its own, but what I personally found even more interesting were all the details about living in Antarctica--particularly the extremeness of the South Pole Station (there are 2 others)--and the (ingenious) lengths to which human beings have to go to survive there.
How they have to warm up the freezers and fridge so food doesn't get too cold. The extreme clothing they must wear. How virtually everyone gets frostbite at some point, despite expertise on the subject. How they power and backup the living and working quarters. How and when the machines stop working in the extreme cold of winter, and how they get by without them. What happens to the human body in extreme, persistent cold and dark (the effects of hypoxia include memory loss, moodiness, and antisocial behavior). But also the deep bonding of the inhabitants, who essentially become a family.
I couldn't put it down. All this trouble and effort, but for such rich scientific reasons and rewards--the science being done there in astronomy and environment/climate studies couldn't be done as well anywhere else. It's all for a great cause but how it is all done without killing people is fascinating.
Imagine the claustrophobic terror of this. You can't get out for another half a year. There's a lump in your breast that is growing steadily. You start having constant pain under your right arm as well. And as the only doctor, you'd be endangering everyone else as well if you died or became incapacitated.
I found this book completely riveting. The obvious drama of the main storyline was interesting enough on its own, but what I personally found even more interesting were all the details about living in Antarctica--particularly the extremeness of the South Pole Station (there are 2 others)--and the (ingenious) lengths to which human beings have to go to survive there.
How they have to warm up the freezers and fridge so food doesn't get too cold. The extreme clothing they must wear. How virtually everyone gets frostbite at some point, despite expertise on the subject. How they power and backup the living and working quarters. How and when the machines stop working in the extreme cold of winter, and how they get by without them. What happens to the human body in extreme, persistent cold and dark (the effects of hypoxia include memory loss, moodiness, and antisocial behavior). But also the deep bonding of the inhabitants, who essentially become a family.
I couldn't put it down. All this trouble and effort, but for such rich scientific reasons and rewards--the science being done there in astronomy and environment/climate studies couldn't be done as well anywhere else. It's all for a great cause but how it is all done without killing people is fascinating.
August 14, 2024
A little bland and longer than it needs to be, but not bad. Ah here we go. It’s more of a tale of Antarctica than it is a memoir. Starting to get into it now. I feel like this might have been a cultural phenomenon that I missed when I was a kid. 3.8 stars
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November 23, 20245 stars.
February 22, 2025
I was cautiously optimistic when I picked up this memoir (I had literally no knowledge of anything, no context whatsoever), but I was not expecting to be absolutely blown away within the first chapter. And that was just her giving her backstory. We weren't even in Antarctica yet!
This is what every memoir should be. Well-researched, detail-oriented, with inclusion of other people's memories and views, including excerpts from emails, poems, and books written and read during the time itself so it's not all just subjective recollection. But at the same time, Dr. Nielsen's story remains so personal and vulnerable. You get a sense of her personality so quickly, and feel for her so deeply, and you develop a weird longing for the coldest place on Earth as she describes it to you.
The most unforgettable part of this book is how she describes the community at the South Pole in '99 - the "Polies," as she calls them. How they got to know each other so intimately, planned community events, weathered the most horrible things together -- a collection of brilliant but restless minds with very specific skill sets. How weird is it that Nielsen make you wish you were a member of a small group of people in the most extreme cold on Earth, literally unable to see anyone else in the outside world? I laughed when her mom sent her an email about how it sounded like she had joined a cult, because... um, yes. Totally.
Just to hit home how refreshingly open-hearted this memoir was, Nielsen talks constantly about her best friend at the Pole, Big John Penney. I was glad she had him while going through chemo, but I was fretting quite a bit over how Big was married. Because it did seem to me like Big & Nielsen had more than platonic chemistry going on. And I was thinking, how will I talk about this in my review? Should I? Is that defamation or something, to accuse someone of emotionally cheating based on a memoir? And then towards the end Nielsen looks you in the eye and acknowledges that she had something with Big, but he was married, and so she knew it would never go anywhere -- and that it hurt to think of it. That kind of raw honesty just pierces straight through you. How human we all are.
I learned so much from this book that I had never even thought to consider before and I will be thinking about it for a long time. Rest in peace, Dr. Nielsen.
This is what every memoir should be. Well-researched, detail-oriented, with inclusion of other people's memories and views, including excerpts from emails, poems, and books written and read during the time itself so it's not all just subjective recollection. But at the same time, Dr. Nielsen's story remains so personal and vulnerable. You get a sense of her personality so quickly, and feel for her so deeply, and you develop a weird longing for the coldest place on Earth as she describes it to you.
The most unforgettable part of this book is how she describes the community at the South Pole in '99 - the "Polies," as she calls them. How they got to know each other so intimately, planned community events, weathered the most horrible things together -- a collection of brilliant but restless minds with very specific skill sets. How weird is it that Nielsen make you wish you were a member of a small group of people in the most extreme cold on Earth, literally unable to see anyone else in the outside world? I laughed when her mom sent her an email about how it sounded like she had joined a cult, because... um, yes. Totally.
Just to hit home how refreshingly open-hearted this memoir was, Nielsen talks constantly about her best friend at the Pole, Big John Penney. I was glad she had him while going through chemo, but I was fretting quite a bit over how Big was married. Because it did seem to me like Big & Nielsen had more than platonic chemistry going on. And I was thinking, how will I talk about this in my review? Should I? Is that defamation or something, to accuse someone of emotionally cheating based on a memoir? And then towards the end Nielsen looks you in the eye and acknowledges that she had something with Big, but he was married, and so she knew it would never go anywhere -- and that it hurt to think of it. That kind of raw honesty just pierces straight through you. How human we all are.
I learned so much from this book that I had never even thought to consider before and I will be thinking about it for a long time. Rest in peace, Dr. Nielsen.
March 10, 2021
I felt this story deeply. On the surface, it is a story about a female doctor's adventure at the American antarctic station. Below the surface is a mother reaching out to her estranged children, and seeking validation. Most of us will never go to Antarctica, but those of us who are parents are all too aware of the painful process of letting go of our children as they grow from dependent children into independent adults. They may or may not reject you as a parent (probably will as teenagers), but in any case, the parent must adapt and accept.
The detailed account of Nielson's experience at the station during the dark months is compelling and informative. I found it an excellent read.
The detailed account of Nielson's experience at the station during the dark months is compelling and informative. I found it an excellent read.
August 13, 2011
Amazing book! Dr. Nielsen's choice to go to Antarctica to the south pole Scott-Amundsen Station and the insights it brought and the friendships formed. Unhappy with corporate medicine and procedures (she was an ER doctor), she saw an ad for a doctor for the south pole station. She applied and was accepted. She went in 1998 to winterover with the base staff. Since a new station was being constructed nearby, this was about the last winter for residence at this one. There was also a consstruction crew for the winterover for the first time. She was the only doctor/nurse for 41 people over the arctic winter, dealing with construction injuries, problems with the physiological altitude - many people suffered from altitude sickness, lack of humidity, dental problems, etc. for the six months of polar night when it got coler than minus 100 F and the sun never shone. Six months into this, and 2 months into the polar winter, she discovered a lump in her breast one night. Then, it grew. With the help of some of her closest friends, she managed to do a biopsy on a live feed with a specialist and have it examined via satellite feed. It was affirmed as cancer. Then, the NSF decided to do an airdrop with chemotherapy drugs and stuff that was needed for treatment, etc. They decided to drop 6 crates with supplies - the essential stuff was all duplicated in case a crate was damaged. They also packed other goodies and treats - the favorite "freshies" (fresh fruits and vegetables which had run out).
The experience of these people thrown together for the polar winter who developed a tribal attitude - the lasting friendships formed - all is a wonderful exploration of life at the south pole in the closed community, as well as the absorbing story of her illness.
The experience of these people thrown together for the polar winter who developed a tribal attitude - the lasting friendships formed - all is a wonderful exploration of life at the south pole in the closed community, as well as the absorbing story of her illness.
February 18, 2010
I wasn't expecting to be stuck at home for a week due to 2 freak back-to-back snowstorms in Baltimore, so I wasn't prepared with something to read after I finished Age of Wonder. Thankfully bookshelf is stocked with plenty of free books I picked up working at Barnes and Noble many years ago or books cheaply bought at rummage sales that I've never read. This one actually appears to be a library withdrawal. After perusing my shelves for something to read I decided that Ice Bound would be an appropriate book to embark while snowed in and that it would probably make me feel less bad about the frozen tundra outside my own front door.
The book is about Dr. Jerri Nielson, who after a difficult divorce that left her estranged from her 3 children, decided to take a job as the doctor at the South Pole. Apparently the South Pole is staffed by one doctor, who is hired on an annual basis. She describes her experiences living and working as a doctor in Antarctica as well as the other people living and working there. Unfortunately during her stay she winds up self-diagnosing with breast cancer. Thus the end of the book is her tale of trying to keep herself alive with limited resources until winter is over and a plane can safely land to rescue her. It was a really good read.
The book is about Dr. Jerri Nielson, who after a difficult divorce that left her estranged from her 3 children, decided to take a job as the doctor at the South Pole. Apparently the South Pole is staffed by one doctor, who is hired on an annual basis. She describes her experiences living and working as a doctor in Antarctica as well as the other people living and working there. Unfortunately during her stay she winds up self-diagnosing with breast cancer. Thus the end of the book is her tale of trying to keep herself alive with limited resources until winter is over and a plane can safely land to rescue her. It was a really good read.
March 30, 2021
We become our better versions when we fight adversities bigger than us, never mind if we prevail or not. As they say, what matters is not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog! And when you are fighting in one of the toughest and roughest places on earth, not to mention the coldest, driest, highest and the most inhospitable, it isn't just a fight anymore. It is the spirit of what it takes to be a human, to be a nomad, to keep learning, and to keep pushing the barriers and expanding the horizons.
Not everyone gets to go to #Antarctica, and certainly not everyone gets to fight for survival over there. My 16-months stay at Antarctica gave me unique perspectives on life - how we take small little things for granted but out there, they become really big. And how the things that look big here seem so small and insignificant while out there! Dr. Jerri's story is not only full of small and yet accurate details about life on The Ice, but also a great story of the human spirit, the fight, the friendships, and a great story of hope. It will also make you realize that life is after all so easy in the real-world outside Antarctica.
https://www.audible.in/pd/Ice-Bound-A...
Not everyone gets to go to #Antarctica, and certainly not everyone gets to fight for survival over there. My 16-months stay at Antarctica gave me unique perspectives on life - how we take small little things for granted but out there, they become really big. And how the things that look big here seem so small and insignificant while out there! Dr. Jerri's story is not only full of small and yet accurate details about life on The Ice, but also a great story of the human spirit, the fight, the friendships, and a great story of hope. It will also make you realize that life is after all so easy in the real-world outside Antarctica.
https://www.audible.in/pd/Ice-Bound-A...
November 23, 2011
I really liked this book. Such a great story of woman, Jerri who survived a horrible marriage, even losing custody of her children to an evil man and decided to re-invent her sad life by becoming a South Pole doctor for one year. During the dark winter which lasts 7 months with no physical contact to the outside world.. she discovers a lump in her breast. She and her new family of co-workers fight to help her preserve her life until a rescue plane can come to her aid. This happens and she lives another ten years and has a new love and more adventures before the cancer finally comes back to claim her life.
May 28, 2014
I should've read more of the description before starting in to this one. I thought it would be a Shackleton type adventure of epic proportions. What Jerri Nielsen went through was pretty harrowing, just not in the style that I prefer to read.
April 30, 2007
She survived an incredible struggle, but her tone and focus are so self-important that it was hard for me to empathize.
October 16, 2020
Dr. Jerri Nielson was hired for one year at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station on Antarctica, a place where a year brings one sunrise and one sunset. It remains night for the entire winter; one cannot leave during this weather. “Winterover” crews are there for the duration, dependent only on each other.
During Dr. Nielson's time there, after crossing the threshold where no planes could fly in or out, Dr.Nielsen finds a lump in her breast and must perform a biopsy on herself. Thus begins an amazing tale of medical courage, endurance and ingenuity. I can imagine the lifetime friendships formed by individuals living and surviving in those conditions.
Her book, co-written with Maryanne Vollers, chronicles the experiences (in sickness and in heath) of Dr. Nielson and her co-workers at the South Pole and also features many subplots (family troubles; the incredible ingenuity required of each team member to survive a winter at the South Pole). The author(s) also had the skill to get us to know many of the team members AND to make one care deeply about each individual.
After finishing the book, I researched Dr. Jerri Nielson: she did die of breast cancer ten years after leaving the South Pole.
This is one book I will keep on my bookshelf.
During Dr. Nielson's time there, after crossing the threshold where no planes could fly in or out, Dr.Nielsen finds a lump in her breast and must perform a biopsy on herself. Thus begins an amazing tale of medical courage, endurance and ingenuity. I can imagine the lifetime friendships formed by individuals living and surviving in those conditions.
Her book, co-written with Maryanne Vollers, chronicles the experiences (in sickness and in heath) of Dr. Nielson and her co-workers at the South Pole and also features many subplots (family troubles; the incredible ingenuity required of each team member to survive a winter at the South Pole). The author(s) also had the skill to get us to know many of the team members AND to make one care deeply about each individual.
After finishing the book, I researched Dr. Jerri Nielson: she did die of breast cancer ten years after leaving the South Pole.
This is one book I will keep on my bookshelf.
August 17, 2019
A stellar read about a remarkable woman. As if attending medical school in the '70s in the U.S. as a woman or the fact she perservered as a wife and a mother in an abusive relationship weren't enough, Dr. Nielsen signs up as the lone medical personnel at the US Antarctic base to "winterover". Only a few months in to her assignment, Dr. Nielsen locates a lump on her breast. When the lump does not dissipate after her menstrual cycle and continues to grow in size and pain triggering, Dr. Nielsen and the base's team of mechanics, cooks, construction crew, and IT wizards begin the long journey of self-biopsies, BCB (blood count tests), and pre-turn of the century teleconferencing with a specialist in Indiana, USA with left over equipment from the US Navy that had not been refreshed since the 1970s from the bottom of the globe. While "Duffy's" immediate family and Polie family rally behind her in personnel and through email, her ex-husband and three kids abandon and disparage her fight for survival. An exciting, angering, and heartening read. Dear The U.S. Government - maybe spend the money to have two medically trained personal in the frozen hellscape that is the Antarctic when winterover commences due to the minus 100F temps and inability for planes to land more than half of the year? Just a thought.
June 17, 2018
Dr. Neilsen lived a semi-normal life. She was a wife, a mother and a doctor. When her life began to crumble she decided it was time to make a change. She went from being a wife, mother doctor to just being a doctor.
Then a new opportunity came knocking. She became the doctor at the research dome in Antartica. This book mostly discusses life at the pole. With temperatures that reach 100 below zero she, and the others who were stationed there all have to rely on each other. She had to rely on the crew a little more than most when she found she had a lump in her breast.
Having little contact with the outside world she would email and sometime webcast meeting with a doctor back in the states. They flew her in chemo and other drugs and equipment. It was the first time that the Dome received supplies like this. As the crew of the dome kept helping Dr. Neilsen through the effects of chemo, they formed an even tighter bond.
The mass seemed to keep growing and they were slightly concerned because of how quickly it was seeming to grow, that they medivac-ed her out.
Then a new opportunity came knocking. She became the doctor at the research dome in Antartica. This book mostly discusses life at the pole. With temperatures that reach 100 below zero she, and the others who were stationed there all have to rely on each other. She had to rely on the crew a little more than most when she found she had a lump in her breast.
Having little contact with the outside world she would email and sometime webcast meeting with a doctor back in the states. They flew her in chemo and other drugs and equipment. It was the first time that the Dome received supplies like this. As the crew of the dome kept helping Dr. Neilsen through the effects of chemo, they formed an even tighter bond.
The mass seemed to keep growing and they were slightly concerned because of how quickly it was seeming to grow, that they medivac-ed her out.
December 23, 2025
It honestly *probably* deserves 4 stars. This was my first nonfiction book and it was pretty easy to get through so that was nice. It was about a woman in Antarctica with cancer. It sort of felt like a documentary that was in the background originally but you tune in because a cool scene happens. Wasn’t not my cuppa but some of the science talk i had to glaze over. I was more interested in her divorce and the South Pole.
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