"We Can't Kill Your Mother" and Other Stories of Intensive Care
by Lawrence Martin, M.D.
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In a collection of stories about intensive care, what should serve as
bibliography? "We Can't Kill Your Mother!" and Other Stories of Intensive
Care follows a long tradition of doctors and nurses writing about their
patients. I would be remiss not to mention some of these other works,
especially contemporary books still in print. These books, all written by
doctors about patients and for the general reader, are listed in alphabetical
order by author.
Dr. Conger's tales run the gamut from healthy hypochondriacs to the
patient with terminal cancer.
A collection of short human-interest anecdotes by physicians and about
patients, all of which appeared in the Journal of the American Medical
Association. Each highly personal piece reveals a doctor's innermost
feelings about some patient or clinical situation.
A first-person account based on 16 years in the profession.
Dr. Gray's account reveals something most doctors intuitively understand:
culture and customs may differ, but patients' needs and problems are pretty
much the same everywhere.
Experiences of a sensitive and insightful doctor-in-training.
A first-person account by a nurse who has seen it all, in the emergency
room and intensive care units.
Huttman entered nursing school as a middle-aged housewife and learned
she had terminal cancer just before graduation. An insightful, well-written
book.
An absorbing autobiography of a colorful medical career, which began
with an internship in Panama. Dr. Kean practiced from a Park Avenue
address, but his expertise in parasitology led him to treat patients all over
the world, including the Shah of Iran.
An excellent first-person account of the internship year.
Dr. Klass, a practicing Boston pediatrician, has since written several other
books, including two novels.
Dr. Klawans is a professor of neurology and pharmacology in Chicago.
His first book in this genre was Toscanini's Fumble and Other Tales of
Clinical Neurology.
Twelve fascinating medical stories by a cardiologist.
The authors, both registered nurses, use the interview technique to allow
other nurses to tell their real-life experiences in nursing.
A year in the mid-1980s spent caring for sick children.
Dr. Mullan recounts his battle with almost-fatal cancer. Although written
in the mid-1970s, anyone undergoing seemingly impersonal, high-tech
care in the 1990s will appreciate this book.
Author of the best selling The Making of a Surgeon and Surgeon Under the
Knife, here Dr. Nolen tells the true stories of patients who were at one
point considered hopeless and survived.
A collection that includes several first-person accounts of doctors caring for
patients, including selections from Somerset Maugham, William Carlos
Williams, Richard Selzer, Robert Coles.
Neurology patients and their problems make for some of the most
interesting tales. This book was on the New York Times best selling list.
Dr. Sacks is also author of Awakenings (Doubleday, 1973), which was
made into a motion picture.
Essays by another best selling surgeon-author. Dr. Selzer has written many
other works about medicine for a general audience, including an
autobiography (Down from Troy) published in 1992 and reviewed on the
front page of the New York Times Book Review.
Like other books listed here Dr. Siegel's book was on the best selling lists.
His emphasis is on the link between mind and body, literally overcoming
major illness through will, faith and conviction, as opposed to surgery and
drugs.
Dr. Martin was Chief of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical
Care Medicine, Mt. Sinai Medical Center, in Cleveland from 1976-2000,
when the hospital closed its doors. He is now practicing pulmonary medicine with
University Mednet, and is an Associate Professor of Medicine, CWRU School of Medicine.
Send e-mail to
martin@lightstream.net
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