Title: Chief Complaint: Brain Tumor
Author: John Kerastas
Genre: Non- Fiction
Publisher:
At 57 years old, I
thought I was the poster child for fifty-year old healthiness: I competed in
triathlons, rode in 100 mile biking events and ate a healthy diet chock full of
organic vegetables. Then I discovered that I had a brain tumor the size of my
wife’s fist.
My memoir chronicles the
first year I spent addressing tumor-related health issues: preparing for my
first operation, discovering a dangerous skull infection, having the infected
portion of my skull surgically removed, learning about my substantial vision
and cognitive losses, undergoing rehab and radiation treatments, and learning
to live with my “new normal.” And, as best I can tell, the phrase “new normal”
is the medical community’s code words for “You’re alive, so quit bitchin’.”
As my health changed, so
did my sense of humor. My humor started out superficially light-hearted prior
to the first operation; transmogrified into gallows humor after several
subsequent operations; and leveled out as somewhat wry-ish after radiation and
rehab.
Topics I write about in
the book include:
§
How not to tell
everybody you have a brain tumor
§
Why it’s a lot of work
to die in this country
§
Why I had difficulties
in naming my tumor
§
How I negotiated
bathroom visits with “Nurse Don’t-Bother-Me”
§
Why I could prove that I
was the “dumbest guy in the room”
§
Why someone compared the
back of my head to a diseased goat
§
How I flunked a job
interview with myself
This is a book for
anybody interested in memoirs about people dealing with personal crises, for
patients trudging through rehab, for caretakers helping victims of serious
illnesses, or for anybody looking for an unexpected chuckle from an unlikely
subject.
Chief Complaint: Brain Tumor by John KerastasMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
In recent times, I have read several books about death, near-death, and serious medical issues. All of these are basically upbeat, and my hat goes off to those who have experienced these medical challenges. I am happy to report that this is a nice, short book with a very upbeat, sincere, and honest message. There is even some humor injected into it that I enjoyed, especially the musical references.
As I read about this man's experience, I was absolutely amazed at what medical science can do in this day and age. It used to be that brain tumors and injuries were almost a absolute death sentence. Not so in this case and many. I cannot believe all this man went through, and his positive outlook was a breath of fresh air. I could have done without the profanity, but I can excuse that under the circumstances. While this is not on par with some of the books similar to this one, it is a nice, light read that will make you realize that life can change in a moment. We are never promised tomorrow, and we should live like we are dying. No, the author did not die, but there was always that chance.
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.
View all my reviews
My charity and
non-profit efforts includes work through the Taproot Foundation on behalf of
Apna Ghar (a Chicago-based non-profit providing domestic violence services to
immigrant communities). I also go on Appalachia Service project trips through
my church, participate in Early Response Teams that follow first responders
into disaster areas, and teach and certify Early Response Teams through the
United Methodist Committee on Relief (e.g.UMCOR).
Authors Links:
Buy Link:
Amazon.com
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