A Year of Medical Thinking

"I quickly swapped my ‘Ms Innocent, the world is tough but basically okay’ hat for the one of ‘Breast Cancer Patient’, madly trying to process everything that the doctor was saying.” An inauspicious encounter in a doctor’s surgery during a routine follow-up for IVF initiates a descent into a labyrinth of questioning and uncertainty. From those first words ushered out of the doctors mouth starts a year where the mind is consumed by medical research, medical terms, hospital visits, medication and explanations. The diagnosis was breast cancer. Filled with reflections on life, motherhood, friendship, and the future, A Year of Medical Thinking chronicles one woman’s ordinary life as it is catapulted into a quest for meaning and purpose. SK Reid has shared personal experiences in this book in a way that speaks to all. The book focuses on the shift that occurs in the brain after a potentially life threatening diagnosis; the loss of control, security and hope prompts philosophical and spiritual reflections on life, vitality and most importantly resilience. Guaranteed to strike a cord with those who have experienced the loss of a baby or any potentially life-threatening illness, readers are reminded about the importance of sharing stories, talking about grief and never giving up in the face of adversity. Author and renowned filmmaker, Paul Cox (Tales From The Cancer Ward, Transit Lounge, 2011) has described it as "a very courageous book" that will provide "comfort" and be of "help to others who face sudden twists of fate" in their lives.