Chasing My Cure by David Fajgenbaum

Chasing My Cure by David Fajgenbaum

LOS ANGELES TIMES AND PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BESTSELLER - The powerful memoir of a young doctor and former college athlete diagnosed with a rare disease who spearheaded the search for a cure--and became a champion for a new approach to medical research.

A wonderful and moving chronicle of a doctor's relentless pursuit, this book serves both patients and physicians in demystifying the science that lies behind medicine.--Siddhartha Mukherjee, New York Times bestselling author of The Emperor of All Maladies and The Gene

David Fajgenbaum, a former Georgetown quarterback, was nicknamed the Beast in medical school, where he was also known for his unmatched mental stamina. But things changed dramatically when he began suffering from inexplicable fatigue. In a matter of weeks, his organs were failing and he was read his last rites. Doctors were baffled by his condition, which they had yet to even diagnose. Floating in and out of consciousness, Fajgenbaum prayed for a second chance, the equivalent of a dramatic play to second the game into overtime.

Miraculously, Fajgenbaum survived--only to endure repeated near-death relapses from what would eventually be identified as a form of Castleman disease, an extremely deadly and rare condition that acts like a cross between cancer and an autoimmune disorder. When he relapsed while on the only drug in development and realized that the medical community was unlikely to make progress in time to save his life, Fajgenbaum turned his desperate hope for a cure into concrete action: Between hospitalizations he studied his own charts and tested his own blood samples, looking for clues that could unlock a new treatment. With the help of family, friends, and mentors, he also reached out to other Castleman disease patients and physicians, and eventually came up with an ambitious plan to crowdsource the most promising research questions and recruit world-class researchers to tackle them. Instead of waiting for the scientific stars to align, he would attempt to align them himself.

More than five years later and now married to his college sweetheart, Fajgenbaum has seen his hard work pay off: A treatment he identified has induced a tentative remission and his novel approach to collaborative scientific inquiry has become a blueprint for advancing rare disease research. His incredible story demonstrates the potency of hope, and what can happen when the forces of determination, love, family, faith, and serendipity collide.

Praise for Chasing My Cure

A page-turning chronicle of living, nearly dying, and discovering what it really means to be invincible in hope.--Angela Duckworth, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Grit

A] remarkable memoir . . . Fajgenbaum writes lucidly and movingly . . . Fajgenbaum's stirring account of his illness will inspire readers.--Publishers Weekly

Heather L. Servaty-Seib, Ph.D., is a counseling psychologist. She is currently a professor on the Counseling Psychology Doctoral Program in the Department of Educational Studies at Purdue University, US. Dr. Servaty-Seib also maintains a small, grief-focused private practice. She is well-published in the areas of adolescent and young adult grief, social support and grief, and she is a past president of the Association for Death Education and Counseling. Much of her recent scholarship has been focused in the area of student bereavement, with articles published in both The Counselling Psychologist and Death Studies. Dr. Servaty-Seib was heavily involved in implementing a bereavement leave policy for students at Purdue University, an effort which has set a precedent for other campuses. She lives in Lafayette, IN.

David C. Fajgenbaum, M.D., MSc, is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the co-founder of the National Students of AMF Support Network, a non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting college students grieving the illness or death of a loved one. Dr. Fajgenbaum co-founded the organization in 2006 in memory of his mother, Anne Marie Fajgenbaum (AMF). The organization is now a national movement that has supported 3,000+ students on 200+ campuses and raised national awareness about college student grief. David has been profiled on Forbes Magazine's 30 Under 30 list, the Today Show, Reader's Digest, and 40 million bags of Doritos. AMF now stands for Actively Moving Forward. David received his BS from Georgetown University, his MSc in Public Health from Oxford University, his MD from the University of Pennsylvania, and his MBA from The Wharton School of Business. Dr. Fajgenbaum lives in Philadelphia, PA.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781524799618
ISBN 10	1524799610
Title	Chasing My Cure
Author	David Fajgenbaum
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Random House USA Inc
Year published	2019-09-10
Number of pages	256
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.