Healing: A Memoir by Theresa Brown, R.N.

(Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!)

 

about book: (summary from Goodreads)

“Deeply moving.” —Damon Tweedy, New York Times bestselling author of Black Man in a White Coat 

New York Times bestselling author Theresa Brown tells a poignant,powerful, and intensely personal story about breast cancer. She brings us along with her from the mammogram that would change her life through her diagnosis, treatment, and recovery. Despite her training and years of experience as an oncology and hospice nurse, she finds herself continually surprised by the lack of compassion in the medical maze—just as so many of us have. Why is she expected to wait over a long weekend to hear the results of her cancer tests if they are ready? Where is the empathy from caregivers? Why is she so often left in the dark about procedures and treatments? At times she’s mad at herself for not speaking up and asking for what she needs but knows that being labeled a “difficult” patient could mean she gets worse care.  As she did in her book The Shift, Brown draws us into her work with the unforgettable details of her daily life—the needles, the chemo drugs, the rubber gloves, the frustrated patients—but from her new perch as a patient, she also takes a look back with rare candor at some of her own  cases as a nurse and considers what she didn’t know then and what she could have done better.  A must-read for fans of Atul Gawande’s Being Mortal, Suleika Jaouad’s Between Two Kingdoms, and all of us who have tried to find healing through our health-care system.

my thoughts:

Wow! What an important story. Healing: A Memoir by Theresa Brown, R.N. is a must-read for everyone. This is a book that shows you the ins and out of the healthcare system via a member of the medical community. Someone who finds themselves becoming a patient when they are diagnosed with breast cancer. A registered nurse who soon finds herself questioning the lack of empathy she is shown, the lack of communication she is provided with regarding her test results and upcoming procedures, and the disappointment she feels toward herself for not speaking up for fear of being labeled, "difficult."  Talk about a fascinating and informative story. I definitely enjoyed this book. 

Brown's writing is smart, clear, and precise. She shares about her personal experiences with tests, doctors, nurses, medications, etc..  She provides a unique perspective, since she is also an oncology nurse. Knowing how she would approach things and dealing with how things are being approached, Brown is able to finally understand the difficulties her own patients felt they were dealing with. Definitely makes her rethink about the structure and inner-workings of the healthcare system. 

I would happily recommend Healing: A Memoir to anyone and everyone looking for their next great read - you are going to fall in deep with this one! Make sure to check it out!

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!