Reviews tagging 'Vomit'

Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan

6 reviews

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I'd intended to read a medical memoir for a reading challenge so I figured, why not this one? The movie intrigued me, though I haven't watched it yet, but I'm glad I started with the book first. Everything leading up to her recovery was interesting and had me gripping the edge of my seat. The after, was a bit mundane, and didn't capture my attention half as much. It was interesting reading about what was happening with her, and just how long and how many doctors it took for them to finally figure out what was going on with her. Medicine in 2009 was not as advanced as it is now, and even now, it's not perfect, and this is a testament to the medicine world and how much it's progressed or stayed stagnant since 2009. 

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himpersonal's review

4.0
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After reading this book, the hypochondriac in me is grateful to know the existence of this disease, in case it happens to me and I need a doctor to look into it.

I’m sorry she had to go through this. My mom was misdiagnosed for a long time, and by the time we finally got an accurate diagnosis, we had only three weeks left together. So I know a little about this, even though my mom’s disease was something entirely different. As such, my compassion meter was very high on this one.

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This was a great read about the horrifying reality of undiagnosed illnesses and how so many can closely resemble one another. I can relate to a lot of the things Susannah reported about her own illness, such as all tests coming back normal. It takes a caring and determined doctor to keep trying when all else fails. 

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This book highlights the importance of empathy in the medical profession and calls attention to the grave harm of misdiagnoses that can result from lack of information or simply not taking the time to dive deeper into a parent's case.
By the end, there is also some hope in that though sharing her story, others get access to real help, and medical science is furthered. Even the doctor who had decided she was simply "partying" too hard rather than take her symptoms more seriously (my rage boiled over reading about this man) eventually refers to her experience to direct patients to help.
Part memoir, part call to action, part humane medical text(??), the author weaves us through her month of madness, using interviews, journals, and hospital footage to help complete the story. Engaging, well-done.

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Intens en bedroevend, maar ook zeer inspirerend.

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