I appreciate this book for the author's candor and willingness to see her struggles - being diagnosed at a young age with a chronic illness (MS), working and having two young children. What makes this book particularly compelling is she herself is a physician. Her clinic treats patients who are low income, some are uninsured, some are undocumented and she shares the experience of trying to help solve chronic issues while at the same time coming up against systemic challenges. Over the arc of the story, I felt her empathy increases even more as she herself has to experience painful diagnostic tests or waiting and waiting for the results. Her husband is also a physician so their lives are overloaded as they adapt to her facing the MS diagnosis and the uncertainty of how the disease may progress. In the end, she decides to leave the clinic (and she misses her patients tremendously) but it was taking a toll on her -- stress is the enemy of chronic illnesses. I felt like I learned a lot about her and her family, and about practicing medicine in community clinics. She does end on a hopeful note and I appreciated the journey with her.

Thank you to Netgalley and HCI Books, Health Communications Inc for an ARC and I left this review voluntarily.

I hate to say it but this one is kind of boring. I don't feel like I learned anything and I didn't find her process of being diagnosed all that enlightening. I think all of us who have been through the same process already know how it goes and how much easier it would be if we too had the secret Dr. phone numbers. Hopefully others can find some solace in her story.

I do appreciate her candor and she seems to be a very kind and caring doctor. We could use more like her.

An impressive and emotional story about a very determined Mom and Doctor who is diagnosed with MS at a very, very early age in her life. How she deals with the diagnosis and her honesty about it is so raw and candid. Her sheer determination in handling her marriage, her children (age 2 and 4 at time of diagnosis) and her profession is nothing short of amazing. Lisa Doggett is not only a doctor but she ran a clinic for people with no health insurance and all the struggles dealing with that scenario. Her candor throughout her story is uplifting and shows you that you should never give in nor give up. A very good read. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Up the Down escalator gives the unique insight of Dr. Lisa Doggett who spent her career helping her clinic patients navigate the broken healthcare system as she works through her own diagnosis of MS. Doggett recognizes her own privilege and her frustration dealing with her doctors, insurance companies, and electronic healthcare platforms despite that privilege.

Doggett describes what it is like both as a doctor treating patients with chronic illnesses as well as what it is like to be a patient with an unpredictable chronic illness. Juggling work, marriage, and kids is hard and adding her requirements to maintain the components of her health that are in her control only complicate and add to that difficulty.

I recommend this book to anyone struggling to manage life with a chronic illness. The writing is good (if a little self serving at points) and I’m happy to have read Doggett’s account.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this opportunity to read and review this book.