Two Words, One Answer.
perceived
 Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient $13.95 At the height of inflation in America, Anatomy of an Illness, Norman Cousins' oft-cited book, achieved wide-ranging acceptance. Thirty years later, people still frequently refer to Cousins and how he cured himself. If there's one thing a graduate education taught me, was to go back to the source. Knowing that details change a little each time in the retelling of a story, I wanted to know: What really happened? What exactly was Cousins' illness? What exactly did he do to become cured? What really happened? Cousins, long-time editor for the Saturday Review, had traveled as chairman of a delegation to the Soviet Union in 1964. During the hot nights, he slept in a second floor hotel room with the windows wide open. Diesel trucks spewing fumes drove through the residential area they were staying each night. The days were stressful for Cousins filled with overwhelming responsibilities and pressure. He believes his already compromised immune system (due to stress) succumbed to the fumes. What exactly was Cousins' illness? He had a collagen-related illness (related to arthritis) where the connective cell tissue was breaking down causing him agonizing pain and near paralysis. His doctors gave him a 1 in 500 chance at full recovery. What exactly did he do to become cured? Cousins partnered with his doctor. Being in a unique situation of having both a personal and professional relationship with his physician, Dr. Hitzig was open to discussing the ideas Cousins proposed for his recovery. First, Cousins wondered if his stay in the hospital was unpleasant (noise and being woken for blood samples at all hours) and not conducive to recovery, what impact would positive experiences have? He also realized that the mega-doses of pain killers he was receiving (e.g., as many as twenty-six aspirin daily) were toxic; thus, hampering his body's natural defenses. Recognizing his urgent need to recover and have a normal life, his doctor supported him on a "prescription" of watching funny films. Cousins found that ten minutes of belly laughter were as effective as the painkillers. Again, with his doctor's consent, he stopped taking them. After reading studies published in medical journals, Cousins was convinced that mega-doses of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) might be the cure. Instead of the 3 grams of intramuscular injections, he wanted to start at 10 grams, twenty times the typical 500 mg dose we take as a supplement. Since our bodies can only absorb so much, he discussed the idea with his doctor of an IV drip across 3-4 hours a day for one week. By the end of the seventh day, he had increased the dose to 25 grams. Although, this bold treatment combined with laughter therapy didn't cure Cousins, it laid the foundation for his eventual recovery. Two other points bear mentioning. One, he credits his success with the single-minded focus of desiring to get better and doing whatever it took to get better. He emphasizes mind over matter. Two, he believes as do other medical personnel who he quotes, that time to dialog with patients, understand their concerns, and explain courses of treatment play a more significant role in healing than all the modern technology we've come to depend on. (This was thirty years ago!) One cardiologist recommended the physician being at the emergency room to greet the patient. Imagine that! Albeit thirty years old, An Anatomy of an Illness, bears revisiting by patients and doctors alike. Meanwhile, we need to listen to today's medical personnel, like Drs. Bernie Siegel and Peter Whitehouse, when they too emphasize the need for physician patient dialogue and understanding. Brenda Avadian, MA Founder, [...]  London Perceived $19.95 Forty-one years ago, V.S. Pritchett went looking for what makes London itself. He wrote this before McDonald's arrived, just before the Beatles and 007 put it on the world's pop map, just as cranes were setting out the beams for glass and steel skyscrapers. Much has happened in the interim, but what Pritchett found explains not only its past but its future. He makes neat work of reconciling the many ironies in a place that reinvents itself every so often without much of a plan, but which also hangs onto traditions, ways of being and a passion for order. This is a tour of neighborhoods, but also of centuries and the historical events and personages that have contributed to the city's enduring character. It moves seamlessly between the concrete image and the abstract idea. Pritchett's prose is crystalline, his insights spooky at times (he describes those new skyscrapers as having a "smashable impermanence" to them). The photographs by Evelyn Hofer are haunting. There will always be a London. This should be required reading for visitors to that city.  No, Russia Cannot Be Perceived by Wit $16.98 A brilliant album full of humour and terrific musicianship. I had never heard of this group before and was not at all familiar with Russian music, but I can honestly say that I am glad I took the chance and bought this cd. The quartet play the Bayan Accordian, Bass Balalayka and soprano and alto Domra. What is a Domra? It's one instrument that I have never heard of before. Anyone who loves instrumental and classical music...take a chance like I did and buy this cd. I'm sure you won't regret it. |
|
