by Bob Northam ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 31, 2012
A fine book about one man’s experiences with kidney disease and dialysis that may provide hope to others faced with similar...
Debut author Northam delivers a humorous look at the ins and outs of long-term dialysis.
Dialysis is a process that uses a machine to rid the blood of impurities, a job normally performed by the kidneys. When the author was diagnosed with acute renal failure, he was wholly unprepared for the havoc that the lifesaving dialysis treatments would inflict upon his life. When a doctor informed Northam that he would be unable to continue working, Northam reacted by telling the doctor he was “full of it,” but he soon found out how difficult the process could be. Dialysis involves sessions lasting four to five hours, three times a week, and complications can include fainting as well as extreme cramping and nausea which persist long after the treatment is over. As he relates his difficulties in this book, Northam is able to exorcise a few of his own demons while also providing a valuable resource for readers embarking on a similar journey. The author adroitly uses his experiences to clarify various facets of dialysis, from the basics of the procedure to its effects on patients’ lifestyles and work. Northam injects each example with his caustic humor and wit. (“To my fellow dialysis patients: Our lives are hard…laugh harder,” he writes.) However, he doesn’t cover his experience of receiving a kidney transplant, and readers might have been interested in seeing what changes the transplant brought about in the author’s life. That said, his ability to put a humorous spin on life-or-death situations is remarkable, and he’s created a stimulating book about a truly dire subject.
A fine book about one man’s experiences with kidney disease and dialysis that may provide hope to others faced with similar diagnoses.Pub Date: July 31, 2012
ISBN: 978-1477574263
Page Count: 220
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Jan. 10, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Share your opinion of this book
by David B. Agus ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 7, 2014
Useful but disappointingly commonplace tips.
In a follow-up to The End of Illness (2012), which explored how technological advances will transform medicine, Agus (Medicine and Engineering/Univ. of Southern California) restates time-tested but too often overlooked principles for healthy living.
The author outlines simple measures that average citizens can take to live healthier lives and extend their life spans by taking advantage of modern technology to develop personalized records. These would include a list of medical tests and recommended treatments. Agus also suggests keeping track of indicators that can be observed at home on a regular basis—e.g., changes in energy, weight, appetite and blood pressure, blood sugar and general appearance. He advises that all of this information be made available online, and it is also helpful to investigate family history and consider DNA testing where indicated. Along with maintaining a healthy weight, Agus emphasizes the importance of eating a balanced diet, with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and a minimum of red meat. Avoid packaged vitamins and food supplements, and if possible, grow your own vegetables or buy frozen vegetables, which will generally be fresher than those on supermarket shelves. The author also warns against processed foods that make health claims but contain additives or excessive amounts of sugar or fat. Regular mealtimes and plenty of sleep, frequent hand-washing and oral hygiene are a must; smoking and excessive time in the sun should also be avoided. Agus recommends that adults should consider taking statins and baby aspirin as preventative measures. He concludes with a decade-by-decade checklist of annual medical examinations that should be routine—e.g. blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol screenings, from one’s 20s on; colonoscopies, prostate exams and mammograms later—and a variety of top-10 lists (for example, “Top 10 Reasons to Take a Walk”).
Useful but disappointingly commonplace tips.Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4767-3095-0
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 30, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2013
Share your opinion of this book
by David B. Agus ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 1, 2012
Oncologist Agus (Medicine and Engineering/Univ. of Southern California) predicts that the application of advanced technology for modeling complex systems will transform 21st-century medicine.
The author writes that a remark Nobel Laureate Murray Gell-Mann made to him in 2009—“Look at cancer as a system"—transformed the way he views his own specialty and the entire field of preventative medicine. It made him realize that “[r]ather than honoring the body as the exceedingly complex system that it is, we keep looking for the individual gene that has gone awry, or for the one ‘secret’ that can improve our health.” Agus writes that although the ability to sequence the entire human genome is a great step forward, it is insufficient for achieving a significant breakthrough. Even though it may start with a mutation, cancer “is a dynamic process that's happening…far from the confines of a static piece of DNA”—it involves the body's immune system, its ability to regulate cell growth, metabolism and more. Agus directs his university’s Center for Applied Molecular Medicine and is the co-founder of two personalized medicine companies, Applied Proteomics and Navigenics. His hope is that their research will contribute to developing better analytical tools for preventative medicine and for the treatment of cancers. These will address the functioning of the body as a whole, applying digital technology already used by physicists to provide virtual models of cancers and model the action of proteins that regulate cell communication in the body. He also hopes to develop tools that will provide information on the concentration of different proteins in a drop of blood taken from a patient, which may reveal the onset of disease. The author also includes some guiding principles and warnings about certain healthy practices that may not be so healthy. A refreshing change of pace in the medical field, but by venturing beyond his field of expertise to pontificate on a wide range of subjects, Agus makes his otherwise intriguing narrative difficult to follow.
Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4516-1017-8
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Free Press
Review Posted Online: Nov. 5, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2011
Share your opinion of this book
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.