Every Patient Tells A Story
House is one of my favorite shows on tv today so you can imagine how tickled I was to pick up Every Patient Tells a Story: Medical Mysteries and the Art of Diagnosis
“…what captured my imagination were the stories doctors told about their remarkable diagnoses – mysterious symptoms that were puzzled out and solved”.
In this book, Sanders shares the stories she has come across, whther personally or secondhand. Some of them are rather intriguing, and would definitely fit into an episode of House. She advocates the return of the physical exam, which was once the centre of a diagnosis, but has now been replaced with lab work or diagnostic imaging. She argues that medical students and practicing physicians have lost some skills as a result: learning to listen, learning to feel, learning how to see.
Sanders isn’t the most evocative of writers. While the cases are fascinating, a few days after reading this book, I couldn’t quite remember them anymore. Perhaps I had other things on my mind. Finishing my work for instance, the little one moving around inside of me (one month to go!). I obviously wouldn’t make it as a doctor – in one ear out the other is not a skill one would appreciate in a doctor. At any rate, this was an enjoyable read, which is perhaps odd to say, as this is a book full of sick and dying people. It’s obviously not a comforting read either, as this book makes it all too clear that doctors are human, that they make mistakes, plenty of mistakes, mistakes that could’ve been caught early on.
A good read if you’re interested in how a doctor thinks, and how diagnosis works. Or if you’re just a fan of House!
Aaagghhhh!!!! I love house! I haven’t watched it in a few seasons (need to catch up), but I always loved trying to solve the case. My mother would really enjoy this book, too, so I might buy it and pass it along to her.
Enjoy this last month! Hard to do with swollen feet and in the bathroom every five minutes, I know.
It’s such a brilliant show isn’t it? I’m very much enjoying this season, but won’t spoil the fun for you when you do get to watching it!
Thankfully my feet haven’t really swelled up. But yeah, the bathroom thing does get on my nerves, as do the backaches!!