Killing Earl: A 12-Year-Old Girl Names Her Pain--Should Doctors Treat Her Mind or Her Body?

Killing Earl is a unique memoir because the book not only recounts the progression of a medical mystery, but also offers practical information about navigating today’s medical establishment. After discovering that appendicitis affects over 86,000 American children each year, with many of them ending up in an emergency room, the author found that a little-known condition called “appendiceal colic” can give warnings a parent shouldn’t ignore. The book tells the family’s story in a direct, humorous style. Included are interviews with experts in both medicine and psychology. This is the only book for a layperson that explains what appendiceal colic is and where to go for help. Also included is information about an important advance in diagnosing the condition.