Another great memoir from a fantastic writer and most likely an even more amazing nurse! I have read two of Theresa’s other books, and loved them both so I was very excited (and also very worried) when I found out that she was working on another book, this time about her own journey as a patient. Theresa is an oncology and hospice nurse who tells the stories of her patients beautifully and with dignity and respect. The details she includes demonstrate her care for her patients as well as her masterful understanding of her nursing practice. In this memoir she ties her nursing experiences in with her experiences as a cancer patient. She takes the reader on an emotional journey throughout the course of her diagnosis, tests and procedures, surgeries, treatment, healing and the ongoing physical and emotional recovery which will continue likely for the rest of her life. Theresa also includes many life lessons and personal details that were less prominent in her other books, I enjoyed learning more about her family and life as well as the medical and health care stories which I loved from the first two books. I also think that the unique perspective of the health care system from someone who has spent significant time on the other side, is a valuable addition to this book which validated patients’ feelings as they navigate a challenging system, often with little understanding of their rights and what they can expect. If you’ve read her other books you should definitely read the latest instalment, and if you haven’t had a chance, but enjoy medical memoirs as much as I do, definitely give this a try! I’m incredibly grateful to have been given the chance to read this book through Netgalley, and with the support of the publisher.

This is a wonderful book which looks at the biomedical experience from a unique perspective--that of a health care worker turned patient. This dual perspective is sharp and incisive and shows the very real ways in which the medical system in this country needs to change.