Product Description
"The prognosis you give yourself is the only one that's important. You can't allow yourself to become the victim of a negative prognosis. At the young age of thirty-three, Nancy Davis was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The finality of the neurologist's prognosis was devastating: ""There is nothing you can do. Go home and go to bed...forever."" Nancy left her doctor's office in shock and despair. How could it be that within a year she would be confined to her bed, at best able to push the buttons on her television's remote control? She had plans. She had a family. She had a life that she desperately wanted to live. Nancy made a choice. Rather than accepting this hopeless prognosis, she began to educate herself, to create an effective health regimen, and to expand her range of therapeutic options. She literally reinvented her prognosis and in doing so she created a healthy new life. Lean on Me couples Nancy's deeply personal story with a step-by-step guide to empower anyone to take charge of his or her own health care in the face of any life-threatening disease: Step One Embrace Change Step Two Fear Less Step Three Never Take No for an Answer Step Four Find Your Dr. Right Step Five Build Your Health Team Step Six You Are What You Ingest Step Seven Let's Get Physical Step Eight Explore Alternative Therapies Step Nine Tame the Health Care Monster Step Ten Give Back Life-altering diseases often come with a list of ""can'ts,"" ""won'ts,"" and ""no's."" Nancy teaches readers how to move beyond these negative concepts and focus on what they personally can and will do to improve their health. Each of these steps offers readers the strategies and strength to carry on when they're feeling overwhelmed, and the concrete tools for actively seeking and receiving the best treatment. Lean on Me is the health advocate that each of us needs to adopt in the face of a medical crisis. It is a book that shows how to navigate the health care waters, to find hope, to take positive action, and to celebrate progress -- all kinds, every day. It provides the knowledge and power to make good choices. It supplies the authoritative information that can enable you to save your life or the life of a loved one. "

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.0 based on 21 reviews)

really rather annoying

I was recently diagnosed with MS and picked up this book to give me some encouragement. As several other readers have commented, it really is rather too perky, and completely unsympathetic to anyone who doesn't feel perky. While some of the information was interesting, I found her talk about the blissful healing from arcane quasi-medical therapies rather insulting. Most people with MS cope with a variety of fairly nasty medications (if they can afford them!) to *help* control their disease, and most don't have the financial support that the author has, especially those in the US. The complete lack of understanding of financial limitations is galling, and the self-praise for the research without walls concept is as well. (It is a common research concept) What of the various MS Societies? No mention is made of them, and one is given the impression they are somewhat criminal in their activities, or at the very least useless. (not my experience)
I wish I hadn't been blue and wasted my money on this. I also bought "MS for dummies" which I keep on my bedside table as I work through this current attack. Helpful, clear, no "smile and you'll be fine" attitude.
I am a nurse, working in primary care with many people with chronic diseases. Telling these people that it is only a matter of attitude that they feel ill is insulting. A good attitude can go a long ways, but it can't cure you. Mind you, having a huge income and hanging about with movie stars can provide some distractions, I guess.
April 19, 2008

If you think this book has value; you must not have MS

I appreciate all the fund raising Ms. Davis has done for MS but I cringe when I hear she will be on a TV program as a representative of an MS patient. She acts like you can think your way out of the many problems MS brings into your life. So if I go to Pilate's, will I remember my phone number? If I eat better will I be able to walk? If I "smile" more will my double vision go away?

This is a lovely fluff of a book for people who think they know about MS. Maybe she should interview Annette Funicello or show pictures of Richard Pryor instead.
May 30, 2007

Helpful book

Great book for anyone with health problems or if you know someone with health problems, Lots of information.
February 13, 2007

Lean on Me

This book is most useful for the newly diagnosed. It had some good advice for those who have been living with MS for a long time (for instance the medical card people with MS should carry), but I found a lot of what Ms. Davis advocating not realistic for those of us severely affected by the disease; i.e. in a wheelchair, unable to drive, very dependent on others for most activities. I could go along with her until I got to the part of the book where she doesn't take any of the approved MS medications...I then surmised that she and I do not suffer from the same brand of MS. Positive thinking is important in dealing with any form of this nasty disease, but sometimes it is just not enough.
August 28, 2006

A Great, Informative Bood

A very informative, much needed book with the baby boomers getting older. We need this information. This is unknown information to the majority of people because we are taking care of our parents and our children. It has information on conventional as well as homeopathic and naturalistic method. I bought three books: one for a cancer patient, one for my sister who is a patient liaison, and one for myself.
August 06, 2006

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