An unpretentious, easy-to-read book that sheds light on the work and life of an esteemed surgical oncologist.
Title: In My Hands: Compelling Stories from a Surgeon and His Patients Fighting Cancer
Author: Steven A. Curley
Genre: Nonfiction (Medical)
Originally published: 22 May 2018
Finished reading: 23 April 2020
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(Image from Lifeboat Foundation)
When I googled “Steven A. Curley” (and toggled over to Google Images—who wouldn’t?), his portrait immediately struck me as that of a benevolent and jocular grandfather.
I then stumbled upon his blog, where the sidebar prominently declared “My Mission”:
My mission is to live life with integrity, honor, and empathy; to show love and compassion to my family, friends, and patients; to learn every day; and to never stop trying to find new and better ways to treat cancer patients.
The wording is simple. It sounds almost like the platitudes we have become so inured to that we barely spare them a second thought. But it carries weight. It carries sacrifice. One must realise that it takes years of persistent effort to get to where Dr Curley is now. (He has led an illustrious career, received numerous accolades, and is one of the top doctors in the United States.)
Above all, that mission statement embodies who Dr Curley is.
The same direct tone is employed throughout his book, In My Hands. Every chapter is a recount of real patient interactions, coupled with Dr Curley’s personal insights.
What I appreciate most about Dr Curley’s writing is his authentic voice. Utterly unpretentious, he enlightens readers with honest accounts of his job. He makes his work and even his life entirely relatable to us—talking about soccer (he used to coach a soccer team), golf (“I cannot bring myself to call golf a sport”), and reactions of patients—including hilarious ones—that we can all identify with.
While he states some of his beliefs plainly, it is precisely this lack of verbose expressions that makes his book brilliant. His candid tone is most telling of his personality and character.
The respect and trust we are granted as physicians by our patients is a precious gift to be cherished and nurtured.
Remarkably, his sincerity and genuine devotion to patients comes through in every chapter. During his surgical training, he was once pulled aside by the respected vice chairman of surgery, who advised him to be careful, “[y]ou get too involved, and you care too much.” His response?
I don’t know how else to take care of our patients. If I stop feeling, it will be time for me to stop doing this.
I would say that Dr Curley’s writing is perhaps a slight notch below the literary finesse of Paul Kalanithi (author of When Breath Becomes Air) and Atul Gawande (author of Being Mortal). Yet his forthright tone defines who he is.
It was still a deeply fascinating read for me, perhaps because I am so ardently interested in the field and had never previously been acquainted with the details of the work of a surgical oncologist.
The undercurrent of optimism running through the book is a striking contrast to neurosurgeon Henry Marsh’s Do No Harm. While cancer is one of the most feared diseases, In My Hands offers hope. Dr Curley’s book is at once an uplifting and realistic portrayal of what exactly it is like to be a surgical oncologist. Stories of Dr Curley’s patients, told compellingly through his lens, brings the book to life.
My favourite quotes from this book
… the death of hope is a much greater torment for patients than the presence of hope.
― Steven A. Curley, In My Hands: Compelling Stories from a Surgeon and His Patients Fighting Cancer (Chapter 3: Good News, Bad News)
Regardless of the outcome, I believe we doctors must fight the battle side by side with our patients to the end, providing hope tempered with realistic expectations, compassion, and reassurance that we will be there to help throughout the process.
― Steven A. Curley, In My Hands: Compelling Stories from a Surgeon and His Patients Fighting Cancer (Chapter 3: Good News, Bad News)
I believe dogma should be questioned continually and comfort zones should be abandoned and demolished on a regular basis.
― Steven A. Curley, In My Hands: Compelling Stories from a Surgeon and His Patients Fighting Cancer (Chapter 6: Does Your Dogma Bite?)
It is impossible to measure the potency of hope and comfort that patients and families derive from trying everything they believe may help improve their chances of surviving a battle with cancer. Hope endures. And you can’t write a prescription for hope.
― Steven A. Curley, In My Hands: Compelling Stories from a Surgeon and His Patients Fighting Cancer (Chapter 13: What’s the Alternative?)
… the respect and trust we are granted as physicians by our patients is a precious gift to be cherished and nurtured.
― Steven A. Curley, In My Hands: Compelling Stories from a Surgeon and His Patients Fighting Cancer (Chapter 14: Go for It)
I don’t know how else to take care of our patients. If I stop feeling, it will be time for me to stop doing this.
― Steven A. Curley, In My Hands: Compelling Stories from a Surgeon and His Patients Fighting Cancer (Chapter 24: Things Get Complicated)
I hate cancer. I hate what it does to people and their families. … It’s just not right, and we have to do something to find better ways to understand, prevent, and treat cancer.
― Steven A. Curley, In My Hands: Compelling Stories from a Surgeon and His Patients Fighting Cancer (Chapter 29: This Is Too Real)