The Gift of Pain : Why We Hurt and What We Can Do About It

Pain is not something that most of us would count as a blessing; however, renowned surgeon Dr. Paul Brand and award-winning writer Philip Yancey shed fresh light on the purpose of our pain. Wouldn't it be nice to never experience pain or never have to take drugs to deal with pain? Many people think so, but they're missing one key piece of information: Pain is the body's built-in warning system that something is wrong and needs to be fixed. Follow world-renowned physician and surgeon Dr. Paul Brand around the world as he shares his humble beginnings as the son of medical missionaries in India to his medical training in London during the Blitz to his groundbreaking medical research with leprosy patients in the United States and India. His work with leprosy patients is what convinced him that pain truly is one of God's great gifts to us. In these pages he shares what he's learned about pain, its purpose in our lives, the impact it has on our daily lives and overall health, and how we can better respond to it. Perfect for those in the medical field or those looking for a firsthand look into the mystery of pain, this book will give you a new perspective on the gift that none of us want and none of us can do without. You'll never look at pain the same way again. Spanish edition also available. Note: The book includes some frank descriptions of medical procedures, illnesses, and diseases A WORLD WITHOUT PAIN' Can such a place exist' It not only can--it does. But it's no utopia. It's a colony for leprosy patients: a world where people literally feel no pain, and reap horrifying consequences. His work with leprosy patients in India and the United States convinced Dr. Paul Brand that pain truly is one of God's great gifts to us. In this inspiring story of his fifty-year career as a healer, Dr. Brand probes the mystery of pain and reveals its importance. As an indicator that lets us know something is wrong, pain has a value that becomes clearest in its absence. The Gift of Pain looks at what pain is and why we need it. Together, the renowned surgeon and award-winning writer Philip Yancey shed fresh light on a gift that none of us want and none of us can do without Cover Title Page Copyright Contents Foreword by C. Everett Koop, M.D., Sc.D. Part One: My Path into Medicine 1: Nightmares of Painlessness 2: Mountains of Death 3: Awakenings 4: Pain's Lair 5: Mentors in Pain 6: Medicine India Style Part Two: A Career in Pain 7: Chingleput Detour 8: Loosening the Claw 9: Detective Hunt 10: Changing Faces 11: Going Public 12: To the Bayou 13: Beloved Enemy Part Three: Learning to Befriend Pain 14: In the Mind 15: Weaving the Parachute 16: Managing Pain 17: Intensifiers of Pain 18: Pleasure and Pain Afterword: Leprosy and AIDS Acknowledgments Bibliography Pain is not something that most of us would count as a blessing; however, what it is and why we need it if we're to live life fully is brought to light in this book.