A Bomb in the Brain

A journalist recounts his experiences as a neurosurgery patient, describing the scientific principles behind the procedures he underwent and profiling the patients and doctors he encountered

A massive brain hemorrhage accompanied by excruciating pain and impaired vision in 1983 ended his coverage of the Nicaraguan revolution for the then 28-year-old journalist Fishman. He survived the misdiagnoses of doctors there, and the hazardous trip to a New York hospital. The author enriches his affecting account of his attack and surgery with reflections on the nature of pain and on hospital life and with portraits of the physicians and other medical personnel who cared for him. He discusses the evolution and technology of the scientific specialities such as radiology, neurology and micro-surgery involved in his surgery, a delicate, danger- and tension-fraught operation that was recorded on videotape. He later also witnessed a similar procedure performed by the same surgeon. Left with a permanent epileptic condition, Fishman writes poignantly that although he recovered, he will never be restored.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Traveling through Nicaragua, freelance journalist and former UPI editor Fishman was unaccountably stricken with a brain hemorrhage. After suffering excruciating pain, Fishman checked into a New York hospital where tests revealed an arteriovenous malformation; he was then, after surgery, diagnosed as having epilepsy. His account is an effective blend of medical history and current practice; the author skillfully shifts from detachment to intimacy as he recounts the impact of illness and medical wizardry on himself, his family and friends, and his doctors. His conclusions regarding neurosurgery may be controversial, but the story is highly moving. Laurie Bartolini, Lincoln Lib., Springfield, Ill.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.