Dr. Weisman's personal medical history prompts her to become a doctor and help others. Her honesty in describing errors that occurred in her own treatment, and the potential of mistakes being made in any medical environment was both enlightening and frightening. All doctors are not created equal!

Given Weisman's medical condition, I doubt I would have the same determination to live as full a life as she has achieved. Coming from strong and intelligent stock makes a huge difference in our choices, decisions and attitudes.

As I Live and Breath is very readable. It is frank, sincere, touching; filled with family love, sensitivity and thoughtfulness. ( )

Dr. Jamie Weisman is a unique woman. While living within the confines of her illness she chose to do something about it, she joined the medical profession. As she says in her memoir, ""Now that I've finished medical school, I know what all those names mean, what diseases they describe, but you cannot know what they are as an illness until you see them in a patient" (p 15). Not only is her condition (congenital autoimmune deficiency disorder) rare and confusing, but her duality of patient and doctor gives her an interesting perspective- from bedside manner of doctor to bedridden patient. Because she is able to really know what the patient is experiencing she can deliver the empathy necessary for individuals really suffering.
My only real disappointment was the organization of the chapters. Dr. Weisman jumps around, remembering patients and her own childhood at random. I would have prefered a more chronological accounting. The last two chapters of the book, "begotten" and "begetting" are warmer and more personal and as a result seem a departure from the more clinical previous chapters. ( )