An invaluable resource for medical professionals, victims of chronic illnesses, and their loved ones, this dual memoir by a doctor and his longtime patient traces the growth of their unique friendship over a span of decades. By exploring the bond between caregiver and sufferer, this sensitive account evokes not only the constant day to day frustrations and emotional toll suffered by the chronically ill, but also an understanding of the mental struggles and conflicts that a conscientious doctor must face in deciding how best to treat a patient without compromising personal freedoms. In alternating chapters, the narrative explores the frustration, joy, despair, grief, and pain on both sides of the doctor-patient relationship.

Table of Contents

Part I: Measures of Time & Metaphor; Part II:Two Journeys Begin; Part III: An Unstable Life; Part IV: Facing the Abyss; Part V: Spring Returns.

Reviews

"An extraordinary meditation on illness--a poetic, powerful and groundbreaking work that illuminates the resilience and strength of the human spirit." --David Isay, executive director, "Storycorps", and editor, "Listening Is an Act of Love"