Within the middle of the book, Livingston begins to clarify, that improvisation was an important day-to-day activity in the ward. The doctors and nurses were described to deal with many different cancer cases. Livingston explains that some patients would enter the ward with just cancer, other with HIV and cancer and some with TB and cancer, making each and every case different. For patients that have a virus and cancer, they face complicated treatment options that could also lower their chances of a possible cure (44). The author also describes how she witnessed the doctors improvising a mix of chemo by hand because the pharmacy that supplies their chemo did not deliver it. She describes Dr. P’s response towards the pharmacist who isn’t willing
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She specifically describes each and every substance that Africa lacks, to treat cancer successfully. She not only examines the lack of education and preparedness, the need of improvisation and the lack of biomedicine, as I have described above. She also examines the lack of technology, the large amounts of amputations, and specially the social experience within the ward. She makes all of these substances understood and alive to the reader by providing and analyzing her field notes, which provide detailed examples of different cases. Each and every personal experienced she offered allowed the reader to become engaged and realize that things that she describes actually occurs somewhere in the world. As a reader, by the end of the book I wanted to know more. For example, how Dr. P felt about his contract ending and having to leave the ward, or how the new doctor felt to have all the work on his hands that Dr. P had to handle all by himself? Livingston allowed the reader to understand more than the basics about cancer. She successfully informed patients’ experiences of pain, depression, loneliness, fear, laughter, hope, and acceptance. After reading the book, I was able to see how cancer is treated differently in Africa than United States and how African cancer patients and doctors need all the help they can
She specifically describes each and every substance that Africa lacks, to treat cancer successfully. She not only examines the lack of education and preparedness, the need of improvisation and the lack of biomedicine, as I have described above. She also examines the lack of technology, the large amounts of amputations, and specially the social experience within the ward. She makes all of these substances understood and alive to the reader by providing and analyzing her field notes, which provide detailed examples of different cases. Each and every personal experienced she offered allowed the reader to become engaged and realize that things that she describes actually occurs somewhere in the world. As a reader, by the end of the book I wanted to know more. For example, how Dr. P felt about his contract ending and having to leave the ward, or how the new doctor felt to have all the work on his hands that Dr. P had to handle all by himself? Livingston allowed the reader to understand more than the basics about cancer. She successfully informed patients’ experiences of pain, depression, loneliness, fear, laughter, hope, and acceptance. After reading the book, I was able to see how cancer is treated differently in Africa than United States and how African cancer patients and doctors need all the help they can