Vivien’s Comments (group member since Sep 28, 2012)

Vivien’s comments from the ELEVEN READER'S CLUB group.

She experiences elevator amnesia, and does not remember which floor her doctor is. She does final surgery in her life, oophorectomy. She continues to work at CBC tv shows, travelling between Vancouver and Toronto.


Strong/poignant word:

Then along comes Nellie, her nig brown eyes darting back and forth, her pink tongue panting rhythmically, her stubby tail wagging with delight. The crying continues; the food grows cold; Nellie disappears. Then we hear a stream of squeaks and squawks under the table. It's Nellie- accompanying our duet, improvising on her squeaky toy, chomping it in her mouth. The more we cry, the faster she squeaks, until we are sobbing and laughing hysterically at the same time, releasing weeks of pent-up tension and stress.


Three new words:

Deceptively: dishonest; ambiguous
Stencilled: Design, motif
Geriatric: Old; advanced in age


Examples of Rhetorical/Literary Devices:

"Hilda advice was more than music to his handyman ears; it was the authoritative voice of an angel commanding him, "Go forth and renovate." (Levy, 186)- Metaphor

"I feel as fragile as the eggs in my ovaries." (Levy, 186)- Simile

"To my horror, high-pithed honks wailed out of my nostrils, as loud and obnoxious as those noisemakers people toot on New year's Eve." (Levy, 188)- Allusion

A confident woman that is not ashamed of herself and her past. She reveals everything for the better future and generation.

Robyn had her mastecomy, and her husband, Bergen does not know about it yet. She decides to go to Vancouver to visit her friends and relatives to let them know the news.


Strong/poignant word:

"I think about this unfulfilled dream a lot these days. Perhaps it's not so far-fetched after all. It seems I'm well on my way to becoming someone else, anyone else but me- already I don't want to recognize myself in the mirror. How long before I actually can't?" (Levy, 143)


Three new words:

Debilitating: Hinder; delay; weaken
Undeterred: Brave; bold
Nullifies: Make legally null and void; invalidate


Examples of Rhetorical/Literary Devices:

"Entering the sliding glass doors of the BC Cancer Agency is like being swallowed by a benevolent monster: terrifying and comforting at the same time." (Levy, 149)

"She doesn't just cook up a storm; she cooks up an entire weather system." (Levy, 170) - Metaphor

"There are the zigzaggers who go diagonally from one rack to another. There are the wallflowers who prefer the tables near the walls. There are the groupies who dress the same and move in clumps. And there are the soloists who drift in and out with samples draped over one arm." (Levy, 177) - Alliteration


She becomes a fearless turtle, slow in motion but bold.

Robyn has breast cancer and the chapter starts off with her breast cancer expert Dr.Chung, examining and extracting a lump from her anaesthetized breast. Later, she undergoes mastectomy and feels self conscious when she goes out.


Strong/poignant word:

“Then she uncaps a red marker and starts scribbling curvy lines and decorative dots and dashes. Wgen she is done, my right breast resembles a preschooler’s drawing, the kind proud parents display on their fridge. It’s that good.” (Levy, 118)


Three new words:

Trepidation: tremble; fear
Gurney: A wheeled stretcher used for transporting hospital patients.
Vicarious: vicarial; experienced in the imagination through the feelings or actions of another person


Examples of Rhetorical/Literary Devices:

“I tell her that everything is empty: my stomach, my bladder, my bowels.” (Levy, 117)- alliteration

“My remaining time in hospital is spent under the spell of morphine.” (Levy, 121) – Metaphor

“Hilda is a woman of contradictions-stylish yet original, unpredictable yet reliable, manic yet composed, hilarious yet philosophical.” (Levy, 128) – Paradox


sweet reminiscence.

Robyn finds out that depression can be caused by a neurological disorder, so she does a brain MRI. The results show that she has Parkinson's disease, just like her father. Between these two chapters she is busy going to therapy, the neurological, Dr. Stoessl and a psychiatrist, Dr.Young.

Strong/poignant "word" image:
riveting, "Because winters on the west coast are wimpy." - (Levy, 76)

Three new words:
Extraterrestrial:outside; alien
Sclerosis:Abnormal hardening of body tissue
Scrutiny: analysis;inspection

Examples of rhetorical/literary devices:
"Sometimes they are so worried that their eyeballs roll right out of their socket as I slowly fumble through my purse to pay the clerk" (Levy, 55)- Hyperbole, sarcasm

"But I march to the beat of a disabled drummer." (Levy, 57) - Metaphor

"As autumn prepares to make way for winter, the neighbourhood squirrels are busy collecting nuts." (Levy, 59)- Imagery

With all these tragic diseases happening to her, she is still optimistic.

A family of three plus a dog living in Vancouver, the mother Robyn has depression. She works at CBC radio. She describes herself of having a “Cry Lady” inside of her that would make her choke up anytime. She is currently going through therapy and becomes friends with the cognitive behavioural therapist, Theresa. She trades her paintings for therapy sessions.

Strong/poignant "word" image:
asymptomatic, "My worries are endless and they all lead to dead ends." - (Levy,43).

Three new words:
Pseudo: Not genuine; false
Concoctions: Any foodstuff made by combining different ingredients
Chivalrous: Courteous, gallant, knightly

Examples of rhetorical/literary devices:
"Parkinson's is like an uninvited guest who moves in with you, constantly demands attention, and is impossible to ignore." (Levy, 46) - Simile, personification

"Sometimes they are so worried that their eyeballs roll right out of their sockets as I slowly fumble through my purse to pay the clerk" (Levy, 55) - Hyperbole, sarcasm

A lion-hearted woman that is not afraid to share her mind with the readers.

The book “Surviving My Medical Meltdown: Most of Me” by Robyn Levy allured me with her personal experience. She was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and later with breast cancer. This immediately caught my attention because one of my family members was in the same condition. Actually, both my grandfathers died because of cancer and I was not able to meet any of them. From my knowledge, I remember that one of my grandfathers passed away with lung cancer. Though, we do not know the actual cause of his death, but possibly the reason for being a long-term smoker and drinker. Another reason why I chose this book is because the content and style of the book. I am greatly interested in social psychology. I want to know how people related to her would react with her condition; whether if it is her co-workers, or family. Perhaps, she would feel isolated or her surroundings would lighten up her days. I saw a few sample pages on the internet before I purchased it and her writing was very appealing. She uses everyday English, and writes as if she is telling a story. It is simple and effortless to read; but most importantly she is true and down to earth. This strengthens my determination to keep reading because she is not hypocritical and does not give impressions of contradiction. Besides talking about her condition, she also mentions her daughter and how concerned she is towards her with her mood swings. This book can be advantageous in the future when I am in the shoes of her daughter or herself.