Publication date – January 8, 2009
Dancing at the River's Edge: A Patient and Her Doctor Negotiate Life with Chronic Illness
by Alida Brill and Michael D. Lockshin, MD
What others have to say about the book:
"A deeply personal exploration on both sides of the medical scene—the patient who suffers and strives to retain her 'self,' and the physician who struggles to maintain a balance between knowing the truth while attempting to understand its implications." —Virginia Ladd, president and executive director, American Autoimmune Diseases Related Association
"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
"A must-read for anyone who has traveled to the 'other planet' that is chronic illness, or loves someone who is making this arduous journey . . . a life-affirming and deeply moving book." —Nancy Matsumoto, staff contributor, People; former contributor, Health, Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, Newsweek, and Time; coauthor, The Parents' Guide to Eating Disorders
"A book unlike any other; this slim volume probes the intricacies of a magical relationship, that of a patient with her doctor. A heart-wrenching dialogue that carries profound and life-altering insights for us all." —Dr. David Sachar, head of gastroenterology, Mt. Sinai Hospital, and world's leading expert on Crohn's Disease
"Delves into the intricacies and intimacy of chronic illness . . . it illuminates the spirit. Important for those suffering from chronic illness and [their] families." —Lauren Shuler Donner, film producer, You've Got Mail and the X-Men series, a lupus patient
"Whether you are doctor or patient, you see a bit of yourself in [this book]. . . . It demonstrates how profound the bond between doctor and patient can be—how much power it imparts." —Susan Golick, founder, S.L.E. Lupus Foundation
Hardcover: 224 pages/Publisher: Schaffner Press, Inc./January 2009/ISBN-10: 0980139406/ISBN-13: 978-0980139402
From the publisher: This dual memoir by a doctor and his longtime patient suffering with a chronic illness explores their unique relationship and bond based on trust, respect and honesty formed over two decades. In alternately written chapters, this book brings an unusual perspective to the patient/doctor dialogue, and touches upon areas of the medical practice not previously discussed in book form. The reader comes to realize not only the constant day to day frustrations and ongoing crises suffered by a patient who is chronically ill, but also obtains a greater understanding of the mental struggles and conflicts the concerned doctor must face in deciding what's best for a patient without compromising personal freedoms.
Alida Brill is a social critic, an essayist, and the author of several nonfiction books, including Dimensions of Tolerance, Nobody’s Business, and A Rising Public Voice. She lives in New York City.
Michael D. Lockshin, MD, is one of America's preeminent experts in the long-term care of chronically ill patients. He is the director of the Barbara Volcker Center for Women and Rheumatic Disease at the Hospital for Special Surgery and a professor of medicine and obstetrics-gynecology at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University in New York. He is the author of Guarded Prognosis and The Hospital for Special Surgery Rheumatoid Arthritis Handbook. He lives in New York.
