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Julie Basil wrote: ↑05 Jul 2024, 14:10 [Following is a volunteer review of "First Survivor" by Mark Unger.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Have you or someone you love been impacted by the terrible disease of cancer? Do you enjoy reading stories of hope that involve people pressing on despite difficult circumstances? Are you interested in patient advocacy and how asking lots of questions and advocating for yourself or a loved one in a medical situation can impact the care received? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you should read First Survivor by Mark Unger. This book tells the inspirational story of how Mark and his wife Mary Ellen handled their son Louis’ cancer diagnosis at 3 years old and how their advocacy for him throughout his care led Louis to be the first child to survive a neuroblastoma relapse that occurred in the brain.
 
Mark shares his family’s story, starting with some of the initial signs that they noticed, which indicated something might be wrong with Louis. He depicts the difficulties and frustrations that they faced when Louis was first admitted to the hospital and had to undergo many tests before receiving a diagnosis and being able to start treatment aimed at eradicating his cancer. Throughout the book, Mark also shares notes he took as he was introduced to a whole new world of medical jargon and was trying to make sense of all of the medicines and treatment options for Louis. Additionally, he shares copies of emails and notes that he sent out to friends and family throughout Louis’ treatment when he was updating them on successes and setbacks.
 
One of the biggest lessons from this story is the importance of patient advocacy and seeking out medical care from specialists who can offer the best care for one’s condition. Mark researched online for more information about neuroblastoma as well as doctors who treated the disease whenever he had the time to do so, sometimes staying up late into the night. He personally called many doctors to seek out additional opinions in the wake of his son’s diagnosis. This research led him and his wife to decide to transfer Louis’ care from the local hospital near their home to Sloan Kettering Hospital, which was more than an hour away. Although the drive was much longer, Sloan Kettering had a whole department dedicated to treating children with neuroblastomas, in addition to having the most up-to-date protocols for treating the disease. Louis had a relapse after his initial rounds of treatment, and his parents advocated for him once again, which led him to receive an experimental treatment that ultimately saved his life. Their story shows how important it is to seek out multiple opinions and research the best options for care in the medical world in the United States.
 
Overall, I rate this story 4 out of 5 stars. It was a very inspiring story but was sometimes difficult to read due to changes in formatting, a few typos, and medical terminology that wasn’t well explained. There is a glossary with some of the medical terms at the end of the book, but in the e-book format, the terms were not linked to the glossary at the end in order to assist with comprehension. The formatting and style of the book are not consistent, but this may also may be attributed to the e-book format. For these issues, I am deducting one star, but I would still recommend this book.

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First Survivor
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

Julie Basil wrote: ↑05 Jul 2024, 14:10 [Following is a volunteer review of "First Survivor" by Mark Unger.]

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4 out of 5 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Have you or someone you love been impacted by the terrible disease of cancer? Do you enjoy reading stories of hope that involve people pressing on despite difficult circumstances? Are you interested in patient advocacy and how asking lots of questions and advocating for yourself or a loved one in a medical situation can impact the care received? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you should read First Survivor by Mark Unger. This book tells the inspirational story of how Mark and his wife Mary Ellen handled their son Louis’ cancer diagnosis at 3 years old and how their advocacy for him throughout his care led Louis to be the first child to survive a neuroblastoma relapse that occurred in the brain.
 
Mark shares his family’s story, starting with some of the initial signs that they noticed, which indicated something might be wrong with Louis. He depicts the difficulties and frustrations that they faced when Louis was first admitted to the hospital and had to undergo many tests before receiving a diagnosis and being able to start treatment aimed at eradicating his cancer. Throughout the book, Mark also shares notes he took as he was introduced to a whole new world of medical jargon and was trying to make sense of all of the medicines and treatment options for Louis. Additionally, he shares copies of emails and notes that he sent out to friends and family throughout Louis’ treatment when he was updating them on successes and setbacks.
 
One of the biggest lessons from this story is the importance of patient advocacy and seeking out medical care from specialists who can offer the best care for one’s condition. Mark researched online for more information about neuroblastoma as well as doctors who treated the disease whenever he had the time to do so, sometimes staying up late into the night. He personally called many doctors to seek out additional opinions in the wake of his son’s diagnosis. This research led him and his wife to decide to transfer Louis’ care from the local hospital near their home to Sloan Kettering Hospital, which was more than an hour away. Although the drive was much longer, Sloan Kettering had a whole department dedicated to treating children with neuroblastomas, in addition to having the most up-to-date protocols for treating the disease. Louis had a relapse after his initial rounds of treatment, and his parents advocated for him once again, which led him to receive an experimental treatment that ultimately saved his life. Their story shows how important it is to seek out multiple opinions and research the best options for care in the medical world in the United States.
 
Overall, I rate this story 4 out of 5 stars. It was a very inspiring story but was sometimes difficult to read due to changes in formatting, a few typos, and medical terminology that wasn’t well explained. There is a glossary with some of the medical terms at the end of the book, but in the e-book format, the terms were not linked to the glossary at the end in order to assist with comprehension. The formatting and style of the book are not consistent, but this may also may be attributed to the e-book format. For these issues, I am deducting one star, but I would still recommend this book.

******
First Survivor
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon