https://lizcrocker.com/work daily 1.0 2018-05-02 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/5a95a4960852294a59e91472/1519756457845/unnamed.jpg Books https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a6840f7e0abeec2c0fb16/1498048597224/logo-blogcritics.jpg Books https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a803fe110ebf39e0622c3/1498054728069/ Books https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a6807e3df283dc0914bbe/1498048532376/ Books https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a6b9e1e5b6c52971f3ae7/1498049442141/logo-care2.jpg Books https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a7bb4893fc010030a4c64/1498053578241/Screen+Shot+2017-06-21+at+9.12.02+AM.png Books https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a7ff2ebbd1a8a482db52f/1498054647171/Z_KvUo-W.jpg Books https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/595d3dd744024354594b405c/1499283157781/radioMD.jpg Books https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a68de72af65c387d916db/1498049210559/logo-pitts.jpg Books https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a6c7959cc6808c3f65701/1498049692512/Screen+Shot+2017-06-21+at+9.11.56+AM.png Books https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a7effb8a79b6e99bc15fa/1498054412415/ Books https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594ab0cc15d5db7b78a5f9c2/1498067244493/ Books https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594ab0e12cba5e0b6f6d3df3/1498067295175/Lima01.jpg Books https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594ab0be6a4963a6c898ad42/1498067522709/Book-TM.jpg Books https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/5ae922f5f950b7f108f899c4/1525228292414/TM-excerpt.jpg Books https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/5ae9230c88251bf78706e176/1525228343039/ Books https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594ab5bfe3df28c2d6bb91af/1498068417592/IMG_7488.jpg Books https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594ac5c3db29d65c13e0b692/1498072520461/1287.jpg Books https://lizcrocker.com/bookshelf daily 0.75 2019-06-15 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/599d88dde4fcb56125363051/1503496437762/ocean.jpg Blog https://lizcrocker.com/bookshelf/2017/6/21/on-the-bookshelf-february-2018 monthly 0.5 2019-06-15 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594aa06815d5dbe9e0bea349/1498063049445/51acvwgJf-L.jpg Blog - February 2018 Dr. Verghese documents the early years of the AIDS epidemic in Tennessee, besieged by young people dealing with what was deemed a plague. He writes with compassion about the conservative community as it confronted both the medical emergency and its deepest prejudices and fears. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a9f07e58c62616b48eaae/1498062602844/ Blog - February 2018 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a9f5346c3c4b8125721bd/1498062680459/ Blog - February 2018 This is a mother’s story about her daughter’s medical journey who was diagnosed with a rare bone cancer when she was eight. The story recounts the array of medical treatments with the attending emotional and physical ups and downs, not to mention the mother’s exhaustion stemming from worry and lack of sleep. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a9fe8e4fcb5457a2ca45a/1498062829884/ Blog - February 2018 Dennis McCullough, a family doctor and geriatrician, presents slow medicine, an approach shaped by common sense and kindness which calls for anticipatory attending to an elder’s changing needs rather than waiting for crises that force acute medical interventions. He clarifies that this is a plan for understanding, for caring, and for helping people live well during their final years. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a9f8436e5d39cc211a5c5/1498062727967/ Blog - February 2018 This book inspires you to believe in happy endings and “the power of one” as it chronicles the life and work of Dr. Paul Farmer whose life’s calling is to cure infectious diseases and to bring the lifesaving tools of modern medicine to those who need them most. The story takes you from Harvard to Haiti, Peru, Cuba and Russia showing Farmer’s belief that the only real nation is humanity. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a9f25ff7c505bc24d6cdf/1498062634651/ Blog - February 2018 The Mayo Clinic is known the world over as a mecca for medical excellence and great ‘customer service’. This book is based on personal interviews with Mayo Clinic’s leaders, clinicians, staff and patients as well as observing hundreds of clinical-patient interactions. In this book, you get the history, the business lessons, the philosophy and practice of “patients first”, and inspiring stories from staff and patients. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a9fb803596ea2a53e6347/1498062779763/ Blog - February 2018 As in Kitchen Table Wisdom, Dr. Remen uses wonderful stories to remind us of the power of our kindness and the joy of being alive. It was her grandfather who taught her that blessing one another is what fills our emptiness, heals our loneliness, and connects us more deeply to life. https://lizcrocker.com/bookshelf/2017/6/21/on-the-bookshelf-september-2017 monthly 0.5 2019-06-15 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a9512440243707a53b226/1498060055752/ Blog - September 2017 Even being the CEO of KPMG, one of the world’s largest accounting firms, couldn’t keep Eugene O’Kelly from a sudden diagnosis of brain cancer. This is his unforgettable story of the four months between his diagnosis and death—the choices he made about how to use his time and energy, and his reflections on life, love, success, and the search for meaning. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a9491cd0f681b24ab73d2/1498059925869/ Blog - September 2017 An ICU nurse leaves the hospital to explore the world of homecare—tending to people where they live—and found it to be exciting, challenging, fulfilling and fascinating. Comparing the homecare world to what she perceives as the world of waste and excessive use of technology, the author asks a series of provocative questions, all starting with ‘why’. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a94e386e6c0d5c86856a3/1498060009705/ Blog - September 2017 This is a wonderful collection of stories put together by a wide variety of staff who work for Kaiser Permanente. The stories capture experiences which have both touched and transformed these providers and helped them understand the importance of listening, serving and understanding. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a95aeb8a79b5f82786ad5/1498060217015/bookstrip.jpg Blog - September 2017 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a9436d482e93f89a90e71/1498059897897/51VndMzAqQL._SX328_BO1%2C204%2C203%2C200_.jpg Blog - September 2017 A gripping and troubling story of a young journalist’s descent into what looks like madness and epilepsy. In a matter of days, Susannah Cahalan went from being one of the most promising new writers at the New York Post to being a violent, psychotic, “difficult” patient—until one particular doctor took the time to consider all the symptoms and to talk directly to her. https://lizcrocker.com/bookshelf/2017/6/21/on-the-bookshelf-november-2017 monthly 0.5 2019-06-15 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a97872e69cf561de6b2a7/1498060683712/ Blog - November 2017 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a981b414fb591868cd9ba/1498060831535/ Blog - November 2017 This book provides a thoughtful review of gripping patient encounters which have challenged and deepened a psychiatrist’s practice. Inspired by lessons taken from various sources, from medieval dancing plagues to leading forensic research, Dr. Montross wrestles with the most profound questions such as how to simply abide and sit with those in their darkest moments when modern medicine has nothing to offer but comfort. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a97c836e5d39cc2112fa8/1498060989150/51m2iCbWdVL._SX312_BO1%2C204%2C203%2C200_.jpg Blog - November 2017 This 55-page paper is based on a 1999 speech given by Don Berwick, President and CEO of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. Berwick has been fighting for years to reduce medical errors in hospitals and to improve America’s healthcare system—especially after watching his wife become seriously ill and be admitted to hospital for more than 60 days. Berwick is a gifted orator and storyteller who challenges us all to do better. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a9919197aea3d040c3781/1498061178437/51N35EFuAgL._SX331_BO1%2C204%2C203%2C200_.jpg Blog - November 2017 Through 50 interviews with fellow physicians, this book explores what the best clinicians do to improve interactions with patients and families, including “do the little things”, “take time”, “be open and listen”, “let the patient explain” and “share authority”. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a97a2b11be17af02705f2/1498060711720/ Blog - November 2017 This is a sweeping novel, a 50-year saga of Africa and America, doctors and patients, exile and home. The founding director of the Center for Medical Humanities & Ethics at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, Verghese is now a Professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a9845db29d6bdf1b400b5/1498060874225/ Blog - November 2017 The book is Chen’s personal reflections on what she calls “medicine’s most profound paradox…that a profession premised on caring for the ill also systematically depersonalizes dying.” https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a9879e110ebd5989f2fa7/1498060926244/ Blog - November 2017 A collection of stories, poems, meditations, and reflections, written by a variety of healthcare professionals, explores what happens between the caring and the cared for and how interchangeable these roles can be. https://lizcrocker.com/bookshelf/2017/6/21/on-the-bookshelf-april-2018 monthly 0.5 2019-06-15 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594aa4964c8b03a1294cc417/1498064026335/ Blog - April 2018 This book is for anyone who likes to go behind the scenes and understand the dynamics of communication. The stories vary from ones of struggle to ones of collaboration and partnership. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594aa4609f745646eda1f095/1498063972723/ Blog - April 2018 This book is a collection of Dr. Don Berwick’s speeches, including all those given from 2003-2012 given to the annual National Forum on Quality Improvement in Health Care. Each piece, full of stories and provocative questions and ideas, is augmented by a commentary offered by a variety of thought leaders in healthcare. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594aa4c820099eb21660b36c/1498064075753/ Blog - April 2018 In a way, we all know the story of Elizabeth Edward’s struggle with breast cancer and with her marriage. But we know less about the terrible effects on her of her teenage son’s death. This book takes us inside the private life and the extraordinary bravery of a woman who discovered how to live with grace. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594aa42d1b631b97acaa5480/1498063921920/ Blog - April 2018 This book of controlled clinical research studies how personal self-disclosure boosts both emotional health, physical health, and immune functions—and how inhibition has been linked to higher levels of anxiety, depression, insomnia, and a variety of health problems. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594aa409cd0f681b24ac675c/1498063886086/ Blog - April 2018 https://lizcrocker.com/bookshelf/2017/6/21/on-the-bookshelf-january-2018 monthly 0.5 2019-06-15 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a9de35016e1b5790e1c94/1498062312045/ Blog - January 2018 This book captures the blogs and postings of Dave deBronkart as he journeys through his experiences with cancer and his unanticipated recovery. One of his most profound discoveries is about the importance of engaged patients and things one can do to be fully informed and to advocate for oneself. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a9c9815d5dbe9e0be6c45/1498061981116/ Blog - January 2018 A tender narrative of the author’s parents’ deaths. This memoir examines the complicated world of procedure and technology-driven healthcare. The author raises profound ethical and personal issues we encounter as we care for those facing death & dying. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a9c6c17bffc3791778286/1498061937137/ Blog - January 2018 This is a remarkable collection of true stories from the tradition of ‘kitchen table wisdom’ – the human tradition of shared experience that shows us life in all its power and mystery. Remen believes in the power of stories and says, “Facts bring us to knowledge but stories bring us to wisdom.” https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a9eac29687fadb86de339/1498062557517/ Blog - January 2018 This book chronicles what happens to a dedicated, conscientious, and caring family physician who has a brain stem stroke and fights to regain a life for himself. He reflects on both his experiences as a patient, in acute care and in rehabilitation, and his practices as a physician. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a9c37cd0f681b24abeac7/1498061884689/ Blog - January 2018 This book tells the story of Josie, an 18-month old who died as a result of a medical error in a teaching hospital. Sorrel King believes her intuition, had it been listened-to, might have intervened to save Josie, and she writes about the positive change that might make medical care safer for both patients and providers. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a9e0c6a49634f5f0cfc18/1498062444144/51ouTMYpzvL._SX322_BO1%2C204%2C203%2C200_.jpg Blog - January 2018 Pulitzer Prize winner Gail Caldwell crafts a story of two friends who shared everything—until one of them was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. This is a beautiful book about coming of age in the middle of life. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a9c0617bffc3791777c96/1498061835063/ Blog - January 2018 https://lizcrocker.com/bookshelf/2017/6/21/on-the-bookshelf-july-2018 monthly 0.5 2019-06-15 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594aab0b03596ef9356191e3/1560610141667/ Blog - July 2018 A young neurosurgeon share reflections on various experiences and choices in his life after he is diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. His moving story is one of humility and courage along with the awe and wonder of becoming a father. The epilogue of the author’s last days, by his wife Lucy, is exquisite—she says: “His strength was defined by ambition and effort, but also by softness, the opposite of bitterness.” https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594aac9686e6c03738e1b892/1560610141674/ Blog - July 2018 This book is a social awareness project, combining stories and photography designed to inspire young people under 30 who are diagnosed with cancer to know that they are not alone and that they can fight and win. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594aab35579fb30941211a4f/1560610141654/ Blog - July 2018 A compelling collection of personal narratives of nurses from across the globe, demonstrating professional courage, advocacy, skill, ingenuity and persistence, as they struggle with daily challenges https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594aaab3440243bd05f7ad62/1560610141651/ Blog - July 2018 The author describes his book as a survival kit, “put together out of my need to make sense of my own survival as I watch others trying to make sense of theirs.” He presents both a theory about the importance of telling stories as well as a number of medical narratives themselves. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594aac65e58c62b81410bd3a/1560610141665/ Blog - July 2018 Doctor-written essays bring together science and the soul, logic and feeling, and knowledge and wisdom. Dropping the masks necessary to communicate stability, these doctors have reveal the very human turmoil of their hearts and minds. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594aabe8a5790a0ce7b35bbe/1560610141671/ Blog - July 2018 This is a frank and moving film which reflects the views and feelings of patients and families who have experienced the impact of medical error. The perspectives of the patients and families offer insights that could improve the healthcare system and provider/patient communication. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594aaa94414fb5e2a112158b/1560610141648/ Blog - July 2018 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594aac2eff7c50b34b41b80e/1560610141657/ Blog - July 2018 An in-depth exploration about writing as healing. Extensive references to the motivations and healing effects of the writings of many authors are provided as well. The book contains valuable advice and practical techniques to get started, to develop narratives, to connect events with emotions, to bring projects to conclusions, and to share with others. Excellent sources for further reading. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594aab6d414fb5e2a112229d/1560610141662/ Blog - July 2018 Trained to zero in on a main symptom or chief complaint, doctors can miss important symptoms or facts which could steer them to a more accurate diagnosis. The authors, both doctors, offer patients and families a variety of tools to help them become active partners in their own care including “The 8 Pillars to Better Diagnosis”. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594aaae11b631b97acaabf50/1560610141660/ Blog - July 2018 These are stories from the point of view of family members who are providing caregiving for loved ones at home—one of the most difficult challenges anyone will ever face. In addition to case studies, the book includes information on where to get help and contributions from those involved in hospice care, as well as complementary and alternative medicine. https://lizcrocker.com/bookshelf/2017/6/21/on-the-bookshelf-august-2017 monthly 0.5 2019-06-15 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a92adbebafb866f77d312/1498059442574/ Blog - August 2017 This book stems from Servan-Schreiber’s personal experience in the field of cancer, as a doctor and as a patient. It is book is full of science and common-sense wisdom and provides compelling evidence and arguments for participating in our own health by supporting our deep natural capacity for healing. While ‘cancer’ is in the title, it translates to all areas of health. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a924ee3df282fe5817fd5/1498059348593/ Blog - August 2017 This book tells the story of one family which begins when their 5-year old son woke up one morning with an uncontrollable urge to shake his head. The reader follows a 13-year odyssey of medication upon medication, treatment upon treatment, and a constantly changing regimen that left the boy and the family feeling like guinea pigs in an out-of-control experiment. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a9279bf629a8f6023848c/1498059393317/ Blog - August 2017 The search for hope is the most urgent at a patient’s bedside and Groopman takes us into the lives of people at pivotal moments when they reach for and find hope—or when it eludes their grasp. Groopman, a Harvard Medical School professor and New Yorker staff writer says “I see hope at the very heart of healing." https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a91e9d2b8571071209f86/1498059250484/bookstrip.jpg Blog - August 2017 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a92d5b8a79b5f8278408d/1498059486590/ Blog - August 2017 A must-read for everyone… through riveting storytelling and compelling research as well as his own story, Gawande challenges healthcare colleagues to learn to ask, to learn to listen, and to humbly accept that medicine is about improving life and improving the process of its ending. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a93f059cc68f61b462ed5/1498059766948/ Blog - August 2017 This book is a poignant recounting of the preventable death of a child told by the father. The pages retrace an 18-month battle with the people who failed this little girl and then tried to shirk their responsibilities. On a positive note, the book is also about the changes in hospitals systems and in healthcare providers’ attitudes that came as a direct result of this tragedy. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a93338419c2896228e33d/1498059576760/ Blog - August 2017 In riveting accounts of medical failure and triumph, Gawande examines how success is achieved in health care. He explores the qualities he associates with diligence and ingenuity from the halls of American hospitals to the fields of war, and from prisons to a district hospital serving 1,400 villages in India. Gawande ends his book with 'Suggestions for Becoming a Positive Deviant', a call to arms to encourage us all to be better. https://lizcrocker.com/bookshelf/2017/6/21/on-the-bookshelf-march-2018 monthly 0.5 2019-06-15 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594aa199d2b8571071218ecb/1498063260688/ Blog - March 2018 In the face of fear and isolation of both patients and physicians, Rita Charon—Professor of Clinical Medicine and director of Narrative Medicine at Columbia University—demonstrates how stories can open the door to better healing. Charon believes that illness and its care cannot be fully understood without taking into account patients’ stories. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594aa149e4fcb5457a2cb7b5/1498063180722/ Blog - March 2018 This anthology of 46 reflective essays and stories showcase a variety of experiences, such as the bravery of a young girl with AIDS; a blind woman trying to navigate her way to care; the dangers of talking in front of patients thinking they cannot hear; and the challenges of finding sensitive care for those with mental illness. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594aa02fd2b8571071217ac8/1498062898910/ Blog - March 2018 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594aa2e1414fb591868d806a/1498063589203/ Blog - March 2018 This is the true story of a 25-year ICU nurse who experiences the rigors of her own open-heart surgery. Shalof says that she “learned more in her week-long stay as a patient than in all her years caring for the critically ill, especially about trust and working in partnership with her caregivers.” https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594aa0ff9f745646eda1b5f1/1498063107346/ Blog - March 2018 The author, a brain scientist, describes her experience of a massive stroke and recounts what she learned during her unusual and inspiring voyage of recovery. An Appendix titled “Forty Things I Needed the Most” is a compelling guide for everyone interested in patient and family-centered healthcare. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594aa296e3df282fe5827d84/1498063514872/ Blog - March 2018 Pearson shares her own experiences of the deaths of her father and sister, as well as perspectives from palliative care staff, scientists, and theologians. She encourages all of us who spend time with the dying—family members, friends, and healthcare staff—to be curious and quiet in their presence so that we can hear what is being shared. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594aa2726b8f5bec3a5b7b45/1498063478900/ Blog - March 2018 This is the story of a four-hospital system in Wisconsin which embraced “lean healthcare”, reducing errors, improving outcomes, raising morale, and saving $27 million without layoffs. These transformative practices “go to the gemba” (the bedside) with collaboration and respect. https://lizcrocker.com/bookshelf/2017/6/21/on-the-bookshelf-june-2018 monthly 0.5 2019-06-15 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594aa7b0e6f2e1c46b148a2c/1498064820406/ Blog - June 2018 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594aa966b8a79bb4a3e8edba/1498065258210/ Blog - June 2018 This short book is an impressionistic recounting of a young woman’s journey through a debilitating auto-immune illness and her uneven and complicated recovery. The writing is sparse, without embellishment or self-pity, and with unsentimental wit. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594aa7e9ccf210ee50213e8d/1498064877230/ Blog - June 2018 Dr. Stein shares the personal narratives of sickness from his own patients. Through their points of view, we see that when people are diagnosed with a serious illness, they feel as though they are on a challenging and confusing journey, to someplace entirely new. They feel their bodies have betrayed them; are terrified by the unknown; and experience the loneliness of being kidnapped into the land of the ill. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594aa85da5790a0ce7b324cb/1498064994448/ Blog - June 2018 This short DVD documentary is about a physician and a patient who share an adverse medical event and struggle alone and then travel together on a journey of healing. Various patient and family stories can be found on the website—www.mitss.org. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594aa8845016e10578ff9b56/1498065031443/ Blog - June 2018 Dr. Nuland shares stories taken from his 30 years as a surgeon and from other surgeons he has worked with and admired. These stories explore the sacrosanct relationship between doctor and patient and how they affect and inform medical knowledge, judgment, wisdom and character. The stories hold nothing back as they describe moments of life and death alongside surgeons Nuland says include “pioneers, heroes, narcissists and scoundrels.” https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594aa8b459cc684ec73c62f4/1498065080473/ Blog - June 2018 This award-winning book captures the clash of two cultures, about a child diagnosed with epilepsy and a lack of understanding between staff at a small county hospital and a refugee family led to tragedy. This is about the need to honour cultural differences and bridge communication challenges. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594aa93bdb29d61fe43b6689/1498065215990/ Blog - June 2018 A former medical director shares stories, taken from actual case histories, to humanize some of the most challenging medical issues that face us in modern times. We travel from board rooms to emergency rooms and witness lives being saved and mistakes being made. The author knows of what he writes as he has also been a patient with throat cancer and has visited the shadowland between life and death. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594aa80fe3df288869667bc6/1498064915547/ Blog - June 2018 Groopman takes us into the lives of those facing serious illness and what is learned when we can no longer take life for granted. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594aa8fd414fb5e2a111fed2/1498065153236/ Blog - June 2018 John Mann, former lead singer for Spirit of the West, created this CD of songs to share his journey with cancer. He says he found writing about his reflections therapeutic, from what he calls “the ridiculous stuff that happened—really stupid things and wacky things—and bedpan humour.” https://lizcrocker.com/bookshelf/2017/6/21/on-the-bookshelf-december-2017 monthly 0.5 2019-06-15 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a9a5ad482e93f89a96997/1498061406947/ Blog - December 2017 For years, as a pioneering pediatric neurosurgeon, Dr. Epstein's young patients taught him about the importance of seizing the moment and loving without boundaries. Their insights and wisdom further helped him when, after a bicycle accident, he suffered a traumatic brain injury and began the same journey. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a99f02cba5ec09d96679c/1498061301732/ Blog - December 2017 In analyzing how doctors think and how they diagnose patients, Groopman discovers that doctors sometimes make snap decisions that are usually correct but sometimes can be catastrophically wrong. Through his own personal experiences and other case studies, Groopman offers importance advice for patients and families…to ask clear, direct, and intelligent questions and to persevere in telling their stories so that, together, they can make better decisions. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a98e5ebbd1a7b56ee15c3/1498061032914/ Blog - December 2017 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a9a2046c3c4b81256d348/1498061349311/ Blog - December 2017 In spite of the questionable choices Lance Armstrong made in his bicycling career, this book about his experience with illness is truly inspiring! Lance Armstrong, at the age of 25, was diagnosed with testicular cancer and shortly after, found out he also had cancer in his lungs and brain. In spite of dark days and terrible moments, he now says “cancer is the best thing that ever happened to me…the most important and shaping event in my life.” https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a99be4c8b0357b37531dd/1498061251345/ Blog - December 2017 This book documents Julie Salamon’s unprecedented year-long access to the inner workings of a contemporary hospital—Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY. Stories of patients and staff are captured alongside the financial realities of operating a huge, overburdened private institution. The Annotated Book List at the back of the book, with a synopsis and the first sentence for each, is a fantastic list for anyone who likes to read medical literature. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a9a92be659404f66d351f/1498061467878/ Blog - December 2017 A baby is born with a heart defect which requires surgery at birth. The boy lives his life with spirit, but upon adolescence, he is threatened by a mysterious illness. His father, racing against time, is challenged by what he perceives as flaws in the healthcare system. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a9ac6f7e0abde931a8b62/1498061516598/ Blog - December 2017 The author says this book “describes the reality of patient care—both the good and not so good—through stories.” The stories make us ponder how we can do better. This is the kind of book you can open anywhere and immediately enter experiences that will speak to you. https://lizcrocker.com/bookshelf/2017/6/21/on-the-bookshelf-july-2017 monthly 0.5 2019-06-15 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a8fee2e69cf561de63d4d/1498059090344/tilda.jpeg Blog - July 2017 This book is called funny, sad, entertaining and insightful—full of vulnerable human moments and joyful camaraderie. The stories are based on 20 years of the author’s life as a nurse, showcasing what she’s learned from both her patients and her colleagues. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a8f788419c2896228a68c/1498058617841/bookstrip.jpg Blog - July 2017 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a9103d1758e9b7afe5765/1498059016762/ Blog - July 2017 A collection of true stories that are examples of various types of errors, the impact on all the people affected, and the efforts made to find out what went wrong so that future needless suffering will be avoided in the future. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a8faeff7c505bc24c8336/1498058684850/ Blog - July 2017 Robert Martensen Martensen, who is both an MD and historian of medicine, demonstrates how we and our loved ones can maintain dignity and resilience in the face of serious and critical illnesses. He raises timely questions about choices we will all have to make. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a90d8d482e93f89a8d956/1498058973975/ Blog - July 2017 From an alcoholic doctor to a woman who lost loved ones to accidents and drug addiction, these compelling stories remind us that loss, injustice and setbacks need not diminish us, but can ultimately shore us up. https://lizcrocker.com/bookshelf/2017/6/21/on-the-bookshelf-may-2018 monthly 0.5 2019-06-15 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594aa52fe110eb35bcfa6573/1498064224146/ Blog - May 2018 This book shares the remarkable story of five ordinary people trapped in the complex world of serious illness: ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Crohn’s disease, muscular dystrophy, and bipolar disorder. It includes poignant reflections about self-determination, courage in the face of adversity and public ignorance, and keeping hope alive. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594aa5ab2cba5e0b6f6c87a4/1498064302914/ Blog - May 2018 Gawande, through shared personal experiences and the stories of others, examines how it is that we can do so much sophisticated and complex work in health care and yet still make serious mistakes. By looking at other industries, he discovers that simple checklists can improve care and reduce complications and deaths in our hospitals and clinics. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594aa5ff46c3c41074e18eeb/1498064387693/ Blog - May 2018 Two days after this remarkable book was published in France, its author died of heart failure. In December 1995, the 44-year-old former editor-in-chief of Elle magazine suffered a stroke that left his body paralyzed, a condition known as locked-in syndrome. His dictated account of his life is full of humour. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594aa5108419c2da805c5642/1498064148389/ Blog - May 2018 A collection of writing and art from doctors and nurses who wanted “to learn from their experiences, to express the meaning of their life’s work, and to enjoy the world.” https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594aa5d0ebbd1a7b56eee260/1498064340529/ Blog - May 2018 The author explores the components and manifestations of kindness and compassion and how important they both are for healing and good health. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594aa501ebbd1a7b56eed567/1498064136941/ Blog - May 2018 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594aa57a29687ffafab9afc5/1498064257298/ Blog - May 2018 This academic book's message is that thousands of healthcare practitioners all over the world are overturning years of arrogance and ignorance to put their focus where it should have been in the first place: the patients. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594aa70ad482e994dae329db/1498064657132/ELJ_5_cover-good.jpg Blog - May 2018 This series of biannual journals contain fiction, non-fiction, and poetry which reflect the human side of health and disease. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594aa6924c8b03a1294ce6f2/1498064534802/ Blog - May 2018 Beautifully written, this ‘biography’ of cancer covers 5000 years—from cancer’s first documented appearances to radical understandings of its essence. This book is a story of ingenuity and perseverance, but also of arrogance, paternalism, and misperceptions. You will want to embrace all those who have soldiered through draining regimens to survive and to increase the store of human knowledge. https://lizcrocker.com/bookshelf/2017/6/21/on-the-bookshelf-october-2017 monthly 0.5 2019-06-15 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a95cd197aea3d040c021d/1498060243005/ Blog - October 2017 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a963e8419c2896229114b/1498060354888/ Blog - October 2017 In his book, the founding director of the Stress Reduction Clinic and Center for Mindfulness in Medicine shows us how coming to our senses will help us all become more compassionate, aware human beings, and contribute to the healing of the body politic as well as our own lives. (See also his book titled Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain and Illness). https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a961a414fb591868cba0a/1498060319631/ Blog - October 2017 A 38-year old man suffers a massive heart attack, his second in 8 months, and complications follow. The author chronicles obstacles and miracles on the road to recovery, with commentary on his care, the importance of his wife’s support and the implications of a prolonged illness. This memoir is well-written, with biting insights and a healthy sense of humour. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a969fb8a79b5f8278795c/1498060452871/download.jpeg Blog - October 2017 Gawande, a surgeon and former Rhodes scholar, illuminates "the moments in which medicine actually happens," and describes his profession as an "enterprise of constantly changing knowledge, uncertain information, fallible individuals, and at the same time lives on the line." He includes accounts of medical traumas and analysis of doctor anxiety and burnout with humor, sensitivity and critical intelligence. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594a9703db29d6bdf1b3eaf1/1498060552672/ Blog - October 2017 A wonderfully told story about a young girl’s journey through cancer told by her father. Shane Meader says he wrote this book both as an outlet—“an expression of the many thoughts, emotions and understandings that have filled me to overflowing”. The book is very readable, including both scientific explanations alongside the raw emotions of a father who loves his daughter. https://lizcrocker.com/bookshelf/2019/6/15/on-the-bookshelf-june-2019 monthly 0.5 2019-06-15 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/5d05048f90be8d000165c0f9/1560609939528/51Y7m5bhawL._SX343_BO1%2C204%2C203%2C200_.jpg Blog - June 2019 When Kate Inglis’ twin boys were born prematurely, one survived and the other did not. This book is described as “part memoir, part handbook for the heartbroken, this powerful, unsparing account of loss will speak to all who have been bereaved and are grieving.” https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/5d05053797e05400013e279b/1560610108524/51mbYjL2VgL._SX332_BO1%2C204%2C203%2C200_.jpg Blog - June 2019 This book is a collection of the reflective writings of three daughters of alcoholics, a description of some of the latest research which documents the transformational healing power of writing about trauma, and an invitation to others, along with writing prompts, who want to address their own memories. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/5d05043c4412020001f49af9/1560609857984/9781101904381.jpeg Blog - June 2019 This searing memoir describes the journey and challenges of a Native American boy growing up in poverty and his determination to ultimately become an Emergency physician and active member of the Army National Guard in Iraq. On returning home, he suffered a debilitating stroke that completely changed his life, robbing him of his roles as doctor and soldier and forcing him to overcome enormous obstacles of recovery and reinvent his life. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/5d0504cd5d3c690001799dbb/1560610004787/41YJM-v8aLL._SX321_BO1%2C204%2C203%2C200_.jpg Blog - June 2019 The author’s mother was diagnosed with cancer and so he decided to accompany her to all of her appointments and treatments. They establish a book club for themselves, with just two members, and, through the books and their discussions, mother and sons travel alone and together towards the end of her life. It is a moving memoir of caregiving, mourning, and love. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/5d05046abc404e000107a2f3/1560609904615/513v0hQSF7L._SX329_BO1%2C204%2C203%2C200_.jpg Blog - June 2019 This book explores what it is like to be a physician who suddenly haemorrhages nearly all of her blood volume, loses her unborn child. and becomes a dying patient. Her vantage point as a patient shows her the fatal flaws in a well-intentioned but often-misguided standard of care. This book provides a brave road map for anyone navigating illness and illustrates the importance of emotional bonds between the cared for and the care givers. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/5d05061135c9720001da8ac2/1560610328848/banner.jpeg Blog - June 2019 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/5d050507775d290001056bcb/1560610059611/41ePvENTG3L._SX332_BO1%2C204%2C203%2C200_.jpg Blog - June 2019 The author has volunteered for years with many of the people who have cycled in and out of the wards for the mentally ill at the Douglas Institute in Montreal. She brings us the stories of those who cope with schizophrenia, showing us how they are surviving their lives and what they’ve been through including everything from childhood abuse, compromised rooming houses, and cold jail cells. “A ‘rare work’ of narrative non-fiction that illuminates a world most of us try not to see: the daily lives of the severely mentally ill, who are medicated, marginalized, locked away and shunned.” https://lizcrocker.com/bookshelf/category/travels monthly 0.5 https://lizcrocker.com/bookshelf/category/recommended+books monthly 0.5 https://lizcrocker.com/bookshelf/category/musings monthly 0.5 https://lizcrocker.com/bookshelf/category/reading monthly 0.5 https://lizcrocker.com/about daily 0.75 2018-02-27 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594ac395a5790a48b3046588/1498071961925/ About https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594ac1daf5e23193f4a7cf16/1498071543789/_MG_4058.jpg About https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/5959b0d3414fb54d0e8d52e9/1499050199534/IMG_6449.jpg About https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594acc6437c581c339f9b4ee/1498074220428/IMG_7322.jpg About https://lizcrocker.com/blog daily 0.75 2019-06-15 https://lizcrocker.com/blog/2017/8/23/resilience monthly 0.5 2017-08-23 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/599d8b0cbe6594696a914450/1503496984024/strayed.jpg Blog - Resilience Photos from Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant's Option B https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/599d8b8ebebafbcd8c6beb8c/1503497113936/OptionBBookCover.jpg Blog - Resilience https://lizcrocker.com/blog/2018/2/27/crossings monthly 0.5 2018-02-27 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/5a95ac1c71c10ba02bffe072/1519758374073/crossings.jpg Blog - Crossings https://lizcrocker.com/blog/2018/5/1/patient-patient monthly 0.5 2018-05-02 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/5ae925d80e2e7203ffcbeb25/1525229028713/32508515._UY1003_SS1003_.jpg Blog - Patient patient https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/5ae9259470a6ad102db18888/1525228955948/ Blog - Patient patient https://lizcrocker.com/blog/category/travels monthly 0.5 https://lizcrocker.com/blog/category/recommended+books monthly 0.5 https://lizcrocker.com/blog/category/musings monthly 0.5 https://lizcrocker.com/contact daily 0.75 2017-06-21 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/594abfe7db29d65c13e0559d/1498071022893/IMG_6449.jpg Contact https://lizcrocker.com/on-the-bookshelf daily 0.75 2019-06-15 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59494120ccf210840b5b92cc/t/5d05070f90be8d000165e177/1560610581030/banner.jpeg On the Bookshelf