The Light Within : Press and Reviews

PRESS:

Lois has been in the press a lot lately and continues to be interviewed by the media. Here are some of the print media or radio interviews that she has done:

Listen to a podcast in the September 2008 online issue of Focused on Health
The June 23, 2008 issue of Newsweek.
KPFT 90.1FM radio June 27, 2008: Living Art with Michael Woodson
WMET 1160AM radio in Washington D.C (scroll down to June 9).: The Kathryn Zox Show.
Lois was interviewed by James Meyer of the The Entertainment Critic Magazine and her interview can be found online when you click on 'Interviews.'
Basil & Spice blog posted on May 26, 2008.
April/May 2008 issue of Health Monitor.
Spiritual Pathways, an interview at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

Newspaper of the Texas Medical Center, August 1, 2008

July 18, 2008 issue of Steve Goddard's History Wire blog

REVIEWS:

Here are some of the reviews that were posted on Amazon and Barnes & Noble:

"As a physician in this area, I was deeply moved by this book. I urge all cancer physicians to read it. The depth of thought and emotion from the authors are compelling. I would urge anyone battling a cancer to read it. It will help explain the uncertainty, fear and concerns one has while fighting a disease. It also reaches deep into why we live and love. It is uplifting and sad at the same time. The authors are congratulated on sharing such a personal experience for others to benefit from." (Charles J. Dunton)

"Spirituality and medicine seems an unlikely combination until you read The Light Within. Finally we have a doctor who addresses the need for doctors to get involved with their patients lives when those patients are faced with a terminal illness. The interweaving of the two stories allows us to understand what the real meaning of spirituality is for both the doctor and the patient. Each helps the other to grow and deepen their own lives in-spite of difficult emotional setbacks. Even though the patient dies the reader is left feeling positive and grateful to have had the chance to get to know these two remarkable women. In this time of difficult medical connections which seem to revolve around paperwork and short visits it is heartening to know that there is a Dr. Ramondetta who is out there fighting for all of us." (J. White)

"The honesty of this story is compelling. It took courage and a ton of will power to make it happen. Sharing at this level was so deeply moving. The living that continued alongside the dying was a story in itself. The elegant, defiant patient and the devoted, determined physician; both suffered, learned, loved and lost. A beautiful, haunting story all the more poignant because it is true. A must, must read for anyone in the medical world for the compassion alone. A reminder of quality of life and what we do with it." (D. Levy)

"I connected to this book on so many levels...as a breast cancer survivor; a caregiver/support person for many friends and relatives with cancer; and a former MD Anderson employee with a special interest in the complexity of physician-patient communications and relationships. It's quite remarkable that Dr. Ramondetta was able to step beyond the traditional "limitations" of her role as a cancer doctor, in order to develop such a deep and enduring relationship with her patient Deb. Clearly, both their lives were the better for having met each other. How inspiring it must have been for Deb to know that her cancer diagnosis created the opportunity to have such a wonderful relationship. I hope everyone who has or will encounter Cancer World (that means all of us, eventually) has a chance to read this book. Kudos to Dr. Ramondetta and Deb for taking the time and spending the emotional energy to create this wonderful legacy and testament to the power of love and friendship." (Suzanne Mitchell)

"As a cancer patient myself, I started reading the book literally the night before my surgery, and I simply couldn't put it down till I was finished. It's so heartening to read about the human side and the relationship between the doctor and patient without the proverbial wall that many doctors build between them and their patients. I'm delighted to see that the old adage of 'don't get emotionaly involved' is being replaced by getting to know the patient in depth as an integral part of the healing and caring process. My late father, also a surgeon, made house calls which took hours because he used to take the time to sit and 'chat' with his patients and their families. That part of the treatment went a long way and was pricelss. Kudos to Dr. Ramondetta! I hope this wonderful opus, will be restarting a trend that got lost in the rat race that we live in." (Aida A.)

"I read this book in nearly one sitting - I just could not go to sleep until I was finished. Dr.Ramondetta conveys the truly human side of medicine, and shows us that blurring boundaries is not always a bad thing, and that there are doctors who dare to cross that line. This is a story of hope, love, friendship, and courage. As someone in the oncology field, this reinforced my desire to go into oncology, and reminded me why we can never give up hope." (Jaime)

This book is an extraordinary account of a deep friendship between a terminal cancer patient and a surgeon - the sort of thing that "is not supposed to happen." The physician allows her empathy for the dying patient to blossom into a full-blown, outside-of-the-hospital friendship including international travel together, and culminating in the writing of this book. The patient, a professor of comparative religion, maintains her zest for life and outgoing personality until the disease gets the best of her. The physician, having an undergraduate degree in comparative religion, is taken in by deep conversations and the importance of living in the present insisted on by the patient. The two form a poignant picture of caring friends, only interrupted by the progress of the disease. Quite a story! One of those "can't put it down" books. (Samuel Epstein)