Patricia Van Tighem (1958–2005)

3.5***

While hiking in the Canadian wilderness, Patricia and her husband were attacked by a grizzly bear. Fortunately, other hikers came upon them shortly after the attack and helped get them to safety and summon help. They both survived, and spent months in hospital undergoing treatment of their injuries. Trevor’s primary wounds were to his leg and thigh. But Patricia suffered devastating wounds to her head and face. This is Patricia’s memoir of the years of reconstructive surgery and depression (PTSD) she suffered following that incident.

I found this gripping and interesting, truly a tale of survival, courage and triumph. But I was not prepared for the severity of mental health issues she would suffer as a result of the attack. Frankly, I was more interested in the physical aspects of her injuries; I wanted to know a bit more about the kind of reconstructive surgery she underwent. But then, she was not the surgeon, but the patient, and her experience was chiefly about the pain and suffering she endured for over fifteen years. (The attack happened in 1983; the book was published in 2001.)… (mais)

When hiking on a snow covered path in the Canadian rockies, life forever changed for Patricia Van Tighem and her husband. In a fast second, a large grizzly bear attacked. The first mauling swipe damaged her husband. As Patricia desperately climbed, the bear battered itself against the tree, violently knocking her to the ground. Aiming to kill, the bear nearly succeeded in his goal.

As she and her husband were helped by fellow hikers, they desperately clung to both their severely damaged bodies and their lives.

This is a riveting, dramatic story of a horrific attack and the slow, courageous journey toward healing. Losing her eye, facing years of multiple surgeries, coping with severe, permanent disfigurement, excruciating painful infections, and barely clinging to sanity, Van Tighem tells her story in an honest and raw manner.

Years of post tramatic stress rendered the author helpless and emotionally vulnerable. She was strong, but throughout her remaining years, suffered from severe depression and numerous institutionalizations.

While my description of the book sounds depressing, this is also a story of courage and of coping against all odds.

Specifically, I recommend this book to those who deal with long-term health conditions and/ or multiple surgeries. There is tremendous strength simply putting one foot in front of the other and moving forward.

My only quarrel with the book is that the ending is too neat and tidy. After pages of pain, the author felt the need to put a red ribbon on the package and end with a contrived happy few paragraphs of song and dance. It is sad that the author could not remain true to her feelings and trust that the readers would accept her journey and struggles.

The book was written in 2001. Feeling the incongruency of the ending, I searched further and discovered that the author died of suicide in 2005.… (mais)