Customer Reviews

Fighting for Your Life : How to Survive a Life-Threatening Illness

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Your attitude and actions have a big impact on how your health will respond to the treatments you receive when you are diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses like some cancers, AIDS, and extreme forms of heart disease. Most patients lack the will and the skill to find out what attitudes and actions will help the most. This book will help you with both. Having read widely on this subject, I was impressed by the thoroughness of the references to research studies. The many sidebars of inspiring examples of sucess (and the opposite) help connect the information to your emotions.

One of the book's strengths is that it discusses different illnesses in detail. So, if you have just been tested as HIV positive, you can read the book from that perspective. If you have just found that you have breast cancer, you can do the same thing. Not every disease is covered, but the most common and terrifying ones are.

The book is written for the active, alert person who is in a position to take charge of her or his own treatment. The book's main weakness is that it does not connect this information to how a son or daughter could use it to help an elderly parrent who may not have the ability to be the point person in the treatment. There is also no information for professional caregivers. Spouses will also probably wish there was more on how they can help.

Here are the chapter titles:

Your Options (the factors that influence health and the role that your response plays in recovery);

The Shock of Being Diagnosed;

Self-Esteem;

The Will to Live;

A Realistic Appraisal (avoid false hopelessness and false hope);

Victimhood and Accountability (avoiding passivity);

Feedback (trial and error for improvement);

Empoewrment (role in long-term survival);

Culture, Religion and Empowerment;

Negative Emotions, Self-Esteem and Healing;

Stress, the Body and the Mind;

Dealing with Emotions;

The Benefits of Illness (don't let them drag you down!);

Your Health Care Providers (selection and relationships);

Medical Treatments (how to choose);

Resources for Treatment Information (you will probably find out more than your physician knows);

Drug Treatment Compliance (take all those pills!);

Lifestyle Changes;

Support (especially how to get some, if you don't have it);

Service and Activism (start looking out rather than feeling sorry for yourself);

The Spiritual Dimension of Living and Dying (what this experience can teach you); and

Putting Your Affairs in Order (power of attorney for health care, wills, and funeral arrangements).

Each chapter ends with helpful exercises to apply the lessons to your situation.

As the author points out in the prologue, this is not a how-to book. "There is no single recipe for success, let alone a magic bullet."

The author reports tat he has found that those who do best are those who "learn what their options are, choose what they consider the best course of action, learn from trial and error and develop their own unique treatment strategy." The book reflects that observation. I agree with that point of view, based on my own experiences with improving my health and helping others to do the same.

The key lesson is that you have more influence on how your life will turn out than your physician does. And you can choose not to use that influence . . . or to do so. I suggest that you choose the latter!

You can also see this book as a metaphor for conducting all aspects of your life. You're in charge! Start acting like it!

May your heart, mind, and body enjoy many wonderful healing experiences as you develop your approach to dispersing disease . . . and may God be with you.

..you'll ever. read. A claim easily made, but quite possibly valid here! While the title sounded a bit hyped, the contents are remarkably comprehensive in terms of the types of diseases and ways of combatting them. Wolfe has done his homework: experts in medicine, research, psychology, nutrition, were all drawn upon in the support of the central idea: that you can reverse disease. Wolfe's own life experiences bring this home!

This book is a wonderful guide to understanding what rights and choices a patient has. I found the information to be easy to understand and the exercise at the end of each chapter helped tie everything together. There are probably many medical facilities, doctors, and care providers that would rather the patient didn't learn the facts presented in this book. A MUST READ!!!!!!

This is the book I've been looking for -- it really helps! As a caregiver for my mother, and also concerned about my husband's health problems, I'm relieved to find a book that gives me help without "talking down" to me. It's a source of inspiration as well as information I can really use. Though priced low (maybe so it can reach the wide audience that needs it?)it contains a king's ransom of facts, suggestions, and resources to equip you to deal with life's worst surprises.

Fighting for Your Life tells how to survive a life-threatening illness or diagnosis, from the initial diagnosis to resources, related issues, and choosing support and therapy systems. From exercise programs to fostering feelings of empowerment, this is packed with tips and strategies for self-help.