Ooh My Testicles: A Tale of Entanglement by Lyndon Baptiste is, to put it simply, intelligently humorous.One almost feels guilty at finding enjoyment in this tale, as it is deemed the height of insensitivity to laugh at the potential detriment of a man's most prized possession.The telling of the story is rather straightforward, and the character is endearing in his honesty and openness about what is considered an extremely personal and delicate matter.Baptiste takes us with him on an alarming journey through the health system, both public and private, and gives the reader an honest and often quite amusing account of what he describes as his "testicular ordeal."
As if the book's outrageous title isn't scandalous enough, the double O's on the front cover are illustrated to remind one of a pair of testicles, one of which appears to be red and swollen. It makes for an interesting and appealing package.It would be remiss not to add, however, that the red writing on the back cover is a bit of a strain on the eye.The author, Lyndon Baptiste, finds himself in a bit of a quandary when, while decorating his bedroom, he begins feeling an intense pain in his groin, and after a moment of panic, seeks medical attention from several doctors in different health care institutions in T&T.It gives a first person look through the eyes of a patient at the goings on at some of our local hospitals.
The author goes from a private doctor to a public hospital, then to a private hospital, and sees more doctors in a few days than some people do in a life time, and is given multiple diagnoses for the same problem.He seems to take this all in stride as he shares his observations and interactions with his family, friends and the main medical professionals in his search for a solution to his "ball problem."At just 85 pages, it is a short book, and with the author's strong command of the English language and good use of similes, it makes for an easy and amusing read.The ending is somewhat disappointing, as after the sense of adventure that surrounds the main character's problem, one might expect to be given a clandestine peek of a medical procedure, or at the very least find out how his pain comes to an end.The book is dedicated to the doctors and nurses at Port-of-Spain General Hospital, as well as the authors family.