Patient H69

May 15, 2017

Potter thought she was recovering from a simple flulike virus when, over a period of 72 hours, she lost her vision completely as well as her sense of touch (making it difficult to walk). Her world came crashing to a halt; she was no longer the competent television producer she had been the week before. Eventually diagnosed with Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder, an autoimmune neurological condition affecting the optic nerve, spinal cord, and brain, Potter had to relearn how to see, feel, and walk. Her intense desire to recover and her insatiable curiosity to understand what was happening to her propelled her to keep meticulous records of her months-long journey to recovery. Drawing on journal entries and audio recordings, Potter divides the book into two parts. The first is an enthralling personal chronicle of her illness, and the second is a more clinical yet immensely readable retelling of her discoveries as she talked with neurologists and psychologists in an attempt to comprehend the science behind her health issues. VERDICT A compelling firsthand medical account--it's as if an Oliver Sachs patient were to tell her own story--sure to appeal to memoir fans as well as those interested in the science of the brain.--Ragan O'Malley, Saint Ann's Sch., Brooklyn

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