A Journey of Discovery: True Stories of Love, Loss, Laughter, and Hope from a Family Practice Physician

Through the course of almost twenty years of medical experience, Dr. Minh Han has collected in this book over a hundred stories of people and situations that have intersected and affected his life.

These stories range from short and funny vignettes to more extensive recountings of a patient's life. From the Tibetan plateau to the towns in Connecticut, the stories give a snapshot of people across cultures and generations, all doing their best to find their path through this journey of life.

But the path of life is oftentimes a rocky one, filled with both joy and challenges. Beginning with a story recounting a night as a medical student in the emergency room, Dr. Han details how watching people respond to tragedy has helped to shape his understanding of medicine and how to provide compassionate care.

One story recounts a man's experience in the Vietnam War. Another relates a woman's recurrent nightmares stemming from childhood abuse. Some struggle with inner conflicts of body image or sexual orientation. Others deal with external circumstances beyond their control: illness, misfortune, or loss.

The stories in this book are all about average people encountering mundane as well as extraordinary events that have the potential to radically alter their course in life. While many patients overcome their struggles, some do not. In all cases, however, they, along with everyone else in this world, have stories that are worth telling and sharing. This book is an attempt to honor those people as well as to help others who might be going through similar situations know that they are not alone in their struggles.

The book is also meant to raise needed financial support for the nonprofit organization Discovery! Austin. All proceeds from the sale of this book are going directly to Discovery! Austin’s scholarship fund to help people attend the Discovery! program who do not have adequate financial resources.