The first endorsement I received arrived with impeccable timing. But let me give some backstory.
I met Dr. Saab in October 2023. I'd been waiting for over two years to be assigned to a new neurologist after Dr. Marriott left Manitoba to pursue other opportunities. Kevin was with me for my first appointment with Dr. Saab, and we were both impressed by his professionalism, knowledge, and personable nature. I was confident I was in good hands. I was so thankful and encouraged to have him on my healthcare team that I thought it was only fitting to send him a thank-you card.
Over the last number of years, I've been drawing cartoon animals on cards accompanied by a corny pun related to the animal. As we talked, we learned that Dr. Saab is from Lebanon. We were quite ignorant about Lebanon, so we asked questions about his country. Through our conversation, we learned that Lebanon is the only country in the region without a desert. I concluded there probably aren't many camels in Lebanon then. So I thought it was fitting that I draw a camel on Dr. Saab's thank-you card since he probably never got to have his own camel. Thanking him for getting me over the no-neurologist hump was how I incorporated an animal pun.
After I mailed the card, I shared the drawing I was so proud of with my parents and sisters. My brother-in-law, who is also a physician at the same hospital as Dr. Saab, reacted to this with a bit of horror. "You didn't. Tell me you didn't send a camel card." I wondered why that would be such an alarming problem. Apparently, many doctors from the middle east aren't always treated well by their North American colleagues and are sometimes even called "camel jockeys" as an insult. Now, I was horrified. I defended myself, though, as I told Brother that I didn't think he'd take it that way considering our great rapport at the appointment, our positive interest in Lebanon, the light-hearted discusssion of camels, and the heaps of admiration and thanks on the inside of the card. What a surprise and relief it was when I got a call from Dr. Saab who thanked me for the card. Wait, what? A busy and important neurologist took the time to reach out and call me and not to discuss my latest MRI?? Wow!
Dr. Saab's gracious attitude toward me gave me the confidence to consider approaching him for an endorsement. I'd already emailed the other people I had considered for the big endorsement favour, but I didn't have his email address. So I wrote a letter because we still buy stamps. Why not reach out old school? After it was mailed, I thought What have I done? But not long after, he called me in response! I'm sad that I missed the call, but he left a kind voicemail, saying that he'd be happy to read the manuscript. However, I didn't have his email address, and I'm a cheap Mennonite who didn't want to print out and mail that many pages. Plus, he's young; I reasoned he'd be used to reading digital formats. I got resourceful and sneaky. I knew the work email address of Dr. Brother, and I used the same convention in his address to guess what Dr. Saab's likely was. And I was right. And I didn't get yelled at for emailing my doctor directly. His email response was again warm and inviting. I emailed him back with an ARC but really didn't expect much in way of an endorsement. I mean, I didn't expect him to even agree to read any of the manuscript in the first place. Word Alive Press sure pushed me out of my comfort zone with their suggestion to obtain endorsements.
Here's where the impeccable timing comes in. On July 2 or "Gum Graft Eve," I emailed Dr. Saab with the manuscript. July 3 was the special day of lorazepam and destruction and construction in my mouth. July 13-14 were the hardest days of recovery with a night spent having a sleepover at Urgent Care. (You'll be able to read more about that in Chapter 14!) On July 16 my periodontist fixed the fix done on the weekend, and part of my recovery was back to square one. Those were discouraging days, and I was quite tired of smoothies and other blended foods. That evening just before bed, I opened the mail app on my phone and was stopped in my tracks as I saw an email from Dr. Saab. He was the last person I thought would have time to read the manuscript, and I almost didn't reach out to ask.
I'd thought for a long time how great it would be to have a doctor read through the text and give me feedback, and I boldly mentioned to him that if he saw anything inaccurate from a medical standpoint, he could feel very free to let me know. He cleared up a couple of things for me, and I was able to update the manuscript to be more medically sound. He affirmed one section and related it to how his patients deal with MS emotionally, and he commented that he found the chapter that's a tribute to Kevin and Claire very heartfelt. And that's the second-last chapter in the book, which makes me think he really read through it all! Wowsers.
This book explores the different aspects of multiple sclerosis. As described clearly, it’s a lifetime journey, full of obstacles that have been thoroughly discussed. Robyn makes it very clear and easy to read and follow. It’s a mix of subjective and objective professional details that are quite enlightening. Georges Saab, MD
Hearing from him with such a significant affirmation did wonders to encourage me and believe in myself and my little book. Thank you, Dr. Saab, from the bottom of my fragile little first-time-author heart.
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