Port in the Storm How to Make a Medical Decision and Live to Tell About It by Cole A. Giller, MD, PhD Lifeline Press ; ISBN: 0895261324 Paperback - 320 pages (January 2004) $16.95 All of us will face at least one medical decision in the course of our lives — anything from a choice of minor surgery to a gut-wrenching decision between a mastectomy or chemotherapy. No matter what decisions we face, the hardest time to be clear and rational is in the midst of a medical crisis. Yet this is precisely when the most important decisions are made. No one knows that better than Dr. Cole Giller, a neurosurgeon at Southwestern Medical School and a former cancer survivor. In his 13 years of practice, Dr. Giller has counseled thousands of patients through difficult, confusing and often life-threatening decisions. In PORT IN THE STORM: How to Make a Medical Decision and Live to Tell About It, Dr. Giller shares these experiences, using his compassion, understanding, and medical knowledge to present an empowering six-step program for making a medical decision that’s right for you. As Dr. Giller says, “It takes more than Internet searches and cold facts to make a good medical decision – you must also understand your personal beliefs and the specific meanings that each decision has for you.” In PORT IN THE STORM, Dr. Giller includes efficient search strategies for medical information but goes further to emphasize the human elements hidden within medical decisions that are so important and yet so neglected. No matter what type of medical situation you face — major surgery or chronic disease or a minor accident — making a safe and comfortable choice requires both technical information and human considerations. In PORT IN THE STORM, Dr. Giller shows you the key steps to this crucial balance. PORT IN THE STORM outlines the six critical steps of medical decision making, and is packed with tips and real-life stories demonstrating the best use of doctors, making decisions for others, and many special circumstances. Dr. Giller shares his insight on how to decipher medical information, contemplate the individual meaning of each decision, find the options and the trade-offs, and make a decision that resonates with your needs, values, personality and lifestyle. PORT IN THE STORM also shows how to best use and interpret your doctor, how and when to get second opinions, and tips on making decisions for others and deciding when to reject the doctor’s advice. PORT IN THE STORM is a humanistic, patient-centered approach to medical decision-making and the perfect companion guide to help anyone confront the most difficult decisions of their lives with confidence. Click here for the Press Kit Click here for Questions for Dr. Giller Click here for the Pitch Letter Click here to order from Amazon: