Here you'll find answers to the most common questions about my book.

Q: Why did you write "Complications: A Doctor's Love Story?"

A: It started out as a journal, written while commuting on the Bainbridge Island ferry. Over time, it became apparent that writing the story was therapeutic for me in dealing with the stress of my husband's illness. I also realized that very little has been written about personal experiences with kidney failure and the process of dialysis. I thought this book might help other people going through these experiences.

But it's more than just a story about kidneys! It's a story about finding love in your fifties, growing to love a new daughter, balancing work and home. It's a love story with all the complexities of love in middle age.

Q: What do you hope to accomplish through this book?

A: I'd like to make people more aware of kidney disease and avoiding it in the first place. After all, the two most common causes of kidney failure are diabetes and high blood pressure. These are treatable conditions, and often preventable. I'd also like to help increase awareness of kidney transplantation and organ donation in general. Transplant carries the most hope for the patient with renal failure.

Q: What did your husband think about the book?

A: He didn't like the title. He lobbied hard for "Steve Williams is Sexually Gifted."

Q: Didn't your husband feel terribly exposed in this book?

A: Certainly, we both felt exposed. But we both agreed that the book had to be honest. Steve felt, as I do, that a "sanitized" version wouldn't be as effective. We both wanted to tell a true story.

Q: Why did you decide to publish this book through your own company?

A: I was attending a UW Nephrology Conference in April 2009, and saw a slide projecting the averaAge lifespan of a patient on dialysis. It was clear to me that Steve and I couldn't count on the luxury of time. We felt an urgency to get this story told. 

Q: You are a physician, but what qualifies you as a writer?

A: For decades, my work as a physician has instructed me on the "deliberate use of language." The words we choose can offer hope and encouragement--or they can reinforce shame and doubt. We deal with very personal situations on a day-to-day basis. Our language is critically important.

Q: What are you writing now?

A: The next book will deal with the rest of Steve's medical story: a living donor kidney transplant, a life-saving heart valve surgery, living with a little-known condition called "Critical Illness Myopathy." We know the ending: Steve died. But it is so apparent to me that Steve's body simply gave out. Steve never gave up. This book examines medical education from an insider/outsider perspective and challenges us as health care providers and families to be the most effective advocates we can be. 

 Updated 8/2011