Making Sense of Medicine
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Disclaimer: I am not providing personal medical advice or establishing a doctor-patient relationship. This site is for informational purposes only.
A Tribute to My Brother, Now Gone
September, 2024
(For some reason my photos are not coming through on my email newsletter. Please go to amygivler.com and click on the post to see the photos.) My brother John Middendorf died suddenly on June 21, 2024. It has been three months, which seems unreal to me. Hasn’t it been an eternity? Then again, it feels like yesterday—or that it never happened at all. How could someone so alive now be dead? Losing him has felt like a ripping out of something central in my core. Until he was gone, I didn’t realize how intrinsic he was to my sense of ...
Stranded on Half Dome
September, 2024
[One of the defining moments of my brother John’s life was nearly dying on a multi-day climb of Half Dome, in Yosemite Valley. I wrote his story (from his perspective) and it was published in Guideposts Magazine in May, 2000. I greatly appreciate Guideposts giving me permission to make it available to my readers. John died on June 21, 2024, and I miss him every day.] Stranded on Half Dome by John “Deuce” Middendorf (as told to Amy Givler) “I loved pushing myself to the edge. Was I pushing God away too?” I’d always thought you had to be a little cocky to be ...
Lord Willing
June, 2024
Lord willing, our generation will never go through another pandemic. Lord willing, those living with Long Covid will be restored to full health. Lord willing, we will all heal from the emotional trauma of these past four years. How I do pray that the Lord is willing! Hearing “Lord willing” makes me think of Madge Huff, who helped raise our three children, and whom we called “Miss Madge.” She died in January of 2020 at age 90. Soon afterwards, the pandemic hit, with all of its misery. I remember often pausing, in those early months, to thank God that Miss ...
Why You Need Church
March, 2024
And church needs you, too. Pandemics are isolating. Four years ago, so much was unknown about COVID-19, but one thing was certain: It spread from person to person. Hence the need to keep people separate. This meant avoiding group gatherings, which was painful, because we are social creatures. For Christians, the gathering we missed the most was church. I know none of us want to go back to those early months, even for a minute. For medical practitioners in particular, the confusion of the unknown was compounded by the sorrow of knowing so many people were sickening and dying. I ...
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Author, Physician, Survivor
Meet Amy
Amy Givler is a family physician and writer in Monroe, Louisiana. She and her fellow-physician husband Don have long cared for the medically underserved both in this country and in others. She wrote her book, Hope in the Face of Cancer: A Survival Guide for the Journey You Did Not Choose, to help cancer patients cope with the new and shocking diagnosis -- so they can move forward and get the help they need.
My Book
Hope in the Face of Cancer
“My aunt is still fighting her battle, and she would recommend this book to anyone who is on the same journey.”
- Amazon review
Amy Givler, M.D., a cancer survivor, shares her experience and the stories of others with the voice of encouragement, faith, and strength she so desperately needed at the point of her diagnosis. With medical knowledge and insight into the path to come, Dr. Givler is able to offer answers and hope as she discusses: looking at cancer through the lens of hope; seeking, evaluating, and making decisions for treatment; drawing closer to God along the journey; and facing family and friends.
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