"A road map for dealing with chronic disease."—The Wall Street Journal (selected as a Wellness Reading Top Pick for 2010)
“Whether a reader has a chronic illness, cares for someone with a chronic illness, or is simply trying to be a better clinician and person, [Dr. Seifter’s] wisdom is a rare gift. . . . After the Diagnosis can help all live with dignity and meaning.”—Journal of the American Medical Association
“I was the fortunate beneficiary of Dr. Seifter's skill and insight as a teacher. His example as a clinician and as a person has informed my care of chronically ill patients ever since. Readers of After the Diagnosis will be similarly enriched by Dr. Seifter's wisdom, and by his generosity in sharing his own experience. This pragmatic and compassionate text, warmed by Betsy Seifter's contributions, will be welcome accompaniment for anyone living with or caring for chronic illness.”—Paul Farmer, MD, PhD, Co-founder, Partners In Health; Chair, Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School
"A valuable book for people with chronic illnesses and their doctors."—Science News
"After the Diagnosis takes us on a journey into the making of a doctor and the discovery of a serious chronic illness. That intersection has created Julian Seifter, a physician-patient hybrid with sensibilities that patients adore and many docs do not even understand."—Richard M. Cohen, New York Times bestselling author of Blindsided and Strong at the Broken Places
“After the Diagnosis speaks to the millions of people living with chronic illness, as well as their loved ones.”—Lupus Now
"An eloquently executed book that includes an insightful exploration of how people have learned to live with life-threatening and debilitating health issues. . . . A valuable addition to literature on illness."—TucsonCitizen.com
"The richness and craft with which the patient stories in this book are told make After the Diagnosis a page-turner, perfect for summer reading. Its honesty and compassion make it deep, reflective, and ultimately therapeutic."—ASweetLife.org
"Here's a doctor who understands his ailing patients all too well. Seifter, a noted kidney specialist, Harvard Medical School professor, and a diabetic, presents a poignant tribute to those who have faced their illness "in just the right way": neither denying the illness nor becoming totally identified by it. And their stories offer an important lesson for the rest of us, too: when we're sick, "tolerance, forgiveness, and acceptance" will help us stay alive with joy and purpose."—Publishers Weekly
“Part memoir, part self-help, part questioning essay, Seifter’s helpful book about self, illness, healing, and life will have wide appeal.”—Booklist
Here's a doctor who understands his ailing patients all too well. Seifter, a noted kidney specialist, Harvard Medical School professor, and a diabetic, presents a poignant tribute to those who have faced their illness "in just the right way": neither denying the illness nor becoming totally identified by it. Seifter notes that such patients are remarkable not just for their coping skills, but because they embrace their lives despite their disease. There's Sheila, who invented an alter ego named Lucy to preserve her "selfhood" while battling a rare, inflammatory disease, ex-Boston cop Bill O'Malley, who refused to have life-saving dialysis, choosing quality rather than quantity of; and Rose, diagnosed with breast cancer, who discovers that her illness has given her life deeper meaning. They all, Seifter notes, found a way to forget about their illness and immerse themselves in the lives they chose to live. And their stories help the doctor deal with his own chronic disease--and offer an important lesson for the rest of us, too: when we're sick, "tolerance, forgiveness, and acceptance" will help us stay alive with joy and purpose. (Aug.)