First-time author Peter Cahill details his 42-year marriage to the love of his life, Andrea. The story begins when an immature Irish city boy meets a sophisticated suburban Italian girl. Not quite the Montagues and Capulets (i.e., Romeo and Juliet), but not exactly the perfect fit on paper. Yet it was a perfect fit in an imperfect world.
Early in their marriage, Andrea was diagnosed with NF2, an incurable progressive disease that results in the continuous growth of non-cancerous brain tumors. Peter takes us from pre-diagnosis to diagnosis, to the very first intense brain surgery (yes, brain surgery!) up to the very last, the thirteenth, brain surgery (yes, thirteen brain surgeries). Surviving the first brain surgery and losing hearing in one ear was traumatic, unthinkable, and stressful. Peter and Andrea turned to their faith, made the appropriate “turnarounds,” and found hope and gratitude. Thereafter, they were tested repeatedly and passed every single time.
Knowing Peter personally, I assume he wrote this book as a tribute to his wife, Andrea, and her determination after eventually losing 100% of her hearing, among other physical functions. The book is aptly named Silent Determination. And it is a beautiful tribute to a great woman. You know who else was determined? Peter.
A devoted, dedicated, and yes, determined caregiver. Peter was also silent, but in a different way. He silently endured, silently provided care, and silently prayed and relied upon his faith. Between Andrea and Peter, there was a lot of determination, a lot of prayer, and a lot of faith. You know what else there was a lot of? Love, humor, and family time with the kids and grandkids, in other words, a lot of life on life’s terms.
I highly recommend this book to anyone struggling with any hardship of their own, whether health-related or otherwise. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to be engaged in a story about real marriage, faith, and the importance of family, friends, and healthcare professionals. Most of all, I highly recommend this book to all the true caregivers of the world. Hopefully, Peter will inspire you that, despite it all, life is worth living and you can do it, not perfectly, but perfect enough.
Please review Peter’s Journey here.
Please consider purchasing Silent Determination at Barnes and Noble or on Amazon. 100% of proceeds go to NF2 research.
Should you be one of the first five people to email [email protected], we will send YOU a free signed book.
