These Vital Signs

A Doctor's Notes on Life and Loss in Tweets

By: Sayed Tabatabai

Narrated by: Christopher Salazar

A doctor reflects on his profession and his experience with patients in this brilliant essay collection that expands on his wildly popular Twitter poems.

In medicine, every patient presents with a story. “Once upon a time I was well, and then . . . ” These patient narratives are the beating heart of medicine; through stories we strive to communicate, to understand, to empathize, and perhaps find healing.

These Vital Signs is a poignant series of essays—deeply personal stories—inspired by nephrologist Sayed Tabatabai’s medical experience and based on a series of poems he posted on Twitter that began going viral at the height of the Covid pandemic. Each short work is a poignant glimpse into the ever-changing field of medicine and the special relationship between patients and their doctor. In each, Tabatabai beautifully evokes the emotional tension between life and death, wellness and disease, uncertainty and hope, in a unique and unforgettable way.

Exploring themes of illness, dying, grief, and joy, universal in its reach, These Vital Signs tells stories both remarkable and utterly ordinary of a doctor and the patients who have shaped him.

Impactful and Beautiful

The only thing that would have improved this recording is if it had been read by the author himself. But the narrator did a marvelous job. Dr Tabatabai’s voice shines through his words. He ends this book by saying that writing it has been a wonderful journey. Listening to it has been a journey for me as I reflected on my nursing memories and my own personal losses through the years. Health care takes a team. I’m glad Dr Tabatabai chose to write about his experiences and be a voice for physicians, many of whom are great at doing technical stuff, but struggle with expressing emotions. Compassion is so important, especially when the system seems so lacking in that vital component. A great listen, and I will probably have to go purchase a hard copy to reread again!

Loved the tweets, enjoyed the book

I found Dr T on Twitter and am so glad to have finally read this book. It’s a combination of sad, happy, and thoughtful words.

Profound

Sayed”s writings about covid unites all of those healthcare workers who went through the pandemic. His short stories have such depth and meaning.

A view of life and medicine, love and loss

Just the book the doctor ordered!

Guaranteed to elicit many deep thoughts, some laughs, and some tears. It will prompt you to ponder your own life; past, present, and future.

And most immediately, it will cause you to sit in your vehicle at your destination for 3 hours, one 6 minute chapter at a time, because each chapter is more interesting than the last and you just can not stop listening till the end.