Medical Memoirs

More of: You can't make this stuff up. A collection of true, short stories from the experiences that made me who I am. Some are funny, some serious, some sad, some empowering. Starting with some stories from my youth, then a bunch of stories of mostly medical related happenings.

"Findest du mich zu dick?" Immer wieder stellt Kathi dieselbe Frage. Denn Kathi ist magersüchtig. Ihr Leben besteht aus Abnehmen, Laufen und Kraftsport. Ihre Freundin Magersucht ist stets bei ihr, als Kathi immer weiter abmagert, die Haare vermehrt ausfallen und ihr bald jegliche Energie fehlt. Jedes Gramm weniger, das die Waage anzeigt, ist für die junge Frau eine Bestätigung, dass sie auf dem richtigen Weg ist. Dass sie ein Problem hat, merkt Kathi erst, als ihr Körper streikt und es fast zu spät ist. Mit nur 39 Kilogramm Körpergewicht wird sie in einer Spezialklinik aufgenommen.

This book is a continuation of my journey to become Red Dog's vet.

This story follows a shy, sixteen year old girl, as she attempts to become a professional radiographer from 1962 into the 1990s. All the incidents and cases are true, for they are Patricia Toulson’s real-life memories.

Biographical account which documents Doctor KP Buteyko's theories, teachings and thoughts, also gives a detailed history of the Buteyko breathing method as taught by Dr Buteyko and his colleagues and outlines his belief that the method could be used to treat 150 Diseases of Deep Breathing.

The New York Times bestselling author of The In-Between presents a vulnerable, moving memoir about the unraveling of her marriage, and her evolving journey to find beauty in life's endings and beginnings. As a hospice nurse, Hadley Vlahos helps people navigate grief and major life transitions...

Dr. Loren A. Olson has frequently been asked two questions: How could you not know that you were gay until the age of forty? Wasn't your marriage just a sham to protect yourself at your wife's expense? In Finally Out, Dr. Olson vigorously answers both questions by telling the inspiring story of his evolving sexuality, into which he intelligently weaves psychological concepts and gay history.

Christine Montross was a nervous first-year medical student, standing outside the anatomy lab on her first day of class, preparing herself for what was to come. Entering a room with stainless-steel tables topped by corpses in body bags is shocking, no matter how long you've prepared yourself, but a strange thing happened when Montross met her cadaver.

On an island off the coast of Massachusetts, six miles across the cobalt blue Waters of the Nantucket Sound, there is a place where hope flourishes. The island is Martha’s Vineyard. The place is Camp Jabberwocky, a sleepover summer camp for people with a variety of disabilities.

November 13, 2021 will be forever burned into my memory. That day, my sister passed away via medical assistance in dying after an 18-month battle with metastatic breast cancer. Medical assistance in dying became legal in Canada in 2016. Since then, thousands of terminally ill patients have taken advantage of their right to die. I never dreamed that my own sister would be one of them. Jennifer's Choice is the poignant story of the final year and a half of Jennifer's life, and chronicles not only her experiences, but also those of her family as we supported her.

In this deeply moving memoir, Dr. Bhaskar Bora recounts his life-changing journey through a spinal cord injury and a battle with cancer. I Died Standing Still is a raw and powerful story of resilience, courage, and transformation. More than a personal narrative, it is a testament to the human spirit’s ability to rise from adversity and find meaning, creativity, and hope in the darkest times.

This is the very raw story of a man who served his country, fought in the Falklands, and then, had extreme difficulty adjusting after the war. But it is actually much more than that. Yes, like many veterans of combat he fought - and continues to fight - with post-traumatic stress disorder. However, the factors leading to his PTSD began long before he ever put on his uniform and picked up a gun.

Growing up as the daughter of a dedicated surgeon, Elizabeth L. Silver felt an unquestioned faith in medicine. When her six-week-old daughter, Abby, was rushed to the neonatal intensive care unit with sudden seizures, and scans revealed a serious brain bleed, her relationship to medicine began to change. The Tincture of Time is Silver's gorgeous and haunting chronicle of Abby's first year. It's a year of unending tests, doctors' opinions, sleepless nights, and, above all, uncertainty.

Born in Italy during World War II, Salvatore Forcina was a young boy who survived all odds by living through his young childhood without any real or proper shelter. Like many Italians during this time, a month after turning eight years old, his parents followed this migration to Argentina, a developing country at the time rich with natural resources and hope for a more stable life.

ഞാന്‍തന്നെ സാക്ഷി' മലയാളത്തില്‍ ഇതുവരെ ഉണ്ടായിട്ടില്ലാത്ത ജനുസ്സില്‍ പെട്ട ഒരു അപൂര്‍വ്വ സുന്ദരകൃതിയാണ്. ആത്മകഥയും, വൈദ്യചരിത്രവും, രോഗവിവരണങ്ങളും ചേര്‍ന്ന ഒരു കഥക്കൂട്ടം.

There was a time when women’s health was repressed and breast cancer wasn’t discussed, but Shirley Temple Black, Rose Kushner, and Evelyn Lauder refused to be silenced. Their courage ignited a movement that changed the way society addresses breast cancer. When these “radical sisters” were diagnosed, they faced a medical world of myths, outdated protocols, and a shocking lack of research. Breast cancer awareness was absent, and treatment options were scarce. Yet, Shirley, Rose, and Evelyn became trailblazing advocates for breast cancer research, early detection, and women’s health.

Living on the street, Dr. George ran a prostitution and drug dealing business to feed his addiction to sex and drugs. His life spiraled out of control, leading him to the confines of a prison cell. When released on probation he risked it all on a drug blow out. This was the catalyst that started an intentional climb towards a life of freedom. In this book, Dr. George guides the listener through his personal story and how he used the power of intention to change his life.

Of the three surgeons who accompanied Custer's Seventh Cavalry on June 25, 1876, only the youngest, 28-year-old Henry Porter, survived that day's ordeal, riding through a gauntlet of Indian attackers and up the steep bluffs to Major Marcus Reno's hilltop position. But the story of Dr. Porter's wartime exploits goes far beyond the battle itself.

This isn't just a real-life story of a second chance at love - it is a story about a loving husband who would sacrifice everything to ensure his wife’s beautiful smile never wavers. Shana and Schirra’s story will take you on a journey into the joys in marriage, the pains cancer patients face, and the beauty in true love. They are proof that real love exists and it doesn’t need physical well-being to thrive. Through their faith in God and devotion to one another, an eternal love arises that cannot be replaced or shattered.

Pieces is a memoir based on a speech-language pathologist's experiences working with developmentally disabled adults. In the book, the author shares the stories of a number of individuals who have been diagnosed with both developmental and mental impairments. It sheds light on the specific issues such people deal with daily.