Product Description
From mortal illness to miraculous recovery, a doctor’s moving account of his own experience as a patient
At forty-two, Geoffrey Kurland, a pediatric pulmonologist specializing in such deadly diseases as cystic fibrosis, was diagnosed with hairy cell leukemia, a rare cancer with a statistically low survival rate. A remarkably fit man in training for 100-mile “extreme” races whose job is equally high performance, he is forced to confront the challenge of his own mortality. He tries to cope by turning inward in a desperate search for ever-elusive answers. As the doctor becomes a patient and lives through the terror and pain that he had until then only observed at a remove in his young patients, he le… More >>
Highly recommeded reading, well written. A doctor’s perspective when faced himself with a potentially lethal diagnosis. Geoffrey Kurland takes you along for this trip with humor and a high dose of reality. His story helps the reader put things in perspective.
Rating: 5 / 5
Our family was inspired by the stamina and ability to reach for the stars that doctor Kurland demonstrated in his book. It was quite helpful in dealing with our own personal fight against a difficult illness. I would certainly recommend this book to anyone dealing with disease and irony.As a doctor he has an aura of magnetic strength and is highly regarded in his profession. We tip our hats off to you!
Rating: 5 / 5
Nonfiction with all the excitement of a novel. It reads easily, stays on track, holds the reader’s interest and has to have wide appeal. How a physician barely survives a frightening disease and manages to achieve some lifelong dreams in the face of extreme adversity. It offers special insight to all of us as potential patients or medical providers, with some special appeal to runners and endurance athletes.
Rating: 5 / 5
Wonderful book with a lot of insight on the doctor being the patient. Despite the seriousness of the subject (diagnosis and treatment of lymphoma), it is sprinkled with humorous anecdotes about medical sub-specialists and medical training. Gives insight into physician thinking and training that should prove enlightening to non-physicians. A well-written, wise book by a great doctor.
Rating: 5 / 5
This book is a refreshingly candid, funny, and moving account of one physician’s experiences as a patient with a serious and often fatal illness. I found it difficult to put down, extremely well written, and accessible to both lay public and medical professional. Dr. Kurland’s account is an important addition to the genre addressing the patient experience. It is must reading for anyone involved in patient care… and anyone who might be a patient…
Rating: 5 / 5