Felix Kolb
Felix Kolb, MD, wrote his first book as the sole author,
Surviving a Health Crisis: How to Live Through a Life-Threatening Health Emergency, after experiencing a medical crisis in his own life.
"Although I had taken care of patients for years, I had never been a patient until 2002 when I started to have abdominal and back pain, and I finally had surgery a year and a half later to remove a grapefruit-sized abdominal aortic aneurysm," says Kolb, professor emeritus of the UCSF School of Medicine. "I realized how important it is to get a second and third opinion, and to know what to do in an emergency."
With the tables turned, Kolb wrote the book from the patient's perspective, while offering insider tips based on his more than 50 years' experience as an endocrinologist and 35 years as associate director of the UCSF Metabolic Research Unit.
With his expertise, Kolb informs the reader how to assess diagnoses and how to get the best treatment, hospital care, home care and follow-up care. He also reveals behind-the-scenes operations of emergency rooms, intensive care units and general hospital wards.
Be Prepared
In the first part of the book, Kolb describes how to be better prepared for a medical emergency. He advises the reader to determine which doctors and hospitals are best suited for emergency care, to obtain adequate health insurance and long-term care insurance, and to create a safer home environment.
Kolb advises readers to organize a support team, a health file of all medical records and health insurance forms, and a "911 kit," which includes a three-day supply of medications and all other personal necessities needed in an emergency. Kolb suggests carrying a card in your wallet listing allergies, daily medications, hospital locations, and phone numbers of health care providers and family members. He also advocates carrying a cell phone at all times and having medical devices, such as Lifeline buttons or bracelets, or heart defibrillators for those with heart conditions, easily accessible in the home.
"I am a strong believer in preventative medicine, and if there are medical devices and tests available, people should take advantage of them," says Kolb. "People don't know that certain things are available to save their lives, so I wrote this book so they are aware of what can be done. For example, screening for vascular problems is now available by noninvasive sonography, and early detection of an aneurysm or partially obstructed blood vessel can prevent disaster."
The second part of the book takes the reader step-by-step through a medical crisis: from emergency room, to surgery, to the intensive care unit, to recovery and discharge from the hospital, to returning to a nursing facility or home. For readers who have not previously been in a medical crisis, this is especially helpful for learning what to expect and how to cope with the physical, psychological and financial consequences of a serious illness or injury.
Throughout the book, Kolb includes anecdotes of people who have faced medical crises and how their preparedness, or lack thereof, affected their outcomes. The book concludes with Kolb's "10 Commandments for Surviving a Critical Illness," which summarizes his message.
"People think a medical emergency will never happen to them, but when it does, it happens very fast and people need to be prepared," says Kolb. "Even if you're in perfect health, you could get into a car accident, have a heart attack or stroke, and if you're prepared, you'll have a much better chance of surviving."
Free vascular screenings, sponsored by the Pacific Vascular Research Foundation and UCSF, will be offered at UCSF Medical Center on Saturday, Nov. 4. For more information, go
here.
Surviving a Health Crisis: How to Live Through a Life-Threatening Health Emergency can be purchased online through
Amazon,
Borders and
Barnes & Noble.
