4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Being the mother of a child who spent the majority of their first few months in a hospital, I found Ashley Bergris’ book, Becoming a Medical Mom, to be a beneficial guide to any mother. I wish I had this book back then with my son. My son is doing great now, and I am no longer a “medical mom” in the sense that my child is no longer the one dealing with the medical issues. I am now the one in and out of hospitals. This book, though, is just as beneficial to me and what I have to deal with.
Becoming a Medical Mom deals with the multiple aspects of dealing with the people and situations you find yourself in when your child has serious health issues. There are sections on the different types of nurses and doctors, on hospital admission, insurance questions, and even how to deal with your home life and the people around you. The book is clean and to the point, giving out the information you would need without being repetitive. Ashley uses examples from her own experiences to clarify any situation in which the information would best be used in.
There wasn’t anything about this that I didn’t like. In fact, I hope Ashley goes on to write other such books to help women and men who face the difficulties of a child with health needs. There were no grammatical or spelling issues that stood out to me. The paragraphs were not too short and yet they didn’t drag on. Each made a point and then moved on. The bulleted lists were clear and concise. I really like how she makes sure that people do not fall into the world of message boards and forums or getting random web sites’ diagnosis information as medical fact. She clarifies how and what to research and where to steer clear of certain things.
One thing that stood out to me, in this manual like book, was Ashley’s ability to make sure the reader understands enough about dealing with the man aspects of the health care system and people to have a great jumping off point. One example of this is how she discusses using certain web sites to help find information about a specific point, like specialists or food delivery services for a hospital, without giving a list of predetermined sites and companies to go to. This shows her bipartisan stance and that she isn’t selling or pushing a specific program or company on the reader. She tells you key words to use when researching, like the rapid response team that hospitals may or may not have.
I give Becoming a Medical Mom a 4 out of 4 rating. Ashley gives the good and bad of most situations in dealing with the basic parts of having a child with medical issues. She is not partial on subjects and doesn’t glorify doctors or disdain them. She tells what you will expect, terms and titles you should understand, and the basics of traversing the initial medical protocol. Ashley covers the various people you will work with and about hospital admissions. I think this book is a great read for anyone that is or will be a parent, because everyone, and not just definitive situations with medical issues, should know what all goes into being a parent with a medical situation and what to expect.
******
Becoming a Medical Mom
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like Mune's review? Post a comment saying so!