Model Patient: My Life as an Incurable Wise-Ass

By Karen Duffy

Book Overview

From Revlon spokesmodel to film actress to one of People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People, Karen Duffy was living the life most of us only dream of. Then her whirlwind life of celebrity parties came to an abrupt, grinding halt when she was stricken with a serious illness in one of its rarest forms: sarcoidosis of the central nervous system.

Duffy soon realized that the only way for her to survive was not to take the disease too seriously. Instead of hiding from life, she chose to run toward it. She learned to embrace the chaos of a life-threatening disease with a wit and humor that helped her to find the love of her life at a time when things seemed darkest.

Model Patient is a gripping, inspiring, and hilarious memoir that recounts the singular triumphs and tragedies of coping with a chronic, life-threatening disease.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060957271
• ISBN13: 9780060957278
• Release Date: November 2001
• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Get Model Patient!

Forget the categories--this book is a biography, humor book, inspirational, you name it! If you only buy one book this year (yeah right) buy Model Patient! I have a friend with sarcoidosis and I was considering buying it for her, but I read it myself first to see if she would like it. Needless to say I immediately got her a copy when I was finished. Don't walk, run! to get Model Patient.

"Patient" Is A Virtue!

Ok, I admit it. I was looking for some real escapist reading and figured that a book by Karen Duffy called "Model Patient" would fit the bill. I expected a slap-dash tell all with a big dose "oh-feel-sorry-for-me-because-I-have-the-disease-of-the-week." Was I wrong. I found the book totally engrossing and found that I had had a completely skewed idea of what kind of person Duffy is. She turns out not only to be whipcrack smart but also completely down to earth about having had a major fling with minor stardom. She seems as surprised and bemused by it all as you would be if you suddenly found yourself inside your TV looking out, a refreshing perspective.She also has a surprisingly healthy relationship with the disease that almost killed her. Rather than feeling crushed by it or (gag) made somehow noble by it, she seems to treat it like the bully up the block who may not be going away but is not going to be permitted to stand in the way of a good time. I have to admit that her grit made me feel whiny about my (relatively) petty complaints.Having undergone a recent hospitalization, I was pleasantly surprised that there were some genuinely useful tips and sidebars about surviving the cure as well as the disease. And, yes, Duffy throws in enough juicy celeb gossip to easily justify the price of the book. I usually like my dish a little more salty and tart than this but there are more actual insights offered here than in your average unauthorized biography.In the end, Karen Duffy, as she comes across in this book, is just great company. I have already given away several copies to friends and family members going through, shall we say, unplanned life-altering experiences but I would recommend this to anyone who likes a brisk, eye-opening read that let's you walk in someone else's (Prada) shoes and realize that the fantasy life is the one you are already living.Eden Pell

Thanks, Duff!

My best friend has severe symptoms of Sarcoidosis and just sent me Karen Duffy's book. I didn't know much about Duff until I began reading her hilarious and horrendous stories of suffering with this mysterious disease. Duff is doing a world of good by putting a face and a name to Sarcoidosis and pushing for a cure. And she's giving Sarcoidosis patients--and anyone who's ever thought THEY had problems--a reason to laugh in the face of adversity!

An Inspiration For Every Reader

Duff tells a story about one life: the life of a once healthy person and the life of someone who will never be without a visit to a doctor or a hospital again. In the telling of her own story, Duff captures the essance of what defines any life, that is, the necessity to live by one's own rules, one's own style and to never ever give up the values, the humor and the belief and hope that every day is a godsend and that every day is capable of new hopes and dreams no matter what one has to confront.