Two Books From My Shelves

I've been reading two books this month. One is Beyond Survival...written by my cousin, Dr. Robert Sieben who is a physician in the private practice of neurology in Concord, California. He was a Rector Scholar at DePauw University, spending his junior year as an exchange student in Germany, and received his medical degree from Stanford University. He completed residencies at Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City and is board certified in both Pediatrics and Neurology with Special Competence in Child Neurology. He was a Regional Consultant in Pediatric Neurology for the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War. He is a twenty-year survivor of advanced colorectal cancer diagnosed at 54. An Eagle Scout, he never realized how great a role the motto “Be Prepared” would play in his life as he dealt with the complications of colorectal cancer in innovative ways.

This is from Amazon...

After receiving medical treatments for colorectal cancer, Robert Sieben, MD, was left on his own to find ways of dealing with the devastating complications. Now, twenty years out, he shares his experience. Empowered by his medical training and his intense desire to make the most of his life, Sieben developed a range of innovative strategies to manage the socially debilitating symptoms, including urgency and incontinence of both rectal and urinary functions. Offering hope to the 25 million Americans who suffer similar symptoms from a variety of causes, Beyond Survival describes the day-to-day challenges the author has successfully managed, answers questions patients are often too embarrassed to ask, and offers practical help for regaining quality of life and dignity. A compelling and splendid story, carefully narrated by a physician who becomes a patient and finds an innovative way to deal with a socially disabling disease. an inspiring story of a physician who at the peak of his career and personal life endured the ravages of rectal cancer and the side effects of it’s complex treatment. This book provides hope and courage for those who are faced with this daunting journey and important insights for all those who are involved in caring for them.”

He waited for twenty years to tell his story...he didn't want to jinx his recovery. I'm so proud of my cousin for telling it like it is. It had to be very hard for him to tell such personal things. He may save some lives by telling this story.
I am reading this book now...am I the only one who hasn't read it yet? I got it from a friend, and I put it aside because it was slow starting and a long book. I was going to give it to my grand daughter...then I started seeing trailers on TV about the movie. Those piqued my interest...the movie looked like it was going to be good...so I gave the book another try and I'm so glad I did. I'm half way through and I'm enjoying it so much. It's called The Help by Kathyrn Stockett.

A bit from Amazon about this book.

A new classic has been born. Kathryn Sockett's "The Help" will live in hearts and minds, be taught in schools, be cherished by readers. The three women who form its core, idealistic Skeeter, loving Aibileen, and sarcastic, sassy Minny, narrate their chapters each in a voice that is distinctive as Minny's caramel cake no one else in Jackson, Mississippi, can duplicate. These stories of the black maids working for white women in the state of Mississippi of the 60s have an insiders' view of child-rearing, Junior League benefits, town gossip, and race relations. There is never a dull moment in this long book. It is compulsively readable while teaching strong truths about the way the United States evolved from a shameful undercurrent of persistent racism to the hopes and dreams of Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks. Ultimately, will the next generations children learn (and be taught) that skin color is nothing more than a wrapping for the person who lives within?

Two very different books...two very interesting books.

Balisha