My heart was pounding wildly as I climbed the back stairs at the hospital and entered the pre-operative area. Nurses, anesthesiologists, and doctors rushed by holding charts, IV bags, and vials of medicine. I have some nervous anticipation before surgery, especially before complex cases, but am always the portrait of a confident neurosurgeon. Even the smells of the hospital — rubbing alcohol, latex, sterilized steel — trigger feelings of ascendancy in me. But today I was terrified. I had made up my mind to pray for a patient before surgery…READ MORE
Fifteen years ago, when San Diego neurosurgeon David Levy set up practice, he thought it wise to keep work separate from overt connections to spirituality. Like many physicians and other professionals, he considered it adequate to express his faith through high standards of excellence and kindness to clients and staff. Then one Saturday morning, he found himself in the dentist’s chair. There, in the uncustomary and uncomfortable role as patient, Levy tensed up at the sight of a three-inch Novocain needle. His book, Gray Matter, describes that pivotal moment…READ MORE
For about eight years, neurosurgeon David Levy, 46, has been offering to pray with his patients before surgery—requesting that God give him wisdom, skill, and success in correcting their physiological problem. He will often pray with them again afterward, thanking the Lord that the operation went well and asking a blessing for healing. And yet physical well-being is just part of what Levy requests of God on behalf of those in his care…READ MORE
If you ever liked watching “ER”, you’ll love this autobiographical account of life behind the mask of a neurosurgeon. “Gray Matter” is not simply a book written by an egotistical surgeon bragging about his difficult, but successful, life-saving brain surgeries. Instead, it’s a humble account of a doctor professionally using his hands and brain the way God gifted him, as he struggles with an issue of faith — to pray, or not to pray. As a member of the medical community, Dr. Levy admits that his job as a neurosurgeon transcends the most challenging surgeries…READ MORE
I read a lot of books, but few actually leave me feeling inspired and glad I invested my time. This is one of those books. I wasn’t sure what I was getting into, but the deeper into the book I went, the better it became. Cons: This book has a lot of testimonials. If you don’t like reading about faith and the spiritual lives of others, you may be bored. But then again, you might change your mind during the read. Pros: Now that the long list of cons are out of the way, on to the things I liked about the book. First, I learned a good bit about the physical problems of the circulation around the brain. Levy wove much information into the book, and did it in a way to keep the reader from getting lost in the technical information…READ MORE