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A medical doctor, Fieldman was in his first year in medical school when he was diagnosed with a brain tumor -- and given less than a year to live. But Fieldman not only lived out the year, he graduated from med school and dedicated his practice to improving doctor-patient relationships, helped by his own experiences on both sides of the bed -- "A foot in each camp," in his words. "One day I was a person; the next day I was a brain tumor," he said at his graduation. He spent his career helping to integrate different ways of treating illnesses. "When Western medicine gives you zero percent survival, you start exploring other options," he once said, and spent 15 years doing such explorations until his brain tumor finally caught up with him: he died in Pittsfield, Mass, on June 1 at the age of 38. From This is True for 6 June 2004 Suggestions for further reading:
 By: Margaret, E Mohrmann List Price: $16.95 Amazon Price: $16.95 Editorial Review: Mohrmann spent 30 years as a pediatrician treating sick and dying children, and this collection of stories about her most memorable cases is yet another important contribution to the narrative bioethics genre. These are stories that are both painful and hopeful, tragic and funny, full of remarkable characters and sometimes bizarre families. In some ways the book closely resembles Zaner's Conversations on the Edge, in that it allows the reader to peek behind the hospital room curtain to see how patients and their families deal with agonizing choices about life and death. And in both books the reader can see the author evolve and grow over the course of a career. But in the case of Mohrmann's work the author is not simply listening to and advising patients and loved ones, but actually treating them--and, in some cases, making the hard call to recognize the end and withdraw life support Further, Mohrmann's ultimate intention is to tell, through these cases, how doctors learn to be doctors--that is, how physicians learn to attend to patients. Listening, accompanying, and waiting--these are the primary learnings in the education of a doctor. So while this is a book in bioethics, and Mohrmann is an established figure in the SCE crowd, it will also appeal to physicians and other health care workers. Hardback edition reviewed positively in New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, elsewhere.  By: Michael F. Myers List Price: $79.95 Amazon Price: $74.50 Editorial Review: Responding to demographic changes among physicians and six years of new experiences since the first edition, Dr. Myers has revamped his well received work. He includes new information on older physicians, gay and lesbian physicians, medical student abuse, economic strain on interns, depression, malpractice, ethical violations, and other stressors which may cause marital difficulties. Therapists seeking to council symptomatic physicians, as well physicians themselves, will find this a humane, readable, and useful book.  By: M.D. Ian Blumer List Price: $19.99 Amazon Price: $19.99 Editorial Review: Q. You've been sent for a stress test. Does this mean your doctor thinks there's something wrong with your heart? A. Not necessarily. Doctors often schedule stress tests when they are certain a patient's heart is healthy. So why the test? In What Your Doctor Really Thinks, Ian Blumer looks at the doctor-patient relationship, and explains what your doctor will and won't tell you in the examining room. Blumer lets you know what is going on in your physician's head, and suggests what should be going on in your head, when you present him or her with symptoms. Fatigue, chest pain, headaches, abdominal pain, dizziness, shortness of breath ... Blumer covers a variety of symptoms and discusses what direction the examination may take. This book is a look into the psyche of the doctor and the patient during their meetings. It is a discussion of what both parties might be thinking, but not saying, and it reveals the so-called "mind games" that often take place. It tells people why, without their having even realized it, they have just left a doctor's office not knowing if the "growth" they have is worrisome or harmless, if they have a dim future or a good one. It tells people why doctors are often evasive, or, at times, downright rude. What Your Doctor Really Thinks is not an aid to self-diagnosis. It is not a compilation of medical anecdotes glorifying the practice of medicine. And it is not a self-help guide to teach you about the disease that afflicts you. It is, rather, an aid to understanding your doctor, and to understanding yourself. Everyone from the health-conscious to the hypochondriac will find familiar symptoms in Blumer's book. You may find comfort in knowing that your symptoms are nothing to worry about; or you may find reason to see your doctor about something that may be more serious than you had thought. Regardless, you will learn not just what a doctor's diagnosis might be; you will also learn why they have made that diagnosis, and what the diagnosis means.  By: Nancy Keene List Price: $15.95 Amazon Price: $11.96 Editorial Review: Getting the best healthcare in today's world requires that you participate in the process. Working with Your Doctor: Getting the Healthcare You Deserve will help you to be your own advocate, to get the very vest in healthcare, and to have the best possible relationship with your doctors. It will show you how to become an assertive, but understanding, medical care consumer. Medical treatments are more complex than ever, and there are almost always options, especially for chronic conditions. You often receive care from several doctors, either because you have conditions that require specialists or because you receive treatment through a group practice or HMO. This book contains stories from both doctors and patients -- medical "frequent fliers," who share, in their own words, the lessons and strategies they have learned in their medical journeys. These first-hand accounts are a reminder that with the right tools we can maneuver through the often complicated maze of medical information and get the best care available. We don't waste any energy railing against "the system" or demonizing doctors. Instead, we give you in-depth, practical information on: Finding the right doctor Communication and mutual decision-making Rights and responsibilities of the physician and patient Problem solving and handling conflict Questions to ask about tests, drugs, and surgery Researching medical literature and talking with your doctor about what you find Options for taking action if you've been wronged Being well informed can protect you against mistakes or bad care. Working with Your Doctor: Getting the Healthcare You Deserve guides you through the medical care environment and is an education for even the most savvy healthcare consumer.  By: Christopher M. Johnson List Price: $18.95 Amazon Price: $14.78 Editorial Review: A two-year-old develops a nasty cough and after experiencing breathing problems, his concerned parents take him to the emergency room. The doctor on call diagnoses his symptoms as croup, prescribes treatment, but days later the cough is no better. After another trip to the emergency room, x-rays, respiratory therapy, and treatment for asthma, the little boy still cannot shake his cough and breathing difficulties. Finally, two weeks later, the family doctor suggests an examination by an ear-nose-and-throat specialist. Using a bronchoscope, the specialist finds a small piece of plastic from a toy lodged in the edge of the child s trachea. After removing the obstruction, the boy returns to normal within a day. In fact, he never had croup or asthma. Could this lengthy, frustrating experience have been avoided? In this illuminating guide to communicating with your child s doctor, pediatrician Christopher M. Johnson shows parents how to talk more effectively to their doctors about their children s health. Johnson takes the nonmedical layperson into the mindset of the physician examining a sick child for the first time. He demonstrates how doctors evaluate symptoms, interpret answers to their questions, and decide on a course of treatment. The book invites and then empowers parents to join their child s doctor as a partner in the diagnostic and therapeutic process. Each chapter ends with a communication checklist to help parents find the right words while visiting the doctor. The final chapter encourages the reader to become a sort of junior doctor by presenting several real-life cases and challenging the reader to work through the problem as a physician would. This jargon-free and completely accessible guidebook will enable you to assist your child s doctor in the vital work of effectively caring for your child in health and illness. |
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