[.ca] No Laughing Matter (ISBN 0743247175)

Warm, funny, scary and vivid all at the same time:
NO LAUGHING MATTER is a very informative and entertaining piece of writing. Co-authored by Joseph Heller and Speed Vogel (who write alternating chapters) it details the effects of the rare debilitating affliction called Guillain-Barre syndrome. This autobiographical/biographical chronicle passes along a lot of information without once falling into obscure medical dullness. Guillain-Barre is a disease that attacks the central nervous system, rendering the victim completely paralyzed. Although what Heller contracted was a mild form of the disorder, in an extreme case mentioned a patient was only able to move their eyes. Recovery is possible from this disease; if it's caught early enough, the patient can be hooked up to a respirator if need be and then slowly rehabilitated. NO LAUGHING MATTER is two stories. The first is that of Joseph Heller the patient who goes from being in (seemingly) perfect health to being utterly bedridden in a matter of days. The second part of the tale is told by Speed Vogel, a friend of Heller, who took care of virtually all of his financial, legal and personal obligations. From reading some other reviews of the book, one might be under the impression that this is a light and fluffy feel-good story of friendship where one will be forced to read numerous passages on the deeper meanings of love and caring. People learning great life lessons by sacrificing much that they have purely in the name of camaraderie. Chicken soup for the soul and novocain for the brain. Fortunately, one couldn't be further from the truth. While the two authors obviously have a great fondness for each other, you won't find any obvious soliloquies on the healing power of friendship. What you will find are people who care a great deal, but aren't afraid to share a lot of good-natured abuse. While in sickness and on the road to recovery, this never feels false or sugarcoated. It's an honest account of what real friendships are made of. Despite the title, much of the book is laugh out loud funny. Heller may have been bedridden but he didn't lose any of his trademark wit. Celebrity cameos of everyone from Dustin Hoffman to Mario Puzo to Mel Brooks help to liven up an already interesting narrative. Both authors have a warm and engaging style of writing that makes even the more incomprehensible medical jargon understandable. The jokes are great and serve also to counterpoint the feelings of desperation and of loneliness. The book is extremely intriguing, though there are one or two sections that don't quite work. Heller was going through what appeared to be a fairly messy divorce and the legal proceedings got a little bit complicated. For a section, Heller even reproduces a few pages of the court transcripts in order to show his lawyer in the right. As justified as he may be in including these segments, they aren't nearly as interesting as the rest of the book and pale in comparison. NO LAUGHING MATTER shows us illness from two viewpoints. From Vogel we see the outward appearance of the disease and its effect on Heller. From Heller we experience the sickness firsthand. It's a fascinating dual look at the nature of the affliction. Well worth a read.

On surviving a strange disease.....:
Mr. Heller describes his battle with Guilliame-Barre syndrome, a disease which can lead to paralysis, and even death. He chronicles the daily emotional and physical demands this disease makes on him by including even the most personal details. I applaud Mr. Heller for writing about this episode in his life and sharing it with others. I encourage all doctors, nurses, and medical personnel, to read this book to gain a better view of the patient's perspective. To read more on this subject, try Sue Baier's moving account of her battle with Guilliame-Barre disease in her autobiography "Bed Number Ten".

No Laughing Matter:
NO LAUGHING MATTER has some great moments. In places Joseph Heller demonstrated his ability to be funny and touching at the same time. The book was a great inspiration to me at a time when I needed the help it gave me. As the author of SOLOMON'S PORCH, a novel about a man with CIDP, the slow version of Guillain Barre', I was fascinated with this book about Joe Heller and his caretakers. Most of the material that I have read about GBS and CIDP focuses almost exclusively on the patient, but Mr. Heller wrote every other chapter of this book and had his friend, who became one of his caretakers, write the alternate chapters. At the time I read NO LAUGHING MATTER, I was beginning to formulate SOLOMON'S PORCH in my mind. NLM gave me some good ideas about structure.

No Laughing Matter... Info for Guillian Barre victims:
Joseph Heller relates his terrifying experience with the disease Guillian Barre Syndrome, a debilitating, but rare disease affecting the peripheral nervous system. Any medical practitioner, nurse, or victims relatives should make this book required reading so as to appreciate the symptoms and effects of the disease, as well as to understand the recovery period and what's involved with it. Although Mr. Heller had a severe reaction, most victims experience a lesser effect and recover more quickly. The book is highly recommended from a victim of the disease.

No Laughing Matter is Reality for GBS'rs:
As a GBS (Guillain Barre Syndrome) victim myself, with little knowledge of this horrible debilitating disease, I was led to Heller's book on this subject. Heller did a fine job of describing his experience with the disease, which many other vicitms have, or will experience with its onset and recovery. Joe's case was a severe one; but from my obtained knowledge of the disease, there are many victims that have had or will have the same symptoms and prognosis. Again, Joe did a fine job on this subject, and its must reading for anyone directly or remotely associated with victims of the disease: Guillain Barre Syndrome! This book is suggested (required) reading for health care providers (Doctors/Nurses) so they become familiar with the symptoms of the onset of the disease, as well as the emotional and physical disability associated with it.