FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

AWARD-WINNING JOURNALIST CHRONICLES HEALTHCARE NIGHTMARE Robert Samuels excerpts from his new book "Blue Water, White Water" about his su rvival in one of America's top hospitals conscious, paralyzed and unable to comm unicate.

Piermont, NY - May 30, 2012:

The OUTSIDE IN will host former New York City newsprint journalist and long term Piermont resident Robert Samuels on June 3, 2012 from 2 to 4 p.m. when he will meet the public and read passages from his new book "Blue Water, White Water". S amuels's book documents his plight for survival after he enters a local hospital emergency room complaining of muscle weakness in his left leg. By the next day he is completely paralyzed and connected to a respirator, left to communicate us ing only his eye movements. He was eventually diagnosed with Guillain-Barr syndrom e, an autoimmune disease in which the body mistakenly attacks it's own nervous s ystem. This story is an essential record of uncharted waters and should be mand atory reading for anyone in the healthcare arena.

A New York Times review by Abigail Zuger, M.D., says this story breaks the mold of just another portrait of illness. "Just when it seems impossible that any ail ing person with literary inclinations could find anything new to say...yet anoth er book comes along." Zuger's review, Sleepless, Bored and in Pain, a Patient Wa tched, adds, "[It's] the sketchbook of a professional observer, brisk, unsentime ntal, sardonic and altogether deadly." The book is filled with "tears, humor, lo ve and triumph." Joan Dye Gussow, EdD, Professor emerita and former chair of the Nutrition Education Program at Teachers College, Columbia University, and autho r of Growing Older: A Chronicle of Death, Life, and Vegetable, calls Samuels' bo ok "a riveting, vivid story." Tyler Lucas, M.D., says it's "A powerful descripti on of genuine helplessness." Registered nurse, Peggy Whalen, says the book adds humor to a tense situation. "[It's] written with an amazing ability to portray a true, horrific story that keeps readers glued to the page and laughing at the s ame time." Terrance A McKeon who accessed the book through the Kindle Edition sa ys it's an important resource for those entering the health professions. "We sho uld all be constantly anticipating the physical and emotional needs of our patie nts, and this book sheds light on the powerful negative and positive impacts we can have in our short time with a patient in need."

Nursing Professor Barbara Riso says this book "should be required reading for al l medical and nursing students!" She adds that it's a "must read." Zuger's Times review concludes addressing that Samuels has given readers a rare look into hea lthcare's inner-workings where physicians were, "a well-meaning but erratic crow d, wise and foolish in equal measure." He declares of the nursing profession tha t, "seldom has anyone provided a better illustration of the simultaneous power a

nd powerlessness of that complicated profession. Mr. Samuels's good nurses strug gled against the arbitrary constraints of their routines, while his bad ones dri fted in a haze of marginal competence. Candy, Ingrid, Doria, Vinnie and the alto gether fearsome Clare Ann - they are a terrifying, inspiring, nuanced and comple tely human bunch."

Samuels started writing his story when he had undergone treatment in the '80s. A lthough the technology may have improved since then for treating this syndrome, he suggests that patients don't fall into the pattern of thinking that doctors o r nurses don't make mistakes. He advises that patients be their own advocate, or if that's not possible have someone with their best interest at heart act on th eir behalf.

The OUTSIDE IN offers a diverse collection of fine art, furniture, and found obj ects. Hudson Valley Artists & Artisans are well represented, particularly those from the lower valley region. The OUTSIDE IN, which is nestled along the Sparkil l Creek in Piermont, NY in a tranquil and serene setting, is also a unique renta l space for special events, workshops and meetings. The OUTSIDE IN Piermont is l ocated at the southwestern edge of Rockland County, near the New Jersey border a t Bergen County, minutes north of NYC and across the George Washington Bridge up into the lower Hudson River Valley. General Information: The OUTSIDE IN 249 Fer don Ave., Piermont, NY 10968. 845 398 0706 http://www.theoutsideinpiermont.com H ours: Tues. thru Sat. 11am-6pm, Sun. 12pm-5pm and by appointment.

For more information: http://bluewaterwhitewater.com/ www.TheOutsideInPiermont.com

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