Miracles We Have Seen
America's Leading Physicians Share Stories They Can't Forget
by Harley Rotbart
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Pub Date Sep 13 2016 | Archive Date Jan 11 2019
HCI Books | HCI
Description
Preeminent physicians in many specialties, including deans and department heads on the faculties of the top university medical schools in the country describe, in everyday language and with moving testimony, their very personal reactions to these remarkable clinical experiences.
Among the extraordinary cases poignantly recounted by the physicians witnessing them: A priest visiting a hospitalized patient went into cardiac arrest on the elevator, which opened up on the cardiac floor, right at the foot of the cardiac specialist, at just the right moment. A tiny premature baby dying from irreversible lung disease despite the most intensive care who recovered almost immediately after being taken from his hospital bed and placed on his mother's chest. President John F. Kennedy's son Patrick, who died shortly after birth, and whose disease eventually led to research that saved generations of babies. A nine-year-old boy who was decapitated in a horrific car accident but survived without neurological damage. A woman who conceived and delivered a healthy baby—despite having had both of her fallopian tubes surgically removed. A young man whose only hope for survival was a heart transplant, but just at the moment he developed a potentially fatal complication making a transplant impossible, his own heart began healing itself. A teenage girl near death after contracting full-blown rabies who became the first patient ever to recover from that disease after an unexpected visit by Timothy Dolan, the man who would go on to become the Archbishop of New York. A Manhattan window-washer who fell 47 stories—and not only became the only person ever to survive a fall from that height, but went on to make a full recovery.Miracles We Have Seen is a book of inspiration and optimism, and a compelling glimpse into the lives of physicians—their humanity and determined devotion to their patients and their patients' families. It reminds us that what we don't know or don't understand isn't necessarily cause for fear, and can even be reason for hope.
A Note From the Publisher
Advance Praise
—Rabbi Harold Kushner, author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People and Nine Essential Things I've Learned About Life
"As a witness to one of the miracles recounted in this uplifting book, I welcome Dr. Rotbart's extraordinary collection of compelling testimonies from leading physicians. Take a look, and have your faith in God—and in his agents of healing, doctors—renewed!"
—Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York
"Miracles We Have Seen opens a window into the complex world of the art and the science of medicine for all to see the compassionate miracles dispensed there. Take a good look . . . you will be inspired!"—Richard Carmona, MD, MPH, FACS, 17th Surgeon General of the United States
"These stories by doctors who are true healers have moved me to tears and opened my heart. Each, like the great doctor-writer Chekhov, brings to medicine a sense of compassion, deep vulnerability, love and hope for those who suffer, and the ability to acknowledge that human life is a precious gift."
—Ruth Behar, author of Traveling Heavy: A Memoir in Between Journeys, and the Victor Haim Perera Collegiate Professor of Anthropology, University of Michigan
"A beautifully written collection from physicians witnessing the mystery and power of the human body and spirit in the most extreme circumstances. This is a unique contribution that will inspire and edify."
—Jerome Groopman, MD, Recanati Professor, Harvard Medical School, New Yorker staff writer, and co-author with Dr. Pamela Hartzband of the New York Times bestseller Your Medical Mind: How to Decide What Is Right for You
"In an age of technology and indifference, these remarkable essays inspire wonder, awe, and a sense of pride of being human. They demonstrate that the miracle of miracles is that they do happen when health professionals combine their medical skills with unrelenting devotion to the art of healing."
—Bernard Lown, MD, Emeritus Professor of Medicine, Harvard School of Public Health, Emeritus Senior Medical Attending, Brigham and Women's Hospital, founder of Physicians for Social Responsibility (1961), recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (1985) on behalf of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War
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Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9780757319372 |
| PRICE | $16.95 (USD) |
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Featured Reviews
Katie W, Reviewer
This was a very interesting book, took a while to get into, but I eventually got into it, to the point where I couldn't put it down. If you are interested in this genre, this book is a must read.
Trey t, Reviewer
An array of essays from doctors in training to professional physicians of various specialties, describing medical instances involving patients of all genders, ages and ethnicity. In 'Miracles We Have Seen', I found truly touching essays that break reason and logic, as well as your heart. This book will make you believe in miracles.
You can read this book in a linear fashion. But the book is formatted in such a way, that you can jump to any page and pick up the next story. The stories are short and are compelling from start to finish.
Along with the miracles you'll encounter throughout the book, you'll find intimate windows into the thoughts and feelings of the doctor's, patients and families involved. Every situation brought a lesson or lessons that were life changing and brought them to the next phase in their life or career.
There's even a section that hosts essays on patient death; what it taught them and how it bolstered them for the future.
Almost as a bonus, there is a chapter on the development track of young doctors and their mentors. It speaks on the importance of role models in a young doctor's career, which would help mold them, their mental and emotional content, to sustain the kind of life they will endure in the medical field; a field where miracles and lessons abound.
Terry B, Reviewer
This is a collection of true accounts of people who for the most part, were not expected to live! They range from a baby girl surviving an ectopic pregnancy while traveling from the uterus to the mother's stomach, with only her head still in the uterus, to an older gentleman who survives after having a heart attack on a ski hill!
You will read about a 14 year old who survives a rabies attack, a young child who survives after being 30 minutes in an icy stream, and a young girl who is saved by using traditional Chinese medicines !
You will have to read these stories for yourself to see how God saves the lives of people who should have died!
Dyane H, Reviewer
It was wonderful to read about doctors' various experiences with miracles in their own words. Every account was riveting, and I liked how the duties associated with their different specialties were depicted. The writing was excellent overall, and the editor was clearly dedicated to producing an excellent collection. I loved reading this truly one-of-a-kind book!
Joanna M, Educator
Fascinating read full of interesting stories! I greatly appreciate the perspective from physicians.
Heidi Lynn’s B, Reviewer
First, I want to thank Harley A. Rotbart, MD., Health Communications, Inc and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review.
Miracles We Have Seen by Harley A. Rotbart, MD was a very unique book that will touch your heart, educate you, blow you away with some of the stories, will show you what medical “miracles” look like and uplift you. All these stories in the book are true accounts from pediatricians, internists, surgeons, family medicine specialists, emergency medicine physicians, obstetricians, psychiatrists and sub-specialists.
Harley thanks 74 Doctors that contributed stories to this book. He also acknowledges a list of people whom helped him with everything to individual essays.
I absolutely loved this book, the medical stories, and the human patient care side of the stories as well. I found each story to be fascinating. I have two favorite stories that stuck out to me and touched me in one way or another.
The first one was An Unlikely Discovery by the Unlikeliest Person. This story was told in three different parts in three different perspectives. They were the Student, The Teacher, and The Surgeon. Ryan the student was working on a test patient Jim whom was to pretend he had an abdominal aortic aneurysm. In this section I was educate what exactly what this was. He played the part well or so Ryan thought. He made the diagnosis that this patent really did have one. The Teacher didn’t believe him at first but it turns out he was right. Ryan got high praise write up online and in the newspaper for it. In fact the links are In the bio. If Jim was not there that day this would have never been diagnosed and he could have died at home.
The other story that touched my heart was the Impossible Delivery. This one really pulled on my heart strings big time! Since New Year’s Eve Karen felt something strange with some light bleeding. She had not had her period in 5 years but had a history of uterine fibroid. In the past she had an uterine artery embolization. Unfortunately, this procedure made her infertile. Imagine their surprise when they found out they were 7 months pregnant!! However, she had placenta accrete. If you want to know what happened to the Mom and baby you will have go read the book.
Ivory C, Reviewer
This is an incredible collection of true stories gathered from medical professionals providing memories of miraculous moments during their careers. It was very easy to see why these memories have stayed with them.
On many occasions, it seemed skill, luck and being in the right place at the right time played a major role in events. Perhaps the odd exception can be put down to divine intervention. I am not a religious person but I was quite touched when one doctor stated there is something bigger going on in healing than just doctors and their treatments.
Each chapter provides a summary of its contents, which may be handy for those with an interest in a particular area. Proceeds from book sales go to nominated charities, which is a fantastic idea.
My favourite chapter was the amazing parasite in eye story- http://www.wired.com/2013/10/absurd-creature-of-the-week-botfly/
This book should appear to a wide variety of readers including those who feel they are losing hope. Miracles do happen.
Thank you to Net galley and the publisher for providing a digital version of the uncorrected readers copy in return for an honest review.
Michelle M, Reviewer
Very interesting book,filled with stories of synchronicity and miracles. Books like this give hope to people needing for a medical miracle in their life, it is always heartwarming to read stories of of situations where there was little or no hope and then against all odds a miracle came.
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