When Breath Becomes Air

When Breath Becomes Air
Author: Paul Kalanithi
Publisher: Random House
Total Pages: 260
Release: 2016-02-04
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1473523494

**THE MILLION COPY BESTSELLER** 'Rattling. Heartbreaking. Beautiful,' Atul Gawande, bestselling author of Being Mortal What makes life worth living in the face of death? At the age of thirty-six, on the verge of completing a decade's training as a neurosurgeon, Paul Kalanithi was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. One day he was a doctor treating the dying, the next he was a patient struggling to live. When Breath Becomes Air chronicles Kalanithi's transformation from a medical student asking what makes a virtuous and meaningful life into a neurosurgeon working in the core of human identity - the brain - and finally into a patient and a new father. Paul Kalanithi died while working on this profoundly moving book, yet his words live on as a guide to us all. When Breath Becomes Air is a life-affirming reflection on facing our mortality and on the relationship between doctor and patient, from a gifted writer who became both. 'A vital book about dying. Awe-inspiring and exquisite. Obligatory reading for the living' Nigella Lawson

Holland-Frei Cancer Medicine

Holland-Frei Cancer Medicine
Author: Robert C. Bast, Jr.
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 2004
Release: 2017-03-10
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 111900084X

Holland-Frei Cancer Medicine, Ninth Edition, offers a balanced view of the most current knowledge of cancer science and clinical oncology practice. This all-new edition is the consummate reference source for medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, internists, surgical oncologists, and others who treat cancer patients. A translational perspective throughout, integrating cancer biology with cancer management providing an in depth understanding of the disease An emphasis on multidisciplinary, research-driven patient care to improve outcomes and optimal use of all appropriate therapies Cutting-edge coverage of personalized cancer care, including molecular diagnostics and therapeutics Concise, readable, clinically relevant text with algorithms, guidelines and insight into the use of both conventional and novel drugs Includes free access to the Wiley Digital Edition providing search across the book, the full reference list with web links, illustrations and photographs, and post-publication updates

The Finch in My Brain

The Finch in My Brain
Author: Martino Sclavi
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Total Pages: 288
Release: 2017-06-15
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1473649730

'Whenever I see Martino I am reminded of how little I know about life and death compared to him. How we don't know what is within us or what may lie on the other side. I hope it's as magical and beautiful as this book.' --Russell Brand When film producer Martino Sclavi began experiencing intense headaches, he attributed them to his frenetic lifestyle. As it turned out, he had grade 4 brain cancer and was given 18 months to live. After undergoing brain surgery - while awake - Martino found he had lost the ability to recognise words. His response was to close his eyes and begin to move his fingers across the keyboard to write this, an account of life before diagnosis and since. Defying all predictions Martino is still very much alive, words read out to him by the monotone of a computerised voice he calls Alex. But he must now live in a new way. This book - that he has written but cannot read - charts the effects of his experience: on his relationship with his young son, his marriage, his work and with himself. In the wake of his illness, everything must be reconfigured and Martino is made to question the habits, dreams and beliefs of his old life and confront the present. What he finds is strange and beautiful. Searching for the words between life and death, Sclavi shows that with determination and a subtle, persistent sense of humour, it is possible to change the story of our lives.

Cancer Care for the Whole Patient

Cancer Care for the Whole Patient
Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 455
Release: 2008-03-19
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0309134161

Cancer care today often provides state-of-the-science biomedical treatment, but fails to address the psychological and social (psychosocial) problems associated with the illness. This failure can compromise the effectiveness of health care and thereby adversely affect the health of cancer patients. Psychological and social problems created or exacerbated by cancer-including depression and other emotional problems; lack of information or skills needed to manage the illness; lack of transportation or other resources; and disruptions in work, school, and family life-cause additional suffering, weaken adherence to prescribed treatments, and threaten patients' return to health. Today, it is not possible to deliver high-quality cancer care without using existing approaches, tools, and resources to address patients' psychosocial health needs. All patients with cancer and their families should expect and receive cancer care that ensures the provision of appropriate psychosocial health services. Cancer Care for the Whole Patient recommends actions that oncology providers, health policy makers, educators, health insurers, health planners, researchers and research sponsors, and consumer advocates should undertake to ensure that this standard is met.

Everybody Needs a Brain Tumor

Everybody Needs a Brain Tumor
Author: David Koelliker
Publisher:
Total Pages: 128
Release: 2018-02-15
Genre:
ISBN: 9780692993118

Everybody Needs a Brain Tumor details the experience of David Koelliker's 8+ year battle with a brain tumor and the many lessons he's learned along the way. According to the American Brain Tumor Association, nearly 80,000 people will be diagnosed with a brain tumor this year. Roughly a third of those are malignant. Every day there are families being told that their mother, father, brother, sister, or child has 3-18 months to live. Your life's 'brain tumor' may be something else. It might be an addiction, a disability, cancer, or losing a close friend or family member. The purpose of this book is to show all that even in life's most difficult challenges, we can find happiness. Through difficult times, we can learn and experience things that we would never have otherwise. It's a book about opportunity and about life, love, and hope.All proceeds will be donated to organizations dedicated to brain tumor research.

Living with a Brain Tumor

Living with a Brain Tumor
Author: Peter Black
Publisher: Macmillan
Total Pages: 335
Release: 2006-10-31
Genre: Family & Relationships
ISBN: 0805079688

Each year, 100,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with a brain tumor. With his new book, Dr. Peter Black fills a gap in the lay readership, providing an accessible medical resource for adult patients and their families. Dr. Black, who has operated on more than 3,000 patients with brain tumors, is uniquely qualified to discuss both clinical treatment of and research into brain tumors. This invaluable resource tells patients everything they need to know to understand and address their diagnosis, in a four-part structure: • "What is a Brain Tumor?" provides straightforward information about how brain tumors are diagnosed, the different types of tumors and how they develop, and where to go for treatment. • "Coping with Shock" addresses the emotional impact of the diagnosis on the patient and their family, offering specific advice on support groups and how to managing work and finances during your treatment. • "Treatment options" outlines the complex array of available treatments in a sequential, logical, and thorough manner, enabling readers to make informed decisions. • "Recovery" describes how to deal with the aftermath, addressing issues ranging from physical scars to speech and occupational therapy. Dr. Black believes that more than half of brain tumor cases can be resolved with relatively minor side effects or none at all. Equipped with this informative book, patients and their family and friends can learn how to fight brain tumors effectively, putting them on the path to wellness.

Approaching Death

Approaching Death
Author: Committee on Care at the End of Life
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 457
Release: 1997-10-30
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0309518253

When the end of life makes its inevitable appearance, people should be able to expect reliable, humane, and effective caregiving. Yet too many dying people suffer unnecessarily. While an "overtreated" dying is feared, untreated pain or emotional abandonment are equally frightening. Approaching Death reflects a wide-ranging effort to understand what we know about care at the end of life, what we have yet to learn, and what we know but do not adequately apply. It seeks to build understanding of what constitutes good care for the dying and offers recommendations to decisionmakers that address specific barriers to achieving good care. This volume offers a profile of when, where, and how Americans die. It examines the dimensions of caring at the end of life: Determining diagnosis and prognosis and communicating these to patient and family. Establishing clinical and personal goals. Matching physical, psychological, spiritual, and practical care strategies to the patient's values and circumstances. Approaching Death considers the dying experience in hospitals, nursing homes, and other settings and the role of interdisciplinary teams and managed care. It offers perspectives on quality measurement and improvement, the role of practice guidelines, cost concerns, and legal issues such as assisted suicide. The book proposes how health professionals can become better prepared to care well for those who are dying and to understand that these are not patients for whom "nothing can be done."

Forever Optimistic

Forever Optimistic
Author: Robert S. Brams
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 216
Release: 2021-06-29
Genre: Self-Help
ISBN: 1510766170

Join a high-powered lawyer on his fight for life against brain cancer and his continuing efforts to remain Forever Optimistic. At age fifty-five, Robert S. Brams, a former college athlete, was in perfect health. Bob was blessed with a beautiful family, including his wife and two children. He had a circle of close friends and a hard-driving international law practice as partner at one of the most prestigious firms in Washington, DC. But after a fateful car accident, an MRI scan revealed a shadow on his brain that suddenly shattered his carefully constructed life. Brams was diagnosed with brain cancer—one of the most overwhelming challenges a person can face. What would the future hold for Brams and his family? Brams has been through six extraordinary years—four hospitals, two brain surgeries, a seizure, a stroke, a coma, life support, ICUs, radiation, chemotherapy, various rehab regimens, a hemophilia diagnosis, and countless MRIs. With all this, Brams’s insurers categorized him as a “Catastrophic Loss.” Despite all that’s happened, Brams is still in the fight, and he is determined to achieve an important purpose—to help beat brain cancer. While his legal career has ended, his continuing struggles have caused him to reprioritize his values and change his perspective on what really matters in life. Having stood at death’s door and now confronted with an uncertain prognosis, Brams’s insights on life, love, family, education, business, and finding your passion take on a distinctive power and clarity. Readers from every walk of life looking for inspiration and motivation will find it in Brams’s remarkable story. Struggles, setbacks, and failures in his youth were “no fun,” but with optimism and determination, Brams found his best path and ultimately succeeded. He reminds us that it’s not where you start, but rather where you finish. Inspiring, powerful, and eminently readable, Forever Optimistic: Fighting Brain Cancer, Finding Your Best Path, and Leading a Life With Purpose is by turns moving, humorous, and brimming with hard-won wisdom. Brams’s story is one of remarkable courage in the face of tragedy. Please support the brain cancer fight at www.1MBBC.com.

Life Over Cancer

Life Over Cancer
Author: Keith Block
Publisher: Bantam
Total Pages: 610
Release: 2009-04-21
Genre: Health & Fitness
ISBN: 0553801147

Dr. Keith Block is at the global vanguard of innovative cancer care. As medical director of the Block Center for Integrative Cancer Treatment in Evanston, Illinois, he has treated thousands of patients who have lived long, full lives beyond their original prognoses. Now he has distilled almost thirty years of experience into the first book that gives patients a systematic, research-based plan for developing the physical and emotional vitality they need to meet the demands of treatment and recovery. Based on a profound understanding of how body and mind can work together to defeat disease, this groundbreaking book offers: • Innovative approaches to conventional treatments, such as “chronotherapy”–chemotherapy timed to patients’ unique circadian rhythms for enhanced effectiveness and reduced toxicity • Dietary choices that make the biochemical environment hostile to cancer growth and recurrence, and strengthen the immune system’s ability to attack remaining cancer cells • Precise supplement protocols to tame treatment side effects, relieve disease-related symptoms, and modify processes like inflammation and glycemia that can fuel cancer if left untreated • A new paradigm for exercise and stress reduction that restores your strength, reduces anxiety and depression, and supports the body’s own ability to heal • A complete program for remission maintenance–a proactive plan to make sure the cancer never returns Also included are “quick-start” maps to help you find the information you need right now and many case histories that will support and inspire you. Encouraging, compassionate, and authoritative, Life over Cancer is the guide patients everywhere have been waiting for.

Communities in Action

Communities in Action
Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 583
Release: 2017-04-27
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0309452961

In the United States, some populations suffer from far greater disparities in health than others. Those disparities are caused not only by fundamental differences in health status across segments of the population, but also because of inequities in factors that impact health status, so-called determinants of health. Only part of an individual's health status depends on his or her behavior and choice; community-wide problems like poverty, unemployment, poor education, inadequate housing, poor public transportation, interpersonal violence, and decaying neighborhoods also contribute to health inequities, as well as the historic and ongoing interplay of structures, policies, and norms that shape lives. When these factors are not optimal in a community, it does not mean they are intractable: such inequities can be mitigated by social policies that can shape health in powerful ways. Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity seeks to delineate the causes of and the solutions to health inequities in the United States. This report focuses on what communities can do to promote health equity, what actions are needed by the many and varied stakeholders that are part of communities or support them, as well as the root causes and structural barriers that need to be overcome.