“Chance at Life” shows life inside a dialysis unit.
What happens when life depends upon a machine?
Chance at Life approaches life in a chronic dialysis unit from the inside, addressing themes of living with chronic illness, friendship, resilience, medical decision-making, and healing in its many forms. Dialysis units aren’t just medical settings, they’re microcosms of humanity, full of struggle, questions, and connections.
Most of us ignore or deny our inevitable death. It’s not so easy for dialysis patients. They live on life’s edges and know mortality in their bones. A community develops as patients and staff help each other navigate the daily and long-term challenges of living on dialysis. Chance at Life explores the unforeseen connections that form in the most trying of circumstances. It’s a work of fiction, but entirely true.
This novel is perfect for patients needing dialysis, for those who love someone with kidney disease, and the nurses and technicians who care for dialysis patients. Though written from a nursing viewpoint, it’s perfect for any health care professional interested in the intersection of Medicine and Literature.
Some early reviews
“A deep exploration of human emotion—as much about grief and depression as it is about joy, friendship, and love.” Chelsey Tucker for Independent Book Review
“The character development is exceptional. Each character is fully realized and adds to a deeper understanding of the shared human experience.” Carol Thompson for Reader’s Favorite
“…is also a testament to human resilience, compassion, and sacrifice. It illustrates how genuine connections, love, and acceptance are vital in patient care, providing hope and healing amidst pain. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to anyone interested in stories that explore the emotional and social complexities of healthcare. Doreen Chombu for Reader’s Favorite
About the author
Susan Busch, MSN, CNP, is a nurse practitioner, educator, and author. She worked in primary care and geriatrics, but her main love was working with kidney patients. She taught in the Adult/Geriatric Nurse Practitioner Program at Kent State University, and has spoken at local and national conferences on topics related to dialysis and to 22q.11 Deletion Syndrome.
Her first book, Yearning for Normal, is a memoir about raising a son with 22q11 Deletion Syndrome. It’s a Reader’s Favorite Book Award winner. This book has provided hope and understanding to many mothers of children with 22q.11 Deletion Syndrome. They feel seen and not so alone in their journeys. Her son with 22q.11 Deletion Syndrome died in 2021, but she still helps with retreats for mothers of children with 22q. She shares her story and teaches meditation and journaling to help along the journey.
Chance at Life is her debut novel. She has always been fascinated by the intersection of literature and medicine, soul and body. There are hundreds of scientific and educational books and articles about dialysis, but they don’t capture the community found in a dialysis unit. http://www.kidney.org. Susan rounded as a nurse practitioner in dialysis units. Her dialysis patients, and the nurses and techs working in the dialysis units, inspired this book. Her engaging story, while fictional, includes details that only an insider would know.
She is retired and spends her days doom scrolling about the state of our republic, joining like-minded people, writing, and protesting. She is a mother and grandmother and lives with her husband in a little bit of heaven on the edge of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys the trees and the sky, hiking, biking, and playing tennis.
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