5 comments about The Siege: A Family's Journey Into the World of an Autistic Child.

1. I have a 9 year old son with autism, and have aspergers myself, and I could not have written such an insightful book as did this mother.
   
   I got concepts and ideas I hadn't had prior to reading this book, such as the reason behind all the pronoun reversal which she theorizes and explains so well.
   
   I was then and am still now in awe of her meticulous record keeping and devotion to her daughter while still maintaining balance in her home and in her personal life. Our household seems to revolve around iep's, perseverations, dr.'s appts, everything 'autism'.
   
   Anything I try to say, I fear will come no where close to describing how essential this book is to the library of any mother with an autistic child, or how much it meant to me.
   
   Despite the fact I'm not especially fond of reading, I plan to read this book again, fearing I may have missed some wisdom there was so much.
   
   I found everything she wrote accessible to my life, despite our difference circumstances. Can't say that about many books I've read. And, I got Exiting Nirvana at the same time, and was glad I did, and eager to read it directly after The Seige.
   
   While all the books by Williams and Grandin and Attwood and the more medical type books by Shaw and Candles and Greenspan are super, this one was a STORY, you didn't have to DO anything or make appointments or grasp heavy medical info. Yet it gave me a more FOCUS and future vision and ideas for my child, to give him as successful, fulfilling and happy future.



2. In 1957 when Jessy Park was born (called "Elly" in this book, but later identified by her mother in the sequel "Exiting Nirvana"), very little was known about autism. Elly/Jessy presented behavior that Kanner described more than a decade earlier (1943) when he first coined the term "autism."
   
   Elly/Jessy was largely nonverbal for much of her childhood and had difficulty connecting names to people. She loved mathematics and could do complex equations and recognized many polygons. She developed a fascination for counting that has since stayed with her. In 1961, Elly/Jessy then nearly 4 was formally diagnosed with autism. She was enrolled in special needs programs and made progress. She also as is noted in "Exiting Nirvana" proved to be a very talented artist.
   
   This is an excellent book that chronicles in minute detail autistic behavior and a family's love and acceptance. Elly/Jessy's three older siblings love her unconditionally as do their parents. Theirs is an intellectual family whose literary pursuits are quite evident throughout this account. It is one of the best early personal accounts of autism in a family.
   
   What makes this book unique is that when it was published, it rightfully challenged the parent blaming routine that was the order of the day. Elly/Jessy had three neurotypical (NT) siblings which automatically flies in the face of the disproven and completely asinine parent blaming. At no time was she neglected. She was loved, nurtured, encouraged and accepted.
   
   Her special interests in counting and polygons are recognized as an asset, an ability. Fortunately, she is not charged with "perseverating," a harmful and damning word that has caused more harm than it ever helped. It is an extremely judgmental, negative and destructive word in any tense that is best avoided. At no time is that harmful word ever applied to the NT population and the behavior is not limited to the autistic population either. That word is best replaced with "special interests," "repetitive verbalizations / behaviors" which are more accurate and also speak to tolerance whereas "perseverate" simply does not.
   
   The book closes with Elly/Jessy at age 8, making progress in her way and at her speed. She and her mother have blazed new trails that continue to weave throughtout autism awareness and acceptance today.



3. One feels that the Author could have achieved better results in dealing with her Daughter's Autism if she had been able to read this book: "Nobody Nowhere: the Extraordinary Autobiography of an Autistic by D Williams"
   
   The disparate conclusions/revelations contained in both are remarkable.



4. This is one of the great books about being human. Clara Park is a superb author, biographer - George Eliot would be her closest counterpoint in the world of fiction - and Jessy Park is an entrancing and inspiring figure. The book is about autism - but really about so very much else. The reader will learn as much about him/herself as about Jessy.



5. Since other reviewers offer details, I will refrain from an overview, but I will call this an excellent, up close and familial view of autism. I would strongly advise this book to all who are interested, EXCEPT parents of a newly diagnosed child. Waiting until one is more comfortable with the diagnosis, this book would afford that parent with a much heartier and thorough delivery. I gave the book 4 stars because the actual writing was sometimes difficult to follow.
   This book is particularly good for two reasons:
   -it offers a historical (late 50's early 60's) look at autism
   -the book describes and investigates specific detailed behaviors of an austistic child

5 comments about Poster Child: A Memoir.

1. One of the best autobiographies I've read. It's heartwrenching, but with no self-pity. It's also funny and dry with great prose and turn of phrase. Outstanding!



2. Rapp's beautiful description takes you through the crowded streets of Korea, the romantic cafes of Dublin, the dingy offices of doctor after doctor as she tries to get a leg that fits, all the way to the brutally honest mirror in her bathroom. Or is it yours? Her story is frank and engaging. Her struggle one that each one of us can identify with at some point in our lives: the struggle to be "normal."
   Poster Child is one of those books that makes you question your own values and assumptions. Poster Child is one of those books that will stay with you forever.



3. I love to read memoirs, especially "little guy" memoirs. Celebrity memoirs are okay, especially if the celebrity is a writer, but time after time I'm drawn to books written by ordinary people. I find it easy to imagine myself in their lives. So it was small wonder that I gravitated to POSTER CHILD with its cover picture of a pert red-headed girl posing with her training bike. It's warm out. She's wearing shorts. Her artificial right leg looks like it's made of plastic; a bulb in its knee joint lets her pedal.
   
   Emily Rapp, the author and the poster child, turned out to be a remarkable writer. She told me her story in such detail, including emotional detail, that I was swept into her anguish of being a child and a young woman who had a portion of her leg amputated when four. I had no idea, really, when I picked up this book what living with an artificial leg would be like. But soon I felt I was alongside her as she went through dozens of operations to replace her artificial leg as she outgrew it.
   
   Listen to how clearly Rapp writes. "For my first fitting, I stood barefoot on the dirty floor of the changing room while the prosthetist took measurements of my stump. The stink of the healing wound was finally gone; the limb was clean. Now that the left foot had been removed, or "disarticulated"--the sharp sound of the word matching the rough nature of the action itself--I had my natural heel at the end of the short leg."
   
   But no wonder Rapp writes well. A Fulbright Scholarship recipient educated at Harvard, she is a professor in the M.F.A. program at Antioch University Los Angeles.
   
   I highly recommend this book, primarily for the skill with which Rapp leads us through the first thirty years of her life, showing us what it was like to live with her "grievous, irrevocable flaw." Unflinchingly honest and sometime darkly humorous, POSTER CHILD is written without sentiment. I watched her struggle to keep up with her fashionable friends, her agony about making love to a man (should she leave her prosthesis on? off?), her final, tenuous, gift of acceptance.
   
   An elegant writer, an amazing book.
   
   Marilyn Coffey is an award-winning writer of poetry and a widely published author of prose. Read her work at Amazon.com: GREAT PLAINS PATCHWORK, MARCELLA, or KANSAS QUARTERLY Vol. 15 No. 2.



4. This is a very special and unusual work. Emily's description of growing up with a deformed leg, and all that entailed is honest and difficult at times to read. Nonetheless, there is no self pity, just a straigtforward and detailed description of what it was like emotionally, physcially and spiritually. There is a lot of pain in this book but it is really a coming of age story as well. The writing is wonderful. It is very personal and yet informative especially about the efforts to obtain a prosthiesis that allowed Emily to function as normally as possible and the advancements made in the field over a 20 year period. Finally, the unwavering love and sacrifice of her parents was portrayed simply and gratefully. I read it twice and the second time was better!



5. I especially appreciated the authors in depth reflexions on disability and body image, both as a child and an adult, especially for women (in her case) but for all of us.

No comments about Stealing Second Base: A Breast Cancer Survivor's Experience and Breast Cancer Expert's Story.

5 comments about The Day Donny Herbert Woke Up: A True Story.

1. As a firefighter this book hit close to home. Also, the fact that I am a member of a fire department who unfortunately shared a similar case in which a firefighter was comatose for 13 years made this book extremely interesting. If you, or someone you know is a firefighter, buy this book. It it an easy, quick read yet it makes a person realize just how fragile life is. It also brings back memories of fires I have fought where just such an accident could have happened to me or my fellow firefighters. If you happen to be Catholic, the story is even more interesting. I highly recommend it.



2. I could not believe they would let their dog run after their car all the way out to a suburb and I could not read anymore after he apparently got confused and lost the scent.
   
   What kind of end did HE come to ?



3. While this book doesn't have a typical "happy ending" it ends with closure for the family, and is a very interesting and fairly well written book with a lot of backround information about the families and the struggles this couple experienced. Very good!



4. The very idea that someone could wake up from a Rip Van Winkle like coma is amazing enough, but that the family could converse with him was astounding. I was left wanting to know a little more about Donny's eventual death and the effect of the waking on his family, but I suppose that story is still waiting to unfold.
   Donny's story should make us think about the kind of care we render to minimally conscious and comatose patients.
   I preached about this story one Father's Day.



5. If you are looking for an interesting/inspirational book about the day that Donny woke from a coma with the details and science behind it, this is not the book for you. The majority of the book is spent building the case for why this was a tried and true religious miracle. The book rambles on and on listing parish leaders/people and their involvement in the miracle. Finally, I just skipped to the 5 pages that detail the awakening and called it a day. Not the book I thought it would be.

5 comments about Women From Another Planet?: Our Lives in the Universe of Autism.

1. I really disliked this book. It is unclear if these woman are even on the spectrum. It trivialized what having autism means. I felt it was a bunch of self diagnosed women writing an artsy fartsy ridiculous look on the world of autism. I have a child with autism, and this book just pissed me off.



2. So often we stereotype autistics as being very limited in their ability to do basic functions of daily life. While this is true of some autistics, this book reveals that autism is not a single,universal condition, but a spectrum with a wide range of abilities as well as disabilities (the book's editor, who is autistic, is a college instructor). This book opens both the mind and the heart, enlightening readers about the variety of people who fall under the umbrella "autistic".



3. Disclosure - I received my copy of this book as a gift from one of the contributors, who has been a personal friend of mine for years.
   As a woman on the spectrum, I am used to our views being constantly ignored. The female experience of autism is qualitatively different from that of the male. If we don't talk, we are "shy". If we don't socialize with others, or need to watch what they are doing before we can attempt to join in, we're "not socially adept". If we don't join in the backstabbing and constant talk about makeup, sexuality, and clothing starting in junior high and high school, we're downright weird.
   
   It is both easier and harder to be a woman autistic. People who think we are just shy frequently try to find ways to encourage us to "join in". And a lot of behavior that people find threatening from males on the spectrum, while not precisely acceptable in us, is less socially inappropriate. If one of us likes someone and doesn't know how to approach them, but constantly hangs around that person, someone might find a way to introduce us, if the person doesn't notice us by him or herself. In a male autistic, this same behavior could lead to stalking charges and restraining orders.
   
   The fact that so many different women contributed to this book is a big factor in its success - at least one voice in there is likely to speak to someone.
   
   And as for being self-diagnosed and "trivializing" autism... it is very hard to get diagnosed as an adult. Most of us, even those who have documentation of our severel language delay, are either "too successful" to be diagnosed (i.e., we have a relationship, employment, or advanced degrees and doctors dismiss our concerns about ourself), or are just diagnosed "Asperger's".
   
   Personally, I spent much of my childhood echolalic and couldn't speak in sentences until I was almost 8. I still flap, rock, and enjoy watching spinning objects, and am extremely auditorily hyper-sensitive. I can still heard dog whistles. Bright colors disturb me, and I still can't drink out of cups that are colors other than clear, white, or blue without throwing up.
   My childhood "diagnosis" was elective mutism (now called selective mutism) with autistic features, because I could read and answer yes/no or multiple choice questions. At the time, to be called autistic, you had to be mentally retarded. Learning disabilities (such as my inability to do even the simplest mathematical calculations) do not count. As an adult, I am labelled Asperger's, even though I STILL meet the DSM-IV-TR criteria for autism, since I have Semantic-Pragmatic Language Disorder, and the speech of people with Asperger's is supposed to be intact.
   
   I work with children on the spectrum. I love most of them very much, and hope that they can become at least as high-functioning as I am. But I cannot understand their parents (other than a few who are actually on the spectrum or close to it [ADHD, etc]) to save my life. I have a very succesful history of being able to connect to autistic children, including ones who "don't like strangers" who were climbing all over me within moments of being introduced, and even occasional words or eye contact from children who otherwise live in their own worlds. People on the spectrum recognize each other, and these children seem to mostly realize that I am like them on some level. At least one of the other women whose writing can be found on this book shares this kind of relationship with these children, and works in the caring professions.
   
   Open your mind, and at least read what some of us think. For people who are supposed incapable of thinking about ourselves or others, or of empathization, I find that most of us actually do better at these things than at least some neurotypicals (people who aren't on the spectrum).



4. My daughter and I were diagnosed with Asperger's a few months ago.
   
   I have been digging painfully through the literature, trying to find a book that "fit" her (our) symptoms enough to help her (us) out.
   
   I am a scared father with Asperger's trying to understand what having Asperger's means to a young woman. I know what it meant to me when I was younger and I don't want any of that junk to happen to her.
   
   Jean Miller and her contributors know and (thank goodness) they share what they know.
   
   You cannot imagine how relieved finding this book made me.



5. This book is all written by women with Asperger syndrome, divided into sections. If you start it and find the first section of discussion random and therefore not very gripping go and read the autobiographical pieces either topically from front to back or by author as I did. Then continue with the first chapter which you will find meaningful. Your eyes and heart will open up! Not that we can fully understand what another person experiences, but this remarkable book undoubtedly goes as far as any, particularly because there are many different writers.
   
   I have a friend who is self-diagnosed with Asperger syndrome. She and I do not meet one on one very often, nor communicate very often. When we do I have a good time. Still puzzled as to why she doesn't communicate often and some other slightly puzzling behaviors, I decided to try to find out.
   
   EVERY TEACHER should read this book as girls with Asperger's often are not readily identifiable without insight into how they feel and act. I think a person with Asperger's would also relate strongly to this book and feel comforted and less isolated. Parents should read this if their daughter is noticeably quirky.
   
   This book is extremely helpful. It would also probably be helpful in understanding men with Asperger's, too. But women have different social expectations and roles, such as being a mother, so this book is of inestimable worth for a "neurotypical" (NT) person whether parent, classmate, doctor, or sibling, etc. to empathize with someone with Asperger.
   
   It is not clinical. Clinical books have their uses no doubt, but you cannot experience many feelings with clinical descriptions and treatment protocols. This book engages your feelings. it will make you a better person as well as possibly an understanding friend or helping person.

5 comments about Needles: A Memoir Of Growing Up With Diabetes.

1. In all, Needles was a good memoir of living life with Type 1 diabetes. If you're looking for a happy, positive story about living with a chronic condition, this probably isn't for you, but the other 99% of books on diabetes are usually full of advice (though not necessarily practical) on that subject. What this book does, however, is shows one person's real experience with living with diabetes, which isn't always as great as the medical professionals would have everyone believe. Andie Dominick is a good author and helps provide a perspective that is noticably absent from the field of publishing on diabetes.



2. I have a 12 yr. old child with diabetes and had been looking for information to do a research project on; diabetes seemed to be what I was heading toward when I accidently came across this book. Looking at someone's point of view who has dealt with type 1 diabetes for most of her life and how she handled her care, monitoring of blood sugars, medical personnel, emotions, and relationships has put a whole new look on how I should or shouldn't teach and help my own child with this disease. The author made me understand completely what she had dealt with and how, making living with diabetes more understandable.



3. The book was good, no doubt. The writing was compelling, but as I sit back having just finished the book, I don't really understand how it made me feel.
   
   I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes almost a year ago now, and have learned a lot about dealing with the disease since then.
   
   This books scares me in a way because of the pessimism Andie and Denise seem to have toward the disease in the book.
   
   But I must remind myself, this was a different time. The past 25 years or so have improved things tramatically. They had hard-to-work with insulins they took two shots of a day. I have a pump the delivers precise doses tailored to my needs.
   
   Two things I found difficult with the book, besides the heavy subject material, was how hard it was to follow the time frame- dates are rarely mentioned, but it pulls together at the end. Also, toward the second half of the book it deals a lot with complications, but mentions little about what she is doing to control the disease at that point.
   
   All in all, a good read, but if you have diabetes, don't be discouraged by it.



4. This book was a great book!! It may not be the most hopeful book, but it is the most true. Being a diabetic, I could relate to many of the things she said. I constantly found myself thinking "Oh my gosh!!! THAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME SO MANY TIMES!" or "THATS EXACTLY HOW I FEEL!!!" Some reviews have stated that she was very pessimistic when it comes to the disease, I don't think so. Diabetes made a major impact on her life I am sure that some good things did come from it, but it is a disease and who honestly really wants to praise a disease? She was very hard on the medical industry, but I think that was fair. Even when I was in the hospitle in 2003, the nurses still did things that were very ignorant. She also didn't just lash out at them for no reason, she always validates her reasons for being so firm and even combative with them. I think the book was very inspirational. I've never had a book stir so much emotion in me!



5. Reviews of this book - particularly from sufferers of diabetes - tend to be favourable. However, for me, this book was unreadable.
   
   Her style is that of a diary, with sentences comprised of just a few words. You encounter a period/full stop on nearly every line. There is hardly a chance to get going with this book.
   
   I skipped chapters hoping that the style would settle down. It does not and I gave up reading this book depositing it in the trash bin. I very much doubt I could sell it on ebay for anything apart from the cost of postage.
   
   Perhaps the content may be of interest to diabetics, but otherwise it's a depressing mournful series of short sentences.

5 comments about Don't Leave Me This Way: Or When I Get Back on My Feet You'll Be Sorry.

1. I read the first two paragraphs, stopped, and read them again. I then got up from my comfy chair, found my husband and daughter and read the first two paragraphs aloud to them. We were all blown away. The rest of Julia Garrison's story is just as breathtaking. I couldn't put it down. I cried hard twice and laughed out loud too many times to count. When I finished, I just sat for a long while with the book in my hands, looking at the cover, wishing for more. I'm the same age the author was when, without warning, she had a massive stroke, and her life changed forever. So I keep imagining myself in her shoes, wondering if I possess the courage, determination, and positive attitude Julia has, wondering if I would survive...and then thrive. I don't know, but I know this: Her story inhabits me now. And I carry her messages of positive attitude, dignity, and hope with me. This book should be read by everyone who has ever been a patient, everyone who has ever faced overwhelming obstacles, every doctor, and definitely every medical student. Have I left anyone out?



2. I am a rehab nurse and I just couldn't put this book down.
   
   Yes, all of the portraits are not flattering of folks in the healthcare profession. We must view patients as people, with all their likes, dislikes and quirks.
   
   I found it to be a very funny, uplifting first person account.



3. I really loved this book, and would recommend it to anyone and everyone. Although I've never suffered any of the physical impairments that the author has, her story is very easy to relate to. Not to mention that it serves as a reminder to all of us to never give up, and to never take anything for granted.
   
   Ms. Garrison's persistance is to be admired, as is her sense of humor through ordeals that have broken the spirits of many. Kudos to you, Julia, and may you never lose your courage, love of life, and wonderful spirit!



4. Julia Garrison Fox writes her experiences after suffering a stroke at the age of 37. This is a must read for all healthcare professionals especially those who work in the rehabilitation field. She pulls no punches and write candidly about what it feels like both physically and emotionally to go through a life altering incident. This is a wake-up call for all in the healthcare field, we are real good at treating the body but we sometimes forget the human spirit we are also caring for.



5. Julia Fox Garrison is one very ballsy broad with just the right kind of self-effacing and acid sense of humor and gutsy determination to see herself through a bad situation. Following a massive brain hemmorhage or stroke, whatever you want to call it, which very nearly kills her and leaves her whole left side flaccid and useless, she makes up her mind that she is going to come back from this, even if it kills her - which, if she'd listened to her doctors, could very well happen. For months she denies that she's in denial about a complete recovery, but after more than a year of rehabilitation, she is finally forced to admit that she'll probably never be perfect again, and begins to appreciate what faculties and skills she has recovered. Besides the obvious humor sprinkled throughout the book, there are also the awful moments, the incredibly sad ones. Like the time she realizes that even her 3 yr-old son recognizes her limitations and becomes used to getting all his support from his dad - the night she goes to him in the night when he is crying and tries to help, and Rory says: "I want Daddy, I don't want you ... No, you can't help me. You have your own problems. You fall down and you need help and you need someone to get you up."
   
   Or when she makes a visit to her old office and endures the stares and the tentativeness of her old colleagues: "... because you simply don't look the way you looked the last time you were there. You are on industrial-strength doses of steroids as well as a cocktail of other drugs and your face is swollen and misshapen, like a pumpkin head."
   
   Or when she and her husband, Jim, who has done everything for her since her stroke, make love for the first time in more than a year: "When you are done, you both cry a little and hold each other. 'Now we're a couple again,' Jim whispers."
   
   In the end this is a book about not just determination and guts, but about love, and about a very supportive family (Julia's husband, parents and 8 brothers) who help her back to wellness. Anyone who has ever suffered a debilitating illness and struggled back to some semblance of health and dignity will appreciate this book, as will their friends and family members. It is quite simply a great story. - Tim Bazzett, author of Love, War & Polio

5 comments about The Red Devil: To Hell with Cancer--And Back.

1. For a cancer survivor to record the whole nasty experience and not succumb to the fear that the words she writes will be her last is so courageous and selfless. They don't have to share, but they do. My mother-in-law is in her second remission from ovarian cancer. As a family member who so dearly loves her and wishes this evil cancer would be silenced, Kathy's novel is refreshing. I agree with the fact a cancer patient has to keep her head in the game. Trusting one doctor is foolish when you're gambling with your life. It's better to ask, then lose time. Loved it.



2. I would recommend this book to anyone with breast cancer who enjoys reading other's story of breast cancer. It is well written, easy to read and hard to put down. If you don't like reading books that show the darker side of breast cancer and all that entails, then don't buy this book. Not only does this book show you the dark, miserable, lonely side of dealing with breast cancer, but gives you many examples of miracles, hope, humor and I laughed out loud at the ms patient who decided to join the breast cancer support group. Hilarous. I loved it because of the truthful way she portrayed this disease and it's impact on the woman, her mate, her family, work and work relationships, oncologists, the medical system in general etc. She has a wonderfully delightful way of writing her story. Would read anything else she publishes based on that fact alone.



3. Katherine Russel Rich's stirring memoir of her struggle with breast cancer takes the reader on a harrowing journey from the end of Rich's marriage in 1988 and her almost immediate discovery that she had cancer, through chemotherapy, to the discovery that her cancer had metastasized into her bones, and finally to her resolute remission and the reconstruction of her life. Rich, who was only 32 and living a fast, glamorous (booze, fatty food, and cigarette filled) life as a magazine editor in New York, was floored by the realization that she had cancer, and at first tried to downplay the terrible physical and psychological effects of her disease and treatment. Yet Rich finds that denial and isolation only make her chemotherapy more painful and exhausting, and that the wry wit she uses to fend off her feelings of hopelessness, victimhood, and dependency can only last so long.
   Despite the way the author lays bare her emotions, this book is no made-for-T.V. movie or sappy Hallmark card. Rich is acerbic and analytical, looking back on her experience and pointing out both her triumphs and her failings. At 32 she considered herself far too young to develop cancer, and her doctors felt the same way. Some of the book's most powerful moments are those in which Rich realizes her doctor's failings--discouraging her from having a mammogram or a biopsy, failing to explain her disease in anything but technical jargon, rushing her into procedures without helping her determine what would actually be best for her. It is in these retrospective moments that Rich provides the most scientific, biological information about cancer; this is no textbook, but the explanations of the multicellular manifestations of cancer and the actions of chemotherapy drugs provide a stable background that would benefit anyone faced with Rich's diagnosis. Stronger still is Rich's candid description of the havoc and exhaustion wreaked by her chemotherapy cocktail. She spares no details, using vivid language to evoke her experience.
   For me, this book gave cancer a face, one with which I could identify. While Rich's battle with cancer began the year I was born, and she was taking far more risks with her health than I do, I was affected by the testimony of an active, intellectual woman, unsettled and supposedly in the prime of life. Rich's use of dark humor and unflinching self-analysis, and her evasion of stick-sweet platitudes about her victory over the disease, make the book not only instructive, but at times even fun. This is not to say, of course, that cancer is funny--but by remaining human, instead of presenting herself as a heroic martyr, Rich made me like her as a whole person, not just a victim. This understanding allowed me to imagine myself in her place, and to wonder how I would fare, faced with the pain, tiredness, and deadliness of cancer.
   Two of her experiences bear important messages for society: First, Rich found herself increasingly isolated once she began telling people she had cancer. Even though she continued working, she had very little contact with coworkers or former friends--only few, including her ex-husband, persevered with her. This isolation made her disease even more unbearable, and slowed her recovery, even dulling her will to live. Second, Rich did not make a full recovery. After being told she was "cured," her cancer reappeared, this time spread through seven sites in her bones. This not-quite success story shows us that cancer remains a mortal threat, and, conversely, that small victories--like Rich's survival beyond the single year projected for her--matter.



4. This book keeps me sane when I start freaking out about my own lousy diagnosis. I first read about it in OPRAH magazine, and bought it after my Stage 3C diagnosis at age 45. Her strength and honesty, and spectacular fight with cancer have really helped me. When you have an advanced diagnosis, and are facing multiple surgeries, chemo, and rads, you don't want to read about some whiney Stage 1 chick who's getting a lumpectomy and rads.
   This author goes through all the horrors of cancer treatment and multiple recurrances, with a sense of humor. I love this book!



5. I loved this book so much...I even blogged about it:
   
   [...]
   
   I got this book in the mail over the weekend, but I didn't begin reading it until last night. I crawled into bed and picked it up off my nightstand. I was mentally exhausted from writing most of the day, but this clever little book kept me up.
   
   Katherine's memoir through breast cancer at age 32, divorce and career is witty (I have literally laughed out loud), informative (well researched info on cancer) and empowering. She's brave and honest as hell.
   
   Cons (or warning): It can be tough to read the treatment portions, but hey, it's a reality right????
   
   I highly recommend the book for young female cancer survivors, and young female cancer patients. Please get a copy for yourself or a loved one- they will thank you!
   
   The Red Devil Rocks and so does Katherine!
   
   Love & Light,
   
   Regina

2 comments about Dancing in a Wheelchair: One Family Faces HIV/Aids.

1. Through "Dancing in a Wheelchair" United Methodist Bishop and Etta Mae Mutti pour out their own hearts as parents who lived the experience of HIV/AIDS with two of their three sons and saw them die. This family's story cannot deal with AIDS without homosexuality. Every emotion impacts their pensive dialogue: When the two sons individually come out, the father and mother go behind their own doors to express shock and anger, and to weep; yet, affirm love for their sons. Etta Mae Mutti storms with disbelief, and finally a commitment to action, because her church does not treat gays with equality. Where will a Bishop turn for support in his personal pain that's a controversial issue in the church? In dialogue format these parents reveal many experiences and truths any family might encounter when HIV/AIDS invades, but with profound impact coming from a Bishop and Bishop's wife. The book is powerfully enlightening regarding the physical and mental stages and the stresses of the disease, AIDS. Despair rips parents' hearts when this illness worsens. The dialogue graphically paints the ugly portrait of AIDS. Questions loom: How to let adult children make their own decisions when they're dying? Should we make him come home? Families who have persons who are gay or those who suffer from AIDS will find Fritz and Etta Mae are companions. Religious folks will be changed if this story is read with open minds and eyes. The result could be effective risks, love expressed to all, and lifes lived in equality.



2. A MUST READ!!!!! THIS BOOK ALLOWS THE READER INTO THE LIVES OF THIS FAMILY,IT ALSO SHOWS YOU WHO YOUR FRIENDS ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A CRISIS , AND IT ALSO SHOWS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RELIGION AND CHRISTIANITY! AND THE UNCONDITIONAL LOVE OF A FAMILY, NOT TO CHANGE PEOPLE, BUT TO ACCEPT PEOPLE THEY WAY THEY ARE. AND LOVE THEM THE WAY GOD SEES US (UNCONDITIONALLY) SHORT READ I READ THIS BOOK IN 2 HOURS REALLY GOOD MEMOIR.TOUCHED MY HEART AND LIFE AND MY WAY OF THINKING!

5 comments about Curveball: When Life Throws You a Brain Tumor.

1. Having just undergone my second brain surgery, I can attest to the fact that this book will prepare anyone who is going to undergo this type of surgery, and would be especially helpful to a family member who wants to understand what their loved one will be experiencing. Liz masterfully interweaves the unvarnished facts with humour, making it delightful read. I would loved to have had such a book to read prior to my surgeries!



2. I like this book, but I'd only recommend it to people that have undergone brain surgery. I have, so I understood where she was coming from. But I wouldn't loan it out to any of my friends because they probably wouldn't enjoy it.



3. This book is sooo well written and gives an excellent account of Liz Holzemer's personal journey with a brain tumor. This book in my opinion, is an inspiration to everyone that has any life changing illness. She relates her tricky ordeal in a straightforward and truthful way exposing her emotional state and brings quite a lot of humor to her story. I strongly recommend this book to be used as a manual for anyone who has a brain tumor, knows someone with a brain tumor as well as doctors, health care professionals, visiting nurses, psychologists...
   I have undergone three brain surgeries and wished that someone had suggested this book when I first was diagnosed(mine was the size of a lemon)so I could have tackled it head -on so to speak. An excellent manual with pertinent information. A very enjoyable and enriching read.



4. Very well written and interesting account, while not a brain tumor patient I still found the book very informative and entertaining. I believe anyone suffering from a meningioma would find this book inspiring and uplifting. For those of us without a brain tumor it gives us an insight into the life people with this conditiona lead.



5. As the daughter of someone with a meningioma I found this book fantastic. In fact, I literally didnt put it down - I read it from cover to cover in one go. And then I passed it onto another family member, who read it and passed it on again. We have now all read it and have since enjoyed discussing it with each other. There were many snippets that Liz shared that we could all relate to. I highly recommend this book to anyone dealing with a brain tumour and all their loved ones.