Patient: The True Story of a Rare Illness [Paperback]

Ben Watt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 10, 1998

In the summer of 1992, on the eve of an American tour, British pop star Ben Watt was hospitalized with a rare life-threatening disease that baffled doctors. "Though the details of his illness are terrifying, Watt's spare, delicate prose and natural humility are sweet enough to make this bitter pill of a book go down like candy".--ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Ben Watt's Patient is not the memoir one might expect from half of the pop duo Everything But The Girl. This is no star diary, no ordinary account of songwriting or performances, but a harrowing tale of Watt's battle with a rare life- threatening disease that ravaged his innards and left him with only three feet of intestine. This brush with death compelled Watt to write--the first thing he's "done apart from making records," and Patientchronicles the months of intense pain and idleness he spent in hospitals. Watt's prose, in a simple lyrical style that recall his songs, pulls the reader to his bedside as he alternates between drug-induced hazes and excruciatingly clear visions of his life. The disorientation and fear grow more palpable as his story unfolds. He likens his first major illness to a trip up a mountain: bearings are lost as vestiges of individuality and pride fall away in the fight for survival. Day and night become indistinguishable, and the line between awareness and unconsciousness blurs. Despite the nightmarish nature of his ordeal, Watt manages tender reflections on his family life and his relationship with fellow bandmember and girlfriend, Tracey Thorn. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

Down for the count in his prime, now back on tour minus most of his small intestine and much of his body weight, a remarkably centered rock singer/songwriter chronicles his affliction with restraint and wry pluck in unbuttoned, conversational British. After months in the hospital, the ultimate diagnosis--of an extremely rare autoimmune syndrome that ravages blood vessels and leads to critical organ damage--matters less than Watt's experience of the ordeal and its strength-conferring lesson: ``I felt I had the scoop on life and death and everyone else was still running around after it.'' Pain was unremitting--from the disease, the tests, the surgeries, the treatments and inevitable side effects, the lines and the tubes and the needles that antagonized his sluggish veins. Pleasure was the luxury of a piss without the catheter, the tremendous contentment of a shower. Watt observed his acculturation to hospitalism: One day while vomiting radioactive orange juice after a scan, ``the invisible thread that had been tying me to home . . . had slackened. I became interested only in making things bearable for the next twenty minutes''; and elsewhere, with typical compression, ``weather is for other people.'' When there was room in the isolation of Watt's crucible, Tracey--the female half of his band and his household--faithfully anchored him. Watt emerged from the worst of his affliction with a more resonant singing voice, a new face in the mirror (which he regarded respectfully, ``impressed by the patience I saw there''), and a drastically foreshortened gut still prone to ``lock up'' every few weeks despite his adherence to a bizarre diet enhanced by steroids and immunosuppressants. In conclusion, ``It doesn't do to dwell on my bad luck . . . but it takes time to round it into the good times.'' Time plus the wisdom acquired in extremis and leavened by native aplomb. In both its graphic and reflective modes, this is resilient, just-so reporting. (Author tour) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Grove Press (August 10, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802135838
• ISBN-13: 978-0802135834
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #169,708 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thank You Ben Watt!, November 1, 2002

By 

L. Shirley "Laurie's Boomer Views" (Huntington Beach,CA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

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This review is from: Patient: The True Story of a Rare Illness (Paperback)

Right from the beginning,and I'm talking about the Preface,I was drawn into Ben Watt's story. His story is one of a human condition that can also be so dehumanizing. Very ill he spends months in the hospitals,in pain,undiagnosed,unable to eat, and having surgery upon surgery.
He talks openly(no holds barred) and even at times injects humor,especially into the more humiliating aspects of being in the hospital.He talks about the big stuff, the surgeries,all the tubes coming and going from his body,watching himself shrink down to nothing and the little stuff, how good it felt to take his first shower in weeks, or put on a pair of new shoes and go for a walk OUTSIDE!Things most of us take for granted every day.
We are also let into his everyday thoughts(sometimes while he's on pain killers) about everything going on around him and everything being done to him. He also gives us a glimpse of his life before the illness. He speaks as though his life is passing before his eyes.He senses all the time what his loved one are going through along with him. His girlfriend Tracey always at his side.
Finally diagnosed he assesses what kind of life may lie ahead for Tracey and him.Thank you Ben Watt for sharing your journey with the world.
Even if you have not gone through anything close to this, you will be touched by this story. If you've been through a similar experience or are close to someone who has,this book will give you strength and understanding. It did for me.....Laurie

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Kirk Douglas The Ragman's Son An Autobiography

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Memorable, insightful, August 8, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Patient: The True Story of a Rare Illness (Hardcover)

I'll admit I picked this up mostly out of curiosity as a longtime fan of Everything But the Girl. What kept me reading, however, was Ben Watt's skill as a writer. His story is gripping and harrowing, but told with a dry wit and wonderful observations. This book is not just about one man coming to terms with serious illness, but how that experience affected his relationships with his loved ones and his view of himself. This would be a great book for anyone in the health care field to read; it gives you a sense of the patient as a full human being, not just a "problem" to be fixed. Ben Watt's writing skills are as strong as his ample skills as a musician/songwriter. This book has my highest recommendation.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent from two different views, December 20, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Patient: The True Story of a Rare Illness (Paperback)

As a longtime fan of EBTG, I read this book when it first came out due to curiosity. I knew nothing about the illness Watt was writing about, had never had any sort of major medical experience myself; just read it to gain more insight into the band. I remember thinking it was a quick, entertaining read and I enjoyed it as a fan. Well, about a little over a year ago I was diagnosed with wegener's granulomatosis and spent 21 hellish days in a hospital, most of which in ICU on a ventilator. Wegener's is very similar to Churgg-Strauss and I was desperate to re-read the book. Reading it again was amazing. I read the whole thing in two days and was stunned at how accurately Watt portrayed the life of a patient with a rare, chronic disease. I found it funny and painful and ultimately very triumphant - I'm dying to discuss the beautiful ending, but I don't want to ruin it for anyone!! I wouldn't call myself sentimental or romantic, but some of the most touching and tender parts of the book came from his description of his relationship with Tracey Thorn. If I can ever find a partner and share that kind of love, I will find myself truly blessed. I will admit I had written some of their songs off as "sappy," but now I find them wonderful and sincere. Watt avoids going into technical details of his illness and never falls into the trappings of melodramatic illness movie of the week storytelling. I think anyone who has dealt with an illness and hospitalization themselves or who wants to know more about Watt, or anyone who simply wants to read a finely crafted story about the human spirit would enjoy this book.