In his exceptionally thought-provoking and moving memoir, neurosurgeon
Joseph D. Stern explores how personal loss influences the way physicians
relate to patients and their families.
How does a doctor who deals with the death of patients on a regular
basis confront his own loss when his beloved sister is living out her
last days?
Despite a career as a neurosurgeon, Joseph Stern learned more about the
nature of illness and death after his younger sister, Victoria,
developed leukemia than his formal medical training ever taught him. Her
death broke down the self-protective barriers he had built to perform
his job and led to a profound shift in his approach to medicine.
During the year of his sister's illness, Dr. Stern developed a greater
awareness of the needs of patients and their families; of the burdens
they carry; of the importance of connection, communication, and
gratitude; and of what it means to ask the right questions.
Grief Connects Us bridges the gap between patients and doctors,
providing a window into their shared concerns. Interspersing reflections
from Victoria's journal, stories of patients and colleagues, and
insights from experts, Dr. Stern has orchestrated a symphony of voices
guiding us toward greater mutual understanding and appreciation of the
beauty and fragility of life.
No matter which side of the patient-doctor relationship you find
yourself on, listening with empathy, a willingness to be vulnerable, and
emotional agility are skills we can all develop to improve how we meet
difficult, unavoidable challenges.
