Summary
It is often hard to believe that our life experiences are shared by millions of others every day. From birth to death, the challenges, triumphs and tragedies are not necessarily as unique as we often wish to believe. However, this shared experience should be embraced with an open mind so we may gain insight through others' examples.
In his book "Making Rounds With Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat," Dr. David Dosa relates his experience with an end of life issue that many of us will face. A gerontologist, Dr. Dosa has years of experience dealing with patients suffering from dementia and the many problems that accompany an illness that robs them of the faculties to stay connected to their family and even themselves. Dr. Dosa, who will speak in Evansville Tuesday, relates the story of Oscar and his uncanny ability to foresee the eminent death of people under his care. While intriguing in the uniqueness of the cat's story, it is in the universal portrayal of symptoms, treatments and subsequent repercussions of patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease and related illnesses that Dosa makes his mark. Through his investigation of Oscar's strange ability to predict each patient's death, Dosa gives his reader a more solid understanding of the harsh truths that accompany such a devastating disease. From family members' denial, to the erratic behavior of the patients, Dr. Dosa gives a blueprint of the progression of such a terrible disease and many of the pitfalls and mistakes that patients and their family often make. Interlaced with his professional recounting, the reader finds a story of hope and awareness that such an illness is often beyond our ability to cope with alone.See the full content of this document
Extract
Writers Delve Into Challenging Life Experiences
While real-life cases are a good way for people to come to grips with an issue such as Alzheimer's, fiction can be just a...
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