WALK ON WATER: The Miracle of Saving Children's Lives, by Michael Ruhlman

it's a book about a paediatric heart surgeon, Dr Roger Mee, in Cleveland, OH. yes, he's a real person.

ok, so admittedly, i'm not done the book yet. but i'm devouring it. strange timing, i know, given that my youngest son is currently in the hospital, having had his fourth major heart surgery on tuesday, to deal with (but not repair) his very wonky heart (HLHS, for those who don't know me. basically, the part of the heart that pumps the blood out to the body, and the vessel that carries the blood from the heart to the body... yeah, he doesn't have those). i'm thinking wonky heart/congenital heart surgery thoughts lately, so this book is especially interesting to me.

but even if you don't have a kid with a wonky heart, you will likely find this book intriguing. it goes into great detail about the surgeon: his life, his work, his personality, his philosophy. if you've ever wondered what makes someone want to do a near-impossible job for a living, read this book.

there are a lot of details about surgeries, so if you have a weak stomach, you may want to choose some other reading material. but it also allows a peek into the lives of heart families. if you like tear-jerkers, read this book. it's great, though, granted, probably not for everyone.

a friend of mine has also read this book, and she is a heart mom, too. we agree. great book. absolutely fascinating. and honestly, i have a whole new appreciation for asher's surgeon. and i thought he was amazing before reading this. now i'm blown away by his humanity and humility.

UPDATE: i finished the book. not bad, though one part in particular left a bad taste in my mouth. the author didn't actually talk to any heart parents who left the hospital with their baby (he followed up with one family who lost their son, but none who's child survived), and i was stunned to read where he said that the families leave the hospital and that is the end of their stress but that the surgeon lives with this stress every day. um, excuse me? now, i don't want to dimish the surgeon's stress. i can't imagine how he lives with that stress every day. but my son's heart is as wonky as they come (HLHS is the most severe CHD there is, and asher has a severe form of it), and let me tell you, IT'S STRESSFUL!!!!!

funny story: i was chatting with our surgeon the other day, and i mentioned the book to him, and told him who it was about. not surprisingly, our doc knows the guy. and dr c's comment made me laugh: "yeah, he certainly is sure of himself." when one heart surgeon is calling another one arrogant, that's really saying something! but like i said earlier, this book left me with a greater appreciation for dr c, not just for his skill and talent as a surgeon, but also for his heart. this is a man who actually cares about his patients and their families. when i walked into his office last week (popped in to give him something), he smiled and commented, "i don't have any pictures of asher. you need to send me one!" and he pointed to a bulletin board on the wall above his desk with pictures of some of his patients. isn't that wonderful? asher isn't just another wonky heart. this man actually sees my son as the person he is, he sees me as the person i am... he understands that these kids come from families, have lives, and a lot of them are going to grow up to change the world, and that thrills him. i met a surgical fellow this morning, too, who said that reason she wants to get into congenital heart surgery - especially paeds - is because we're families who are so happy to see our babies thrive and grow up and reach milestones. i am blown away by these people. by the doc in the book, however, not so much. i read the whole book, and at the end of it, i can honestly say that i don't believe he "gets it." he says that it's all about the patients, but his actions, as portrayed by the clearly biased author, would indicate that he doesn't fully believe that.

and now i'm ranting about the person himself instead of about the book, and i'm sorry. but like i said, i am deeply connected to this subject. but it's a good book, and i still recommend it, especially to heart families. though probably not to severe heart families. you'd get angry, i think. the chapter about the norwood is interesting, and i realized that, yes, in fact, i was right, and asher would not have survived that surgery. his ascending aorta was too small. you'll understand what i mean if you read the book. the one norwood baby who passed away had an aorta like asher's. far smaller than is safe for the norwood. yeah. but again, good book, though probably not for everyone.