S.K. Reid is an author and runs her own video production and photography business based in outer Melbourne. With a background in acting and performance, Reid moved from in front of the camera to behind, preferring to be in charge of creating the final product. "I love the storytelling that one can do with film, or how a beautiful photograph can speak a thousand words." Reid is a volunteer firefighter and recipient of the National Emergency Medal. Established by Her Majesty The Queen in response to the Black Saturday bushfires of 2009, the Medal is for service to others in a National Emergency. She also has a great interest in emergency management, bushfire and emergency response, and safety initiatives, as well as being a passionate advocate of community resilience.
"I quickly swapped my 'Ms Innocent, the world is tough but basically okay' hat for the one of 'Breast Cancer Patient', madly trying to process everything that the doctor was saying.?
An inauspicious encounter in a doctor's surgery during a routine follow-up for IVF initiates a descent into a labyrinth of questioning and uncertainty.
From those first words ushered out of the doctors mouth starts a year where the mind is consumed by medical research, medical terms, hospital visits, medication and explanations. The diagnosis was breast cancer.
Filled with reflections on life, motherhood, friendship, and the future, A Year of Medical Thinking chronicles one woman's ordinary life as it is catapulted into a quest for meaning and purpose.
SK Reid has shared personal experiences in this book in a way that speaks to all. The book focuses on the shift that occurs in the brain after a potentially life threatening diagnosis; the loss of control, security and hope prompts philosophical and spiritual reflections on life, vitality and most importantly resilience.
Guaranteed to strike a cord with those who have experienced the loss of a baby or any potentially life-threatening illness, readers are reminded about the importance of sharing stories, talking about grief and never giving up in the face of adversity.
Author and renowned filmmaker, Paul Cox (Tales From The Cancer Ward, Transit Lounge, 2011) has described it as "a very courageous book" that will provide "comfort" and be of "help to others who face sudden twists of fate" in their lives.