Book Review
The Diving-Bell & The Butterfly
Jean-Dominique Bauby
ISBN: 1-85702-79-5; 1997; Fourth Estate, London;
Kate-Louise Wiltshire
AHS Elsternwick Private Hospital
This book is an autobiographical account of Jean-Dominique Bauby's stroke at the age of 42. He skillfully describes his feelings of hope, loss, despair, joy and love of life. Its unique title originates from feeling his life is cocooned and yet free to wander as a butterfly would.
The narrative is not full of medical terminology but grapples with some of today's larger questions of resuscitation, quality of life, quality of life years and finding meaning in ones life. Improved resuscitation techniques have now prolonged and refined agony. You survive, but you survive with what is aptly known as 'locked-in-syndrome' (p.12). The only parts of his body to remain untouched by this were his cognitive thought processes and his left eye-lid; his sole means of communication with everyone.
Whilst his own CVA and its resulting paralysis is rare, his insight into its' place in his life is thought provoking, to say the least. The impact it has on his family, colleagues and nursing staff will be all too familiar to most and yet the clarity in which he describes their interactions with him is one of the endearing qualities of this book.
His key nurses are described in physical terms of the night staff, the young staff but in emotional terms of those who could look him in the eye and those who couldn't. Those who were comfortable and patient enough to use his communication system and those that would put the television on, close the door and exit with great haste.
Throughout the book he outlines his lifestyle prior to his CVA. He will take you on many interesting journeys throughout the world and at the same time his longing to feel his or his children's tears and of course wipe them. It is not dissimilar to Tony Moores' 'Cry of a Damaged Man' but found it to be more moving in emotion. I challenge all of you to glimpse his life through these pages and be unmoved.
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