by Victoria Sweet
Hennepin County Library audiobook 11 discs
read by the author
genre: non-fiction
This was interesting and definitely kept my attention. Dr. S worked at Laguna Honda Hospital in San Francisco for twenty-ish years. (http://lagunahonda.org/) She also was fascinated by Hildegard, a twelfth century nun, and wrote a book called Slow Medicine after writing her master's thesis and her PhD paper about this topic. I'm just going to jot a few notes / reactions to the book below.
Why did pre-modern medicine and Hildegard of Bingen appeal to her so much?!?! I just don't get it.
My lack of compassion concerns me . . . when it comes to people making horrible life choices and killing themselves with drugs, alcohol, etc. . . . I wonder why so many medical professionals, tests, procedures, etc. are spent on them. Ethically, I realize it's not productive to say someone like me should get to determine who gets health care and who doesn't. Our entire health care system (and societal ills) are so complex. I guess it's good that people like Dr. Sweet do all that they can for all patients.
The parts on money, "efficiencies," and bureaucracy . . . ugh. I realize that this is how the world works, but spending more on administration and PR seems counterproductive to saving money!
I couldn't believe she kept referring to a patient's "retarded" daughter . . . not so much the non-PC term as the fact that a medical doctor would use a "no-no" word at all!
The specific patient examples were the most interesting part of the book to me.
Interesting to consider dementia as a polynomial equation with several variables.
Anima / soul / animation - interesting way to look at it.
Too much focus and repetition on the four humours, four symbolically (seasons, elements, etc.). Enough!
Her pilgrimage . . . sounds interesting. But without a spiritual goal, I wonder about her purpose. She shares what she learns in the walk across France and Spain. I like that she and her friend did the trip in three or four different stretches.
She references Scripture and faith, but isn't a believer . . . she has an interesting perspective.
Interesting look at medicine, philosophy, economics, etc. My attitudes and beliefs don't align with the author's, but I learned a lot and thought about my perspective. This was a very worthwhile book to "read."
The title is taken from the French term for charity hospitals - L'Hotel Dieu - God's Hotel.
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