Gone: A Memoir of Love, Body, and Taking Back My Life

(Paperback)

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Description

Linda Olson and her husband, Dave Hodgens, were young doctors whose story had all the makings of a fairy tale. But then, while they were vacationing in Germany, a train hit their van, shattering their lives-and Linda's body. When Linda saw Dave for the first time after losing her right arm and both of her legs, she told him she would understand if he left. His response: "I didn't marry your arms or your legs. If you can do it, I can do it." In order to protect their loved ones, they decided to hide the truth about what really happened on those train tracks, and they kept their secret for thirty-five years. As a triple amputee, Linda learned to walk with prostheses and change diapers and insert IVs with one hand. She finished her residency while pregnant and living on her own. And she and Dave went on to pursue their dream careers, raise two children, and travel the world. Inspiring and deeply moving, Gone asks readers to find not only courage but also laughter in the unexpected challenges we all face. The day of the accident, no one envied Linda and Dave. Today, many do.

Reviews

2021 IPPY Awards GoldWinner in Autobiography/Memoir III (Personal Struggle/Health Issues)
2021 Maxy Award Winner in Best Nonfiction
A 2020 Shelf Unbound Top Notable Indie Book
2020-2021 Reader Views Silver Award Winner in Memoir/Biography/Autobiography

Olsons riveting narrative is about love and devotion as much as it is about attitude and tenacity. . . . Inspirational, gripping, and a testament to positive thinking.
Kirkus Reviews

A heartrending, heroic memoir of resilience and love that reminds us all how precious life is and how important it is to fight for it.
Drs. Thomas Patterson and Steffanie Strathdee, coauthors of The Perfect Predator: A Scientists Race to Save her Husband from a Deadly Superbug

An unbelievable journey from hell back to some degree of normal living. A must-read for anybody recovering from traumatic injury.
US Senator Max Cleland (Ret.)

This book will make you question your assumptions about what it means to be handicapped. It is a beautifully written exemplar of resilience. Linda Olson and her family show us how a family surmounted incredible adversity with bravery, honesty, and humor.
Joel E. Dimsdale, MD, Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry, Emeritus University of California, San Diego

This is an incredible story of survival following an horrific accident. It is first and foremost the story of Lindas personal journey of courage and resiliency . . . You will read this with awe and wonder.
Frederic G. Sanford, MD, Rear Admiral, Medical Corps US Navy (Ret.)

Author Bio

Linda K. Olson, MD, FACR, is an author and motivational speaker with a Get Out and Go message. A Professor Emeritus of radiology at University of California, San Diego, she is committed to empowering Parkinsons patients and families to live life as fully as possible in spite of their disabilities. She has been a triple amputee since 1979 and was diagnosed with Parkinsons disease in 2015. This is her first book. Learn more at www.lindakolson.com. Olson and her husband, David Hodgens, MD, raised two children and now live in San Diego with their black lab, Sally.