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At age 24, Janet Buttenwieser moved to Seattle with a r sum devoted to public service and fantasies of single-handedly ending poverty. But within a year she'd developed an intestinal illness so rare she wound up in a medical journal. Janet navigated misdiagnosis, multiple surgeries, and life with a permanent colostomy. Like many female patients her concerns were glossed over by doctors. She was young and insecure, major liabilities in her life as a patient. How would she advocate for low-income people when she couldn't even advocate for herself?Janet's model for assertiveness was her friend Beth. She was the kind of friend who'd accompany you to the doctor when you got dysentery in Ecuador, nonchalantly translating the graphic details of your symptoms into Spanish. Throughout Janet's illness Beth took care of her; then she developed brain cancer and their roles reversed. Eventually Janet recovered, but Beth's condition worsened. At the age of 38, Beth died. To cope, Janet competed in endurance events, becoming a triathlete with a colostomy pouch. With themes that echo Susannah Cahalan's Brain on Fire and Gail Caldwell's Let's Take the Long Way Home, GUTS is a story of resilience for the millions of Americans who manage to thrive while living with a chronic condition, as well as the many who've lost a loved one at a young age.… (more)
User reviews
Most of us face one major incident in our life if we are lucky. Imagine that you not only have a serious illness but you have also had to suffer a loss and infertility. For a lot of people I know having to deal with
Janet’s best friend Beth taught her how to live life to the fullest. She is the type of friend you need who teaches you how to stand up for yourself. Her passing strengthened Janet even though I don’t think she realized it at the time. All of us need a friend like that in our lives.
Then there are the children who came into Matt and Janet’s lives. I would love to see where they are today and how their lives have changed. I would venture to say that their lives are so much richer because of who their parents are. If there is one lesson to be learned from this memoir it would be to learn to live life to the fullest no matter what your circumstances. I really enjoyed this book. It is an emotional read. Janet is one of those people who is able to weave words and feelings together to create a painted masterpiece. I highly recommend this book.