Every Minute Is a Day: A Doctor, an Emergency Room, and a City Under Siege
- Downloads：2168
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-08-05 20:20:57
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Robert Meyer
- ISBN：0593238591
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Summary
An urgent， on-the-scene account of chaos and compassion on the front lines of ground zero for Covid-19， from a senior doctor at New York City's busiest emergency room
"Remarkable and inspiring 。 。 。 We're lucky to have this vivid firsthand account。"--A。 J。 Jacobs， bestselling author of The Year of Living Biblically
When former New York Times journalist Dan Koeppel texted his cousin Robert Meyer， a twenty-year veteran of the emergency room at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx， at the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis in the United States， he expected to hear that things were hectic。 On a scale of 1 to 10， 10 being overwhelmed， where do you think you are？ Koeppel asked。 Meyer's grave reply--100--was merely the cusp of the crisis that would soon touch every part of the globe。
In need of an outlet to process the trauma of his working life over the coming months， Meyer continued to update Koeppel with what he'd seen and whom he'd treated。 The result is an intimate record of historic turmoil and grief from the perspective of a remarkably resilient ER doctor。 Every Minute Is a Day takes us into a hospital ravaged by Covid-19 and is filled with the stories of promises made that may be impossible to keep， of life or death choices for patients and their families， and of selflessness on the part of medical professionals who put themselves at incalculable risk。
As fast-paced and high-tempo as the ER in which it takes place， Every Minute Is a Day is at its core an incomparable firsthand account of unrelenting compassion， and a reminder that every human life deserves a chance to be saved。
"Remarkable and inspiring 。 。 。 We're lucky to have this vivid firsthand account。"--A。 J。 Jacobs， bestselling author of The Year of Living Biblically
When former New York Times journalist Dan Koeppel texted his cousin Robert Meyer， a twenty-year veteran of the emergency room at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx， at the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis in the United States， he expected to hear that things were hectic。 On a scale of 1 to 10， 10 being overwhelmed， where do you think you are？ Koeppel asked。 Meyer's grave reply--100--was merely the cusp of the crisis that would soon touch every part of the globe。
In need of an outlet to process the trauma of his working life over the coming months， Meyer continued to update Koeppel with what he'd seen and whom he'd treated。 The result is an intimate record of historic turmoil and grief from the perspective of a remarkably resilient ER doctor。 Every Minute Is a Day takes us into a hospital ravaged by Covid-19 and is filled with the stories of promises made that may be impossible to keep， of life or death choices for patients and their families， and of selflessness on the part of medical professionals who put themselves at incalculable risk。
As fast-paced and high-tempo as the ER in which it takes place， Every Minute Is a Day is at its core an incomparable firsthand account of unrelenting compassion， and a reminder that every human life deserves a chance to be saved。
Reviews
Cagaffney
，
I couldn’t put this book down and read it in one sitting。 I’m in awe of Dr。 Meyer and all his colleagues。 They went through hell and back and are truly inspiring。
Karen R
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“People are dying because nobody knows what to do。”This book’s content is breathtaking。 From the perspective of compassionate and dedicated medical angels of NYC’s most overwhelmed hospital， Montefiore。 Staff is blindsided by the fast-moving virus and caught unprepared for the massive number of sick and dying people walking into their ER。 One statistic states that the hospital’s three admissions at the beginning of March grew to more than 1，000 by the end of the month。 A must read！
Haley
，
Devastating account of the early days of covid from an ER Dr in the Bronx。 If you want to know what it felt like to be there， prepare yourself。
Megz
，
Like many healthcare workers， I have often turned to narratives to cope with my work， and these have been plentiful during the （COVID） pandemic。 But eventually one reaches a point where you can no longer look into the mirror of your daily life – and I have reached that limit much sooner than I expected。 Every Minute Is A Day by Meyer （MD） and Koeppel is dedicated to the “many， many people [who] died alone， without their loved ones。” This is important: the express purpose of this book was “to hon Like many healthcare workers， I have often turned to narratives to cope with my work， and these have been plentiful during the （COVID） pandemic。 But eventually one reaches a point where you can no longer look into the mirror of your daily life – and I have reached that limit much sooner than I expected。 Every Minute Is A Day by Meyer （MD） and Koeppel is dedicated to the “many， many people [who] died alone， without their loved ones。” This is important: the express purpose of this book was “to honor and respect those this disease claimed。” I cringed when I first considered my rating for Every Minute Is A Day。 I did not exactly love Meyer’s memoir， but I do not doubt that it will find its audience of ardent readers。With the advent of COVID literature， I have often found myself drawing parallels with books written about World War II。 For as long as I have been a reader， WWII has been a favourite topic of authors and readers。 Why is it that the world so loves a good Auschwitz novel？Reading Every Minute Is A Day gave me some insight into that phenomenon。 While WWII took place long enough ago that most readers alive today did not experience it personally; it occurred recently enough that the effects on our lives remain tangible。Conversely， the world is still living COVID， and throughout Every Minute I have not been able to clear the term “too soon” from my mind。 Meyer writes how “the rules kept changing” – and they continue to do so。 In some ways， Every Minute feels like a tribute written too soon。 Does Meyer’s memoir achieve what it set out to do？ I believe so。 It may clear up much confusion for laypersons。 I think it may provide peace when people think about their relatives， and how they could not be with them in their final moments。 I hope that survivors will know not only that their healthcare workers cared， but how they cared。 I hope they will know that the masks， the PPE， the difficulty communicating， were all as challenging for their doctors as for patients and relatives。 That death weighed heavily on them， and that any perceived inadequacies were doubly perceived by healthcare workers themselves。So much of the memoir should be relatable， but the authors actually detract from that by focussing largely on Montefiore – a hospital they are clearly， and rightfully， very proud of。 But that singular focus leads to an atmosphere of “us， alone” – we alone were suffering。 We alone were scrambling to make things work。 That this is not the author’s intention is not the point – the impression that it creates， is。What I miss most of all is growth， and hope。 Every Minute depicts so well the despair。 The confusion。 The feelings of failure。 But by the end of it all， I cannot see the growth I would have liked to see， and once more I venture that it comes down to timing。 The author cannot depict that which is yet to come fully to fruition。 Again， I do not think the time is right for THIS memoir。 Soon， but not yet。 I received an advanced review copy of this book via Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Pat Pullum
，
This book is interesting as it gives an insight to a very current problem - covid 19。 It is told by a 20 year veteran who works in the Bronx in the emergency room。 He has to deal with sick people every day， but nothing could prepare the staff for the massive influx of patients suffering from this virus。 He tells it through the eyes of a caring doctor who is often the only other person that the patient sees as family are not allowed。 Thanks to the author， publisher and Netgalley for my ARC in exc This book is interesting as it gives an insight to a very current problem - covid 19。 It is told by a 20 year veteran who works in the Bronx in the emergency room。 He has to deal with sick people every day， but nothing could prepare the staff for the massive influx of patients suffering from this virus。 He tells it through the eyes of a caring doctor who is often the only other person that the patient sees as family are not allowed。 Thanks to the author， publisher and Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Jennifer Schultz
，
Read if you: Want a stark， moving， and harrrowing personal account of hospital medicine in the COVID-19 era。 The COVID-19 books are here--mostly nonfiction now， but fiction is on the way。 Like other major historical events， personal accounts are the first ones to publish， and the ones that seem to be the most popular with readers。 Although this is not a long read， it's emotionally powerful and memorable long after you read it。 Librarians/booksellers: Definitely purchase if nonfiction books about Read if you: Want a stark， moving， and harrrowing personal account of hospital medicine in the COVID-19 era。 The COVID-19 books are here--mostly nonfiction now， but fiction is on the way。 Like other major historical events， personal accounts are the first ones to publish， and the ones that seem to be the most popular with readers。 Although this is not a long read， it's emotionally powerful and memorable long after you read it。 Librarians/booksellers: Definitely purchase if nonfiction books about the coronavirus have been popular。 Many thanks to Crown Publishing and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review， 。。。more
Meg
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This book was incredible and as soon as I started it， I couldn't put it down。 Told from the standpoint of an ER doctor in the heart of the Covid surge in the Bronx， we get an insider's look at how the pandemic crisis unfolded in hospitals and the level of gut-wrenching devastation it has left in it's wake。 As I read the book， I had a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that this book is non-fiction and happened within the last year。 It literally reads like a dystopian， sci-fi novel。 Meyer This book was incredible and as soon as I started it， I couldn't put it down。 Told from the standpoint of an ER doctor in the heart of the Covid surge in the Bronx， we get an insider's look at how the pandemic crisis unfolded in hospitals and the level of gut-wrenching devastation it has left in it's wake。 As I read the book， I had a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that this book is non-fiction and happened within the last year。 It literally reads like a dystopian， sci-fi novel。 Meyer and Koeppel did an amazing job of injecting humanity into something that so many have worked hard to distance themselves from。 I have already recommended this book to friends and family as there were too many parts for me to even share with them。 。。。more
Cari
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