Summary of Norman Cousins's Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 I had a close friend, Dr. William Hitzig, who was a physician at the hospital I was in. He knew of my interest in medical matters, and he was candid with me about my case. He said there was no agreement on a precise diagnosis, but that I was suffering from a serious collagen illness. #2 I thought about the sequence of events leading up to my illness. I had gone to the Soviet Union in July 1964 as chairman of an American delegation to consider the problems of cultural exchange. The conference had been held in Leningrad, and we went to Moscow for supplementary meetings. #3 I was convinced that the reason I was affected by the diesel and jet pollutants while my wife was not was because I had a case of adrenal exhaustion. I knew that the full functioning of my endocrine system was essential for combating severe arthritis or any other illness. #4 I realized that the medications I was taking were not only making my pain worse, but they were also toxic. I stopped taking them, and the pain got much better almost immediately.