Timothy Snyder is a renowned American historian and author, who specializes in the history of Central and Eastern Europe, the Soviet Union and the Holocaust. He is the Richard C. Levin Professor of History at Yale University and a permanent fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna.
He has written several books including Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin and On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century. However, in late 2019, he faced a life-threatening illness that made him rethink his views on health, freedom and democracy. He chronicled his ordeal and his reflections in a new book.
From Which Illness Is Timothy Snyder Suffering From?
The precise details of his illness are not publicly disclosed but it is widely known that he suffered a severe condition that brought him close to losing his life. On December 3, 2019, he was admitted to a hospital in Munich, Germany with severe abdominal pain.
He had been traveling in Europe to promote his previous book, “The Road to Unfreedom” and to give lectures on the rise of authoritarianism and the threat to democracy.
He was diagnosed with appendicitis and underwent surgery the next day. He was discharged after a few hours, but he felt that something was still wrong with his body.
He returned to his home in Connecticut, where he continued to suffer from various symptoms, such as nausea, fatigue and confusion. He visited several doctors, but none of them could identify the cause of his condition. He was prescribed antibiotics and painkillers, but they did not help.
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The Crisis of Timothy Snyder’s Illness
On December 29, 2019, Timothy Snyder’s illness reached a critical point. He collapsed on the floor of his bathroom, unable to stand or think. He was rushed to the emergency room, where he waited for hours before being correctly diagnosed and treated.
He had a liver abscess, a rare and dangerous infection that had spread to his bloodstream and caused sepsis, a potentially fatal condition that occurs when the body’s immune system overreacts to an infection and causes inflammation and organ failure. He wrote:
“I was dying. I did not know it at the time, but I was dying. The doctors did not know it either, but I was dying. They did not realize how serious my condition was, because they did not have the right tests or the right equipment. They did not have the time or the interest to look at me as a whole person, but only as a collection of parts. They did not have the courage or the compassion to tell me the truth, but only to give me false reassurances.”
Is Timothy Snyder Recovering From His Illness?
Timothy Snyder’s illness gradually improved, thanks to the efforts of some dedicated and caring doctors and nurses, who treated him with respect and dignity. He was taken off the ventilator and transferred to a regular ward, where he could see his family and friends.
He regained his strength and his senses and he began to reflect on his experience and its implications. He wrote:
“I was lucky. I was lucky to have survived, when so many others did not. I was lucky to have received the best medical care available, when so many others did not. I was lucky to have the support and love of my family and friends, when so many others did not. But I was also angry. I was angry at the system that had failed me, and that fails millions of Americans every day. I was angry at the society that values profit over people, and that neglects the health and well-being of its citizens. I was angry at the politics that divides us and distracts us and that prevents us from solving our common problems.”
He decided to write a book about his illness and his insights, hoping to raise awareness and inspire action. Timothy Snyder’s illness was a near-death experience that changed his life and his perspective. He shared his ordeal and his reflections in a new book, “Our Malady: Lessons in Liberty” from a Hospital Diary, which is a personal and powerful account of his struggle and his vision.
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