After the Diagnosis: Transcending Chronic Illness - Hardcover

Seifter, Julian

3.7

64 ratings by Goodreads

9781439123041: After the Diagnosis: Transcending Chronic Illness

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1439123047 ISBN 13: 9781439123041

Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2010

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After the Diagnosis is a heartfelt and moving lesson on the art of living well through serious illness. Dr. Julian Seifter understands the difficulty of managing a chronic condition in our health-obsessed, take-life-by-the-horns, live-forever world. When he found out he was suffering from diabetes, he was an ambitious medical resident who thought he could run away from his diagnosis. Good health was part of his self-image, and acknowledging that he needed treatment seemed like a kind of failure. In his practice, however, as he helped his patients come to terms with serious conditions, he began to understand that there were different, better ways to approach a life-altering diagnosis. In this frank account of his experiences both as a doctor and as a patient, he shares the many lessons he has learned. Writing with his wife, who has been an essential partner in his own treatment, he teaches you how to contend not only with the physical problems, the social stigma, and the emotional fallout of illness, but also with the medical establishment. Convinced that a deeper understanding of the spiritual, emotional, and physical challenges will bring not only comfort and support but also better care, he emphasizes truths rarely acknowledged in medical writing:� that a patient is not simply a collection of signs and symptoms, but someone with a particular personality, psychology, and history; someone with idiosyncratic wishes and goals� that blame, anxiety, obsession, and shame are inevitably part of the psychological journey, and that the doctor-patient relationship needs to make room for the whole person, including these difficult emotions� that sometimes doctor and patient have to throw out the rule book and construct highly personal, creative solutions� that denial, acting out, and "being bad" can sometimes be of benefit in managing illness� that optimism and emotional resilience— both of which can be cultivated and nourished by the doctor—may contribute to what medicine calls luck � that sickness, usually seen as alien and destructive, can become a vehicle for growth and self- realization The message, in short, is: You are not your disease. You are you. Paradoxically, rather than destroy your identity, the experience of sickness can deepen your sense of who you are and what you can become.

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Product Description:

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Review:

“I was the fortunate beneficiary of Dr. Seifter's skill and insight as a teacher. His example -- as a clinician and as a person -- has informed my care of chronically ill patients ever since. Readers of "After the Diagnosis" will be similarly enriched by Dr. Seifter's wisdom, and by his generosity in sharing his own experience. This pragmatic and compassionate text, warmed by Betsy Seifter's contributions, will be welcome accompaniment for anyone living with or caring for chronic illness.”

-- Paul Farmer, MD, PhD, Co-founder, Partners In Health; Chair, Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School

"“After the Diagnosis" is an exquisite exploration of chronic illness as experienced by both patients and the author himself. Dr. Seifter shares with compassion and courage the wisdom of his patients and profound personal insights gleaned from many years as a clinician and patient. This is an immensely valuable book for physicians, students and patients."

--Katharine Treadway, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and co-author of "Home Before Dark: A Family Portrait of Cancer and Healing"

“Bridging the divide between doctor and patient, "After the Diagnosis" provides a timely perspective on the challenges of coping with chronic disease. By weaving together his personal narrative with stories of his patients, Julian Seifter offers rare insight on the ways disease can enrich rather than diminish life.”

--Mark C. Taylor, Chair, Department of Religion, Columbia University and author of "Field Notes from Elsewhere: Reflections on Dying and Living"

“This poignant, uplifting, and sometimes disturbing book is all about prevailing in the face of adversity. It reads like a tapestry -- stories of tragedy heroism and fortune woven on a background of insight from the author’s personal experiences. Anyone facing the terror and uncertainty of a newly diagnosed chronic disease should have this book by their bed stand.”

--Richard J. Glassock, MD, MACP, Emeritus Professor Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

“In a most captivating way, Julian Seifter, assisted by his wife Betsy, has smoothly blended his extensive experiences as a physician and patient with those of his patients burdened with chronic diseases. Living a successful life encumbered with a chronic condition requires a number of personal attributes -- Seifter clearly elaborates these. His warm, thoughtful philosophies provide pearls for doctors, patients, and anyone interested in how to live a rich life in the face of chronic disease.”

--Ronald Arky, MD, the Charles S. Davidson Distinguished Professor of Medicine, Master of the Francis Weld Peabody Society at the Harvard Medical School, and Chief of the Diabetes Section at the Brigham and Women's Hospital

“Dr. Seifter demonstrates in his dialogue with patients the essence of healing – that doctor and patient, dealing with their own chronic illnesses and vulnerabilities together, are stronger than either one alone. His quiet, respectful ear for his patients’ pluck and resiliency allows us to see how both can teach each other to live more wisely and well.”

--Laurie W. Raymond, MD, Harvard Medical School""

"Dr. Seifter is recognized by colleagues as a physician’s physician and acknowledged by all for his compassionate and erudite clinical care. His reputation is legend throughout Harvard Medical School and across the country as the consummate teacher/educator. One comes away from reading this beautifully written book with the message that compassion and empathy play a major role in care. For family and loved ones of those dealing with unrelenting chronic illness, "After the Diagnosis" provides the backdrop of how to be supportive of the patient. Dr. Seifter conveys essential wisdom that will be a basis for deep reflection long after the book is read."

--Theodore I. Steinman, MD, Clinical Professor of Medicine Harvard Medical School and Senior Physician, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

"Julian Seifter and his wife, Betsy, have written a remarkably insightful, intelligent book about living life with chronic illness. Dr. Seifter has keen powers of observation and an immense ability to truly care for and about his patients. His caring and intelligence have combined to tell a story about himself and his patients that provides the reader with a unique weaving together of the author's self-revelation of his own chronic illness and his patients' stories. His insights arise from his ability to listen carefully to those stories. He then shares with the reader the wisdom he has gained through all those years of attentive caring."

--Anne Fabiny, MD, Chief of Geriatrics. Cambridge Health Alliance and Assistant Professor of Medicine., Harvard Medical School

"Whether a reader has a chronic illness, cares for someone with a chronic illness, or is simply trying to be a better clinician and person, [Dr. Seifter's] wisdom is a rare gift. . . . "After the Diagnosis" can help all live with dignity and meaning."--"Journal of the American Medical Association"

""After the Diagnosis" takes us on a journey into the making of a doctor and the discovery of a serious chronic illness. That intersection has created Julian Seifter, a physician-patient hybrid with sensibilities that patients adore and many docs do not even understand."--Richard M. Cohen, " New York""Times" bestselling author of "Blindsided" and "Strong at the Broken Places"

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