Customer Reviews

Against Medical Advice

5 star:		(64)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This book was a phenomenal retelling of the life of someone with Tourette Syndrome. As a mother of three boys who all have the same diagnosis as Cory, I feel like I can adequately say that I am more of an authority on the subject than most. As I read through his life struggles, weeping through a great many of the pages, I could identify with much of the grief and pain that he and his parents have gone through. I believe that everything in the book was very accurately portrayed, from the lack of understanding of the educational system to the medical roller coaster ride of trial and error, not to mention the misery inflicted by social situations. I feel like the book was tastefully written to not bash the people who do not understand this condition, (including medical/mental health professionals) but to portray the frustration and mental anguish caused by this lack of understanding.

I highly recommend this book to all, but especially to those who have the fortunate opportunity to touch the life of someone with Tourette Syndrome. As is obvious in Cory's case, these children are incredible. They have to overcome so much more than the rest of us would ever dream of imagining just to live, let alone succeed. Thank you Cory, for sharing your life with us.

This is an fascinating, discouraging, and ultimately hopeful story of one child's struggle with Tourette's Syndrome, obsessive compulsive disorder, alcoholism and misunderstanding. Although Corey, the one afflicted, did not write the book, the authors present it in the first person, giving the story a personal feel and immediacy. Corey develops a severe form of Tourette's at age five. He is given a variety of medicines over the years, and he suffers from a bewildering and distressing constellation of symptoms. Not surprisingly, he struggles at home and at school. Some of his teachers are understanding, and some are hostile, as he often disrupts the classroom with his unorthodox behaviors.

The book details how Corey receives ill treatment at the hands of the medical and educational establishments. Some of his doctors suffer from the messiah complex: the inability to admit that they might have prescribed the wrong medicine. Some of his teachers do not like him, because he can appear very difficult in class. He has a very hard time making friends. This prolongs and intensifies his misery.

I didn't always feel complete sympathy for Corey. At times, especially toward the end of the book, some of his complaining feels excessive. Corey maintains that his school aid entrapped him, reporting him for smoking on campus, an activity which was previously tolerated. He does admit that they "can't officially allow me to have a cigarette on the property." and he was supposed to walk far away from the school, but he was "a little lazy." He feels persecuted by the school board that recommends he repeat his junior year. After reading about the events of that year, It seemed that it was a reasonable decision, but the authors describe the board in highly unfavorable terms. The school relents when his mother makes a impassioned case for allowing him to continue. Still, they get very little sympathy from Corey.

The story is a valuable history of a child and a condition that is still a medical mystery. The writing is personal, direct, and to the point. I completed the entire book in two days. It seemed that Corey was speaking directly to me as I read. If you have an interest in Tourette's you should read this book, because it gives valuable insight into a personal experience. You cannot get this insight from a medical textbook. What emerges is the fact that modern medicine did not make anything easier for this young man. The education system helped him in some ways, but failed him in others. This book may not be a masterpiece of non fiction, but it could be a good and useful book for physicians and educators alike.

Some parts are intense. A few pages are among the realest, most moving pages you will ever read. Some parts were tough to experience through Cory's eyes, but the comfort and redemption of this book and the message it leaves you with is that we as Human beings are strong and can endure more than we can imagine if we refuse to be defined by our misfortune and embrace the love of those that love us. This book, better than any I have read, tells a true story in a real way.

This is a wonderful book about a strong young man with a similarly strong family. I personally do not know anyone with Tourette's syndrome and can only imagine how moving this book will be for them, given the effect it has had on me.

I feel honored to have had the opportunity to read this book about a truly remarkable young man named Cory Friedman and his wonderfully supportive family. It is a tale that has inspired me and humbled me. Reading about Cory's life makes me realize how incredibly strong some people REALLY are, how incredibly powerful their will to live is, and how incredibly powerful some families' bonds are.

If you want to read a book that will uplift your spirit and open your eyes to something beyond outstanding, then do not hesitate to read this book - you will hang on every page and probably finish it in several hours like I did!

As the mother of a son with TS, I found this to be the most emotional read of my life. Cory's family's frustrating experience with the medical process mirrored our own. And like Cory's parents, my husband and I often felt very alone in our fight for our son's health and well-being. Please don't be tempted to think that Cory's struggle has been over-dramatized. I don't know Cory but I do know what it's like to see someone fight TS and it is thoroughly horrifying. I found Cory's letter to be the most profound part of the book, for it was truly in his own words and marked the beginning of his healing. I admire him and his parents beyond words and pray that they are deeply blessed by their willingness to share their personal story. Not everyone has the strength to bless others with their struggles. Cory and his family have done that brilliantly.

A friend gave me this book to read when my son developed Tourette's, and the tragedy is that this is the impression she has of what the course of TS actually looks like. I think a lot more was going on for this youth than what was reported, and not a lot explained the parents rapid cycling through various treatments for the multiple things the kid was going through. That kind of knee jerk reaction may have made things worse instead of better. A lot of parents get into this idea that they'll polarize treatments and doctors, into categories of saviors on the one side, and that they know better than anyone else on the other, and if anything, this book is a good example of it. I'm glad the kid got better, but question what was it that he really got better from? The ending completely led me to mistrust what was written and made me ask, what are they not saying or sharing about the family dynamics, emotional and substance abuse history in the family, trauma??? I would not recommend this book to anyone wanting to understand TS.

This is the story of a young man and his incredible struggle with Tourette's Syndrome, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and Anxiety.

Although the subject matter does not sound exciting, it certainly is in 'Against Medical Advice'. Authored by James Patterson and the father of the boy in the story, Hal Friedman, this reads like a novel. Undoubtedly that is due to Patterson's exceptional writing ability along with a compelling story.

This book follows Cory Friedman from age four, when he first exhibited symptoms of Tourette's through age seventeen. It chronicles an incredible journey filled with horrendous physical symptoms, cruelty of other children, and even the insensitivity of teachers and doctors.

At times, it appears that Cory is a 'guinea pig' for the medical establishment. Although most of them were undoubtedly trying their best, it is quite obvious that they really did not know what to do with him. Rather, they experimented by prescribing countless medications (some multiple times). This may very well be a real eye opener to many about the limitations of the normally revered physician class.

The sheer number of medications given to Friedman is astounding. As it goes along, it becomes quite apparent that this is a good deal of his problem. The toxicity of the medications in his system appears to have exacerbated many of his symptoms.

The best part of this is the way that he overcomes his trials. It is inspirational and really full of hope.

I would strongly recommend this to anyone who is plagued with Tourette's Syndrome, OCD, or any other physical or mental health challenge. Along with that group, I think that almost anyone would enjoy this story. Highly recommended!

At the tender age of 5 Cory Friedman begins years of torment caused by the inability to treat his severe Tourette's syndrome, OCD, and anxiety disorder. It is not until the middle of his junior year in high school that things start getting better--not because of any particular medications, but because of Cory's determination to triumph over adversity with the amazing love and endurance of his parents. The story unfolds through Cory eyes, and it is not a pretty picture.

Cory does not emerge as some transcendent figure whose disabilities have enabled him to rise above the normal tribulations of life, which is a mythic viewpoint to start with. To the contrary, he is angry, confused, defiant, bitter, self-destructive and a whole host of other emotions as he struggles to deal with his situation and the reactions of other people around him. He ultimately becomes dependent on alcohol, gains enormous weight due to one of his medications, and through sheer force of will endures a grueling regimen in a wilderness program that frees him of his addiction to alcohol, his dependence on his medications, and starts him on the path to a productive and more normal life. Though he is never fully cured, in the end he becomes the master over his afflictions rather than vice versa.

Telling the story through Cory's eyes gives it an immediacy and grittiness that is both spellbinding and heart wrenching. The title comes from more than one instance when "against medical advice" either Cory's parents, or Cory himself when he turns seventeen, reject what the healthcare professionals want to do and instead choose a different path.

James Patterson displays his usual talent for good writing as he describes pivotal events in Cory's life. This is a story about the importance of family, of parents who devote themselves to helping their son, even when that means "tough love", and of the recognition that modern medicine has limits that the human spirit does not.

In a sense this is a coming of age story with a much different twist in that Cory is literally fighting for his life, not just seeking to fit in. James Patterson has a real winner with this book.

First, of course, this is an important book and one that will make an emotional impact on any reader, whether or not you are personally familiar with Tourette's syndrome or Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. It is the story of one family's 12-year struggle against these ailments, which have overtaken their son, aged 5 at the beginning of the saga, and 17 at the end.

Regardless of anything else, the authors are achieving an important goal by bringing these disorders to public attention, and James Patterson certainly aids this effort by lending his famous name and suspenseful style to the book.

That said, I had several issues with the book:

- The book is written in first person from Cory's point of view, but was in fact written by his father and/or James Patterson. This is stated at the outset with the clarification that Cory has read and given his seal of approval to the final text. However, since the book's biggest impact comes from it being someone's real first-hand experience, the fact that most of Cory's thoughts and feelings are imagined by someone else (even someone as close as his father) makes it much less effective. One cannot help but wonder at various points whether Cory truly felt things as described, or whether this is a typical person's attempt to internalize what it would be like to be Cory. As another reviewer mentioned, it also affects the portrayal of Cory's parents. In the book, Cory often comments on the unfailing support of his parents, his pain at making their life difficult, etc. Knowing that this was written by his father and given to Cory to read and OK dampens the effect, since it is not clear whether he would have written things quite the same way himself.

- In fact, since the few sections of the book truly written by Cory (e.g. his letter to his parents) were articulate and compelling, and since his writing is complimented at various points by his English teacher, etc., I wonder why he did not write the book himself. Perhaps it was simply not among his priorities at the time. In a sense, Hal Friedman and James Patterson did Cory a disservice by giving him a more simple, choppy voice than he might have chosen himself. His intelligence, often commented on by others throughout the book, does not shine through because the narrator is given a very brisk, basic style, telling brief anecdotes in short sentences, without much reflection. Apparently, this is James Patterson's signature style, but it may not be well-suited for a deeper character study.

* SPOILERS BELOW *
- The story begins with Cory experiencing some disturbing symptoms at age 5, after which he is prescribed Ritalin. It is stated quite clearly that this was an enormous medical mistake, the worst thing that could have been done, which quickly led to full-blown Tourette's symptoms. Perhaps this is a case of hindsight being 20-20, but I think many readers will wonder why what followed was a 10-year roller coaster of 60-odd medications, 4 or 5 at a time. The authors clearly suggest that before the Ritalin, things weren't so bad at all, yet it seems that Cory's parents never considered trying to take him off all medication for a while to see how his condition really was. Eventually, when he is a teenager, this does occur, but by then his brain and body have been receiving a crazy mixture of chemical supplements for a decade. The final solution to the ailments does in fact come when Cory has been off all pharmaceutical treatments for a while. There is no particular explanation why Cory is suddenly "cured", other than that he has been medication-free and allowed to lead a semi-normal life with, finally, some optimism about his future. It makes one wonder how much of Cory's condition was truly an unavoidable disorder, and how much was induced and/or exacerbated by the medication. To me, this was the most troubling part of the book. Reading about Cory's often painful experiences and his sense of being cursed with this hellish condition, I couldn't help but question whether it was, in fact, largely avoidable.

That said, as others reviewers have noted, the book may be an excellent illustration of why patients and their families need to become knowledgeable about medical conditions and participate actively in the treatment. I have no doubt that Cory's parents did their best, but perhaps armed with their experience, others can do even better to help their loved ones cope with Tourette's and OCD.

I am very pleased with all of his books that have been written but finally a book that is so true an real, be sure to have your box of kleenex with you, its about joy,m sadnes but the day I recived this I could not put it down and in two days I had finished. To me its the best that Patterson has put out, I cannot talk to much about this book or would spoil it for others but trust me it ise a keeper. A young man that didn't stop once fought against all odds, please trust me, it is well worth reading so thank you James and Amazon for such a testimony. I cannot than you all for this and for others please enjoy, you will not regret it all.