The Knife’s Edge: The Heart and Mind of a Cardiac Surgeon

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It’s possible you’ll even meet folks completing the incredible 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail thru-hike, as Mount Katahdin is the final destination on that route after the Hundred-Mile Wilderness. In the end, Capitol Peak was exactly what I was hoping it would be: a physical and mental challenge that pushed me out of my comfort zone but well within the limits of my abilities.

The Knife’s Edge: The Heart and Mind of a Cardiac Surgeon The Knife’s Edge: The Heart and Mind of a Cardiac Surgeon

It’s a shame to observe such casual sexism, because it’s clear Westaby felt deeply for his patients of any gender. Self-diagnosed as a psychopath, he insists that it is this personality trait (attributed to an assault during a rugby match) that makes him an outstanding surgeon.However, I did enjoy this book and was intrigued by the repeated references to the emotional traits of surgeons and particularly to his brain injury affecting his personality.

The Knife’s Edge: The Heart and Mind of a Cardiac Surgeon The Knife’s Edge: The Heart and Mind of a Cardiac Surgeon

I was moved by the incidents like those of Sophie and Oliver, the little patients who came back from the clutches of death, simply because their surgeon forever believed in hope and in magic at times when he strove constantly to achieve perfection.I put all my electronics/batteries in my sleeping bag with me if I know it’s going to get cold, especially on multi-night trips. This was an awesome decision because the few tech moves were a lot of fun and nothing out of our comfort zones. In the first volume of his memoirs, Fragile Lives, he describes being plucked from the pub to assist in repairing an aorta torn in a road traffic accident.