The Deep Places - A Memoir of Illness and Discovery by Ross Douthat
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Web ID: 17693498Reads like a mystery thriller but is true
About twice a year I suggest a new book for my local library to buy. Since I subscribed to the NYTimes, I am a longtime reader of Ross Douthat’s well-written columns. The library bought the book. I anticipated the Deep Places would not only be interesting and informative but philosophical. It was all that and more. A thrilling mystery of a man who is bitten by a deer tick, Douthat weaves current medicine, alternative therapies, and Lyme disease history into his personal journey of searching for a cure. Douthat writes so openly and truthful that the reader is on his journey with him. I could not put the book down until my eyes shut down. I am buying the book for my children.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
I Learned SO Much From a Kindred Spirit
I never thought that I would learn so much about Lyme disease, but I am so thankful that I was able to read The Deep Places. Ross’s illness paralleled his life’s situations so eerily, not only by being haunted by his undiagnosed illness, but also everything that he went through with the dream house that he bought right as he started to get sick. I identified so much with Ross’s plight, as I myself have an illness that I’ve dealt with for over 12 years and despite multiple hospital stays, multiple major surgeries, and a tremendous amount of tests, I have yet to be officially diagnosed. It has been an infuriating and defeating journey, so reading Ross’s thoughts mirrored my own, making me feel all the feels, and also put the thought in my mind that I could have Lyme disease (I doubt it, but the symptoms he has are almost identical to my own, so I can’t help but wonder). I hate that anyone has had to go through this but reading stories like this gives me a sense of comradery, knowing I am not alone in my journey. Ross’s writing is impeccable, showing off his journalistic talents, while at the same time getting down and real. At times it read more like a magazine or newspaper article and not a novel, but that’s to be expected with his profession, and I didn’t hate it. I highly recommend this resource, especially for those of us that struggle with chronic illnesses, that are left to wonder what ails us while also trying to lead a normal life. We are in this fight together. Huge thank you to Ross for being so transparent and for taking the time to write your story. *I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from Penguin Random House through NetGalley. All views and opinions expressed are completely honest, and my own.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Down the Rabbit Hole of CLD alternative treatments
In this book, Ross Douthat, a conservative pundit, recounts his experiences with "chronic Lyme disease" (CLD) -- the term used by some people to describe a broad array of illnesses or symptom complexes for which at this time there is no reproducible scientific evidence to justify its association with Lyme disease. In fact, currently, there is no accepted clinical definition for the phenomenon and only a very small percentage of doctors in the United States and Europe recognize the concept of CLD. This skepticism, in part, stems from the fact that many persons (not all) who claim to suffer from this condition, including the author of this monograph, never tested positive for Lyme disease. This is not to say that the physical suffering experienced by those who claim to have CLD is not real; no doubt it is. The controversy centers on whether Lyme disease is the cause of their long-term suffering and what, if any, treatment is advisable. This controversy over diagnosis and treatment means that those who manifest long-term this broad array of symptoms, which includes fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, headaches, sleep disturbance and other neurologic features, such as demyelinating disease, peripheral neuropathy and sometimes motor neuron disease, cardiac presentations (including electrical conduction delays and dilated cardiomyopathy), and musculoskeletal problems--often find themselves turning to experimental treatments that range from lengthy courses of antibiotic to much more unorthodox alternatives in an effort to find relief from their symptoms, It also means that many who seek treatment encounter doctors who believe the cause of their illness is psychological rather than physical. The author both tried many of these unorthodox treatments and interacted with doctors who thought it was all in his head. Thus, he sets out to present himself as a "fundamentally reliable narrator, open-minded but not naive, vulnerable but not an outright wreck, aware of my own limitations and the possible doubts about my story, but neither paranoid nor mad." And there are times in the narrative where he succeeds; however, at least for this reader, the times when he failed at this endeavor abysmally were more numerous. When I started this book, I had no preconceived ideas about CLD, and in fact knew of some persons through FB who claimed to have this condition. Based on their brief descriptions, it seemed very real; however, after reading this narrative, I am much more skeptical, owing to statements such as the following: "In the beginning only prayers to Mary seemed to have any effect, but then eventually there were reactions when I asked specific saints for help, beginning with my own namesakes--Gregory (my middle name) and Athanasius, which I had pompously adopted upon conversion..." Such statements make it hard to accept his claims of reason or relying on science. Not to mention, by his own admission he was not one for spending time in the great outdoors; if he contracted Lyme disease (again he never tested positive for the disease), it had to have been from the one visit to the country house that they were looking at buying (and ultimately did buy). Although not impossible that he could have been bitten by a tick during this single visit to the countryside and contracted Lyme disease, it is statically unlikely. I also found this narrative of illness at times tiresome, because the author is so focused on proving the disease is real and describing his self-prescribed methods of treatment that he never delves into the impact of his chronic illness on his marriage and his children. It is a "me" narrative that never really explores how chronic illness impacts loved ones or how it changes family dynamics. Although the author briefly references his wife's skepticism about the cause of his symptoms, he leaves largely unexplored how this skepticism or his obsession with alternative treatments impacted their relationship, what tensions it created, or how it changed daily routines. The sacrifices that family members must have been making so that over the course of six years, he could pursue his self-prescribed path to wellness (including massive doses of antibiotics that left him unable to function or his investment in a machine that produced high-level sound frequencies to kill off the Lyme infection) go mostly unmentioned. There is no sense in this narrative of it "taking a village" to combat chronic illness; there is only the image of lone warrior whose suffering has blinded him to his illness's impact on those who love him. That said, what the author does capture well is the anger and sense of betrayal that chronic sufferers of pain feel towards their own bodies as well as towards the medical community that has let them down. For some, this may be enough to make this a powerful and empowering narrative.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
in-depth reading
3 stars Thank you to Random House and Convergent Books for allowing me to read and review this book. Thank you to NetGalley for the digital download. Published October 26, 2021. This was a very in-depth reading of one man and how he coped with Lyme disease. The way he felt, the doctor recommended cures, his own high controversial cures, his suicide ideation, the ups and downs he and his family went through. He was in the throes of this nasty little blood borne disease for 6 long years. I was interested in this book due to my own grandson having contracted Lyme disease while hunting in Mississippi a few years ago. As Douthat states, 'every person has their own individual case - and cure'. Whereas my grandson could not eat red meat, which seemed to make him violently ill, Douthat could not tolerate even the smallest drink of alcohol. Although it is said that Lyme disease is never 'cured', since it stays in the body just waiting for another irruption, my grandsons course ran right at a year under Drs care. Douthat was still suffering 6 years later, which obviously shows that Lyme disease is nothing to ignore. It is a very serious and dangerous disease that doctors still know very little about.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Wonderfully surprising
Surprise #1: As a Lyme sufferer who has tried to relate my experience to others, this book has taken my feelings and put them into words like I never could have. Surprise #2: In the polarized world of Lyme treatment (similar, in many ways, to the world of Covid-19) it was comforting to see how Mr. Douthat could graciously explain both sides of the divide, or rather, to use his words, the two concentric circles. Surprise #3: That a memoir on “illness and discovery” could read like a novel I was unable to put down. Surprise #4: How many copies of this book I have purchased as gifts for caring individuals who have tried their best to walk alongside me in my suffering. My hope is that this book will validate what a difficult task that has been for them, and encourage them to keep trying.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Thoughtful and heartfelt
This book will take you deep into one mans journey with a sometimes debilitating chronic disease. It is very forthright and describes all he has gone through and endured in the last six years, the good as well as the bad. I wasn’t thinking I’d like this book much but the author grew on me and I feel it is a worthwhile read-doctors and doctors-to-be should all read it-as well as anyone interested in the memoir-type genre. I thank #netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review #thedeeplaces
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Good book
This was a very well written account of a disease that most people, myself included, know nothing about. Really interesting read about his life with Lyme’s disease and beyond. I truly hope for his sake that a cure is found in his lifetime. Thank you to Netgalley and his publisher for allowing me the early read.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
The Deep Places
Ross Douthat is an American conservative political analyst, blogger, author and New York Times columnist. Prior to 2016, he led an invigorating, purposeful life. He was happily married and loved his young children. He had an elite education and a successful career. Then, in a hideous Stephen King plot twist, he and his family decide to move to the gentrified countryside of Connecticut. They buy an old home that needs extensive repairs. Sadly, this is where his nightmare begins. Just like a terrifying horror-suspense book, Mr. Douthat is suddenly afflicted with various and debilitating pains, bad feelings, mental confusion which was (probably) a result of Lyme disease. The memoir details his quest for at first a cure, and then just the hope of feeling better. His first recourse was traditional medicine, then he relies more on alternative methods, even developing his own courses of treatment. He connects with the many other Lyme sufferers. His spiritual life also guides him through his healing challenges. Interestingly, his book ends with the beginning of the COVID pandemic, which also affects him. I think the pandemic has brought home to most of us the feeling that we are all in this together, that medicine can only do so much and we have to rely on our own hope. Mr. Douthat’s well-written and compelling story taught me that there are many people suffering greatly from puzzling ailments. It also convinced me never to set foot in Connecticut. My heart also went out to Mr. Douthat’s patient and loving wife. Thanks to NetGalley and Convergent books for an advance digital review copy. This is my honest review.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com