In
Owls Mate for Life
, James Paauw chronicles the dramatic seven-month survival struggle of his wife, Liz, following a high-speed head-on motor vehicle crash. Early on, the author discovered that, despite his medical experience, his main focus as a patient advocate was to ensure that his wife's treatment course was steeped in the prayers of family, friends, and beyond- prayer warriors who remained steadfast through a series of life-threatening twists and turns when Liz's very existence hung between heaven and earth. It's a story of the amazing power of the prayers of the faithful and of a sovereign God who generously answers those prayers.
The narrative is told from the perspective of a physician who has spent many years involved in the care of critically ill patients, a physician who now had to learn how to navigate the other side of the patient/physician nexus. The author has taken care to explain medical terminology and treatment plans in a way that makes them readily understandable. For anyone who has wondered how physicians make life-and-death clinical decisions and for those who may have even had their own experiences with family members in critical care, this book affords a unique opportunity to witness how clinicians make and follow treatment plans in the care of their patients, particularly those who are critically ill.
JAMES PAAUW, MD, PhD, recently completed a forty-three-year career practicing Nutrition Support in hospital settings in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In that practice, Dr. Paauw was often involved in the care of critically injured patients, much like his wife became. The author viewed that practice as a calling, an extension of a life dedicated to serving in God's kingdom.