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Misdiagnosed: One Woman's Tour of--And Escape From--Healthcareland
Taking charge of your health has never been so important as it is today.
Jody Berger has discovered this first hand: at forty-three, the award-winning journalist and marathoner sees a doctor about a minor tingling sensation in her hands and feet. One MRI later, she is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and told to pick a drug and accept her fate. Instead Jody starts asking questions--only to receive a different diagnosis from each specialist she turns to, from vitamin deficiencies to metal toxicity to depression.
In this powerful, witty, and eye-opening account of her misadventures from misdiagnosis to miraculous recovery, Jody offers insightful tips on how to ask doctors the right questions to get the answers and treatment you need, listen to your body, and choose health over illness. After all, while we can't always heal, we can always take control of our health and ourselves--starting now.
Jody Berger has discovered this first hand: at forty-three, the award-winning journalist and marathoner sees a doctor about a minor tingling sensation in her hands and feet. One MRI later, she is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and told to pick a drug and accept her fate. Instead Jody starts asking questions--only to receive a different diagnosis from each specialist she turns to, from vitamin deficiencies to metal toxicity to depression.
In this powerful, witty, and eye-opening account of her misadventures from misdiagnosis to miraculous recovery, Jody offers insightful tips on how to ask doctors the right questions to get the answers and treatment you need, listen to your body, and choose health over illness. After all, while we can't always heal, we can always take control of our health and ourselves--starting now.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
35 people are currently reading
639 people want to read
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April 20, 2015I'm really torn on this book. On one hand, I empathize with the author -- MS is a scary diagnosis. One the other hand, I agree with the Amazon reviewer who called this "one woman's search for the diagnosis she wants to hear." (http://www.amazon.com/review/R3R64OX9...) It was weird how vehemently she refused interferon treatments for MS but how quickly she accepted other treatments, including IV infusions of chelators, supposedly to remove heavy metals.
There was one vignette in which she visited a natural healer of some kind in Canada, who told her that 85% of his patients had experienced a cure. She then compared that value to the confusing, less-than-impressive statistics given in drug inserts. That example hits the crux of my difficulty with this book: Western medicine is required to undergo lots of rigorous testing, which tends to lead to complicated results. Ayurvedic medicine doesn't undergo that kind of scrutiny. So the author spent a lot of money, seeing doctors who were certainly more empathetic and kind than the neurologist -- but, at the end of the day, they offered her unproven treatments that just made her feel emotionally better.
Overall though, I think that the message of this book is good in that it reminds readers to challenge their doctors, to not take everything they say as gospel, to seek a second opinion if something doesn't feel right, and to not necessarily jump to start medications if the risk vs. benefit profile doesn't appear to come out positive.
There was one vignette in which she visited a natural healer of some kind in Canada, who told her that 85% of his patients had experienced a cure. She then compared that value to the confusing, less-than-impressive statistics given in drug inserts. That example hits the crux of my difficulty with this book: Western medicine is required to undergo lots of rigorous testing, which tends to lead to complicated results. Ayurvedic medicine doesn't undergo that kind of scrutiny. So the author spent a lot of money, seeing doctors who were certainly more empathetic and kind than the neurologist -- but, at the end of the day, they offered her unproven treatments that just made her feel emotionally better.
Overall though, I think that the message of this book is good in that it reminds readers to challenge their doctors, to not take everything they say as gospel, to seek a second opinion if something doesn't feel right, and to not necessarily jump to start medications if the risk vs. benefit profile doesn't appear to come out positive.
July 8, 2014
ARC for review.
As I approach month nine of my never-ending cycle of diagnosis, misdiagnosis, re-diagnosis and more medical tests than I can imagine most 90 years olds have had, I am coming to this both hopeful and afraid. I think I will hold off on it until AFTER I return from my trip to the Cleveland Clinic this week.
*****As I mentioned above the description of this title so closely mirrors my own experience I wasn't sure whether I would hate it or love it, and ended up liking it, but being a bit frustrated with the author at times.
First, Berger has been diagnosed with MS, which is something I was tested for early on, and I don't have it. Therefore, our experiences aren't at all identical and I would never presume that they were. I also expected her to seek out alternative therapies (I haven't yet gotten to that point, but I would not dismiss some of them out of hand). However, what I did not understand at all was her immediate reaction to the diagnosis. Typically lesions on the brain and/or spinal cord are indicative of MS. The fact that I didn't have any told my doctors I didn't have it. Berger has lesions on her spinal cord and received her diagnosis from a physician who had a less than optimal bedside manner. I get all that.
But.
Rant over. Like Berger, I've come across my fair share of unsympathetic and, worse, uninformed doctors. I, too, was told by one physician that I was likely just having "panic attacks" despite horrific, objective symptoms that kept me in the hospital for weeks. So, I'm on the same "tour" that Berger references, but, for me, and for now I'm sticking with Healthcareland and the Cleveland Clinic. Perhaps I won't always feel that way, but it's working for me so far.
As I approach month nine of my never-ending cycle of diagnosis, misdiagnosis, re-diagnosis and more medical tests than I can imagine most 90 years olds have had, I am coming to this both hopeful and afraid. I think I will hold off on it until AFTER I return from my trip to the Cleveland Clinic this week.
*****As I mentioned above the description of this title so closely mirrors my own experience I wasn't sure whether I would hate it or love it, and ended up liking it, but being a bit frustrated with the author at times.
First, Berger has been diagnosed with MS, which is something I was tested for early on, and I don't have it. Therefore, our experiences aren't at all identical and I would never presume that they were. I also expected her to seek out alternative therapies (I haven't yet gotten to that point, but I would not dismiss some of them out of hand). However, what I did not understand at all was her immediate reaction to the diagnosis. Typically lesions on the brain and/or spinal cord are indicative of MS. The fact that I didn't have any told my doctors I didn't have it. Berger has lesions on her spinal cord and received her diagnosis from a physician who had a less than optimal bedside manner. I get all that.
But.
Rant over. Like Berger, I've come across my fair share of unsympathetic and, worse, uninformed doctors. I, too, was told by one physician that I was likely just having "panic attacks" despite horrific, objective symptoms that kept me in the hospital for weeks. So, I'm on the same "tour" that Berger references, but, for me, and for now I'm sticking with Healthcareland and the Cleveland Clinic. Perhaps I won't always feel that way, but it's working for me so far.
September 14, 2014
At the beginning, Jody is like many of us. She picks her primary care physician off the website fairly randomly, and when she's referred to a specialist who orders a test, she dutifully goes to get the MRI, not knowing what it means, any potential side-effects, or even what it will cost. She trusts the professionals and doesn't question their judgement or recommendations.
Her first shock is when the medical technician - who admits to not having medical training and being unable to diagnose her - suggests she has MS (multiple sclerosis). The second shock is having the specialist make the same call, after spending only 15 minutes with her. No counseling is offered, and there's no time to sit and absorb the information in the specialist's presence, so when her friend leaves she feels a disconnect from reality as it finally sinks in. And then her journalist training kicks in. She knows that interviews take time to gather true and useful data, and she doesn't see how the specialist can make this claim after only 15 minutes.
So she calls the specialist back with questions, and he never returns her calls. He dismisses her concerns about the drugs and essentially says "You've got M.S., take them" despite the studies which show horrible side-effects for most people and benefits for only a few.
Then she starts researching in earnest. She stumbles, and runs, from doctor to practitioner, trying everything from traditional specialists to holistic medicine, receiving different diagnoses along the way. Sometimes she is treated with kindness and compassion, but most of the time the diagnosis is chosen fairly early on and any attempt to question the treatment or whether the side-effects are worth it is received badly. Explicit instructions about sharing her medical records are [illegally] ignored. She discovers other people in her family have had similar symptoms, and each had a different diagnosis and treatment.
And in the end, the diagnosis is simple and remediation is straightforward.
But that's not the point of this book. The point is that as many as one in five diagnoses are incorrect, and too many of us are likely to just accept what the doctor says without further thought, because who are we to question the expert? The last section of the book is designed to help us with that. There are questions to think about before you approach your doctor, designed to explain your symptoms as efficiently and expansively as possible, questions to ask when you meet your doctor, questions to ask about medical tests (before, during and after), and questions about drugs and treatment regimes. If you go to your next appointment fully armed with these questions (and your answers, where appropriate), it will empower you to be a full participant in your healthcare, as you should be: it's your body, and you know it best.
Disclaimer: I received a free ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Her first shock is when the medical technician - who admits to not having medical training and being unable to diagnose her - suggests she has MS (multiple sclerosis). The second shock is having the specialist make the same call, after spending only 15 minutes with her. No counseling is offered, and there's no time to sit and absorb the information in the specialist's presence, so when her friend leaves she feels a disconnect from reality as it finally sinks in. And then her journalist training kicks in. She knows that interviews take time to gather true and useful data, and she doesn't see how the specialist can make this claim after only 15 minutes.
So she calls the specialist back with questions, and he never returns her calls. He dismisses her concerns about the drugs and essentially says "You've got M.S., take them" despite the studies which show horrible side-effects for most people and benefits for only a few.
Then she starts researching in earnest. She stumbles, and runs, from doctor to practitioner, trying everything from traditional specialists to holistic medicine, receiving different diagnoses along the way. Sometimes she is treated with kindness and compassion, but most of the time the diagnosis is chosen fairly early on and any attempt to question the treatment or whether the side-effects are worth it is received badly. Explicit instructions about sharing her medical records are [illegally] ignored. She discovers other people in her family have had similar symptoms, and each had a different diagnosis and treatment.
And in the end, the diagnosis is simple and remediation is straightforward.
But that's not the point of this book. The point is that as many as one in five diagnoses are incorrect, and too many of us are likely to just accept what the doctor says without further thought, because who are we to question the expert? The last section of the book is designed to help us with that. There are questions to think about before you approach your doctor, designed to explain your symptoms as efficiently and expansively as possible, questions to ask when you meet your doctor, questions to ask about medical tests (before, during and after), and questions about drugs and treatment regimes. If you go to your next appointment fully armed with these questions (and your answers, where appropriate), it will empower you to be a full participant in your healthcare, as you should be: it's your body, and you know it best.
Disclaimer: I received a free ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 26, 2014
It's amazing to me that it was just 3 short months ago that I spent an entire summer, curled up in a ball, hysterical crying with letters like M.S., MRI's and even A.L.S. being spoken at multiple doctor's appointments. Much like the author, it started with tingling and then became progressively worse, up both arms, up both legs, muscle twitches, spasms, every which where, ER visits, nerve conduction studies and no one knew what was wrong, just sending me to doctor after doctor with more and more initials and scary-as- hell diagnosis getting thrown around.
It was the second darkest time in my life (second only to my 2nd trimester miscarriage) and as I stared into the face of my 3 young girls and imagined leaving them, I lost a part of myself. So afraid. So terrified of this battle that my body was waging within itself.
This book hits on so many of the emotional, helpless moments of the unknown and although I would hate for anyone to walk away from reading this book with the idea that all things can be healed without medication, I do hope it encourages people who sat where I sat and gives them even the slightest bit of hope that your life is not a diagnosis and that your strongest advocate has to be yourself.
It was the second darkest time in my life (second only to my 2nd trimester miscarriage) and as I stared into the face of my 3 young girls and imagined leaving them, I lost a part of myself. So afraid. So terrified of this battle that my body was waging within itself.
This book hits on so many of the emotional, helpless moments of the unknown and although I would hate for anyone to walk away from reading this book with the idea that all things can be healed without medication, I do hope it encourages people who sat where I sat and gives them even the slightest bit of hope that your life is not a diagnosis and that your strongest advocate has to be yourself.
October 3, 2014
The real value of this book is in the "Afterword: Before You See A Doctor." WHAT you must do first for best care and healing. The rest of the book is a detailed illustration of WHY.
In an all-too common story, Berger is "diagnosed" with MS and inappropriately drugged on the basis of a 15-minute interview with a neurologist, one MRI, a set of cookbook assumptions ("young, athletic and female"?!) and symptoms that failed to match the diagnosis. After the initial terror, Berger, a sports journalist, realizes that she had spent less time investigating the doctor, the diagnosis and the drugs than she would have spent preparing to report on a Little League baseball game -- also an all-too common story. Fortunately that realization triggered her investigative skills. Concerning her 15-minute, potentially life-shattering appointment she notes that good interviews take time.
I have interviewed thousands of athletes, coaches, trainers and fans over a dozen years as a sportswriter. No one, to my knowledge, ever gave up anything good in the first fifteen minutes. Generally, at that point, the subject was still coming to terms with the idea of an interview, still sorting out, consciously or subconsciously, what the questioner was seeking and deciding whether to help or hinder the search."
But the cursory less-than-15-minute medical evaluation is also all too common. These days most physicians are over-scheduled and desperately short on time. For best results, patients must help the doc and help themselves. Here's how.
In an all-too common story, Berger is "diagnosed" with MS and inappropriately drugged on the basis of a 15-minute interview with a neurologist, one MRI, a set of cookbook assumptions ("young, athletic and female"?!) and symptoms that failed to match the diagnosis. After the initial terror, Berger, a sports journalist, realizes that she had spent less time investigating the doctor, the diagnosis and the drugs than she would have spent preparing to report on a Little League baseball game -- also an all-too common story. Fortunately that realization triggered her investigative skills. Concerning her 15-minute, potentially life-shattering appointment she notes that good interviews take time.
I have interviewed thousands of athletes, coaches, trainers and fans over a dozen years as a sportswriter. No one, to my knowledge, ever gave up anything good in the first fifteen minutes. Generally, at that point, the subject was still coming to terms with the idea of an interview, still sorting out, consciously or subconsciously, what the questioner was seeking and deciding whether to help or hinder the search."
But the cursory less-than-15-minute medical evaluation is also all too common. These days most physicians are over-scheduled and desperately short on time. For best results, patients must help the doc and help themselves. Here's how.
January 19, 2016
This book is difficult to rate. First I thought it deserved two stars at best, maybe one. Then I thought it deserved three stars, or maybe 2.5. After finishing the book and reading the afterword, I decided three stars. The beginning was slow, the middle was painful, and the end was better. The afterword had valuable information for everyone. Thus the book was saved. At times I could not understand how a grown woman could be so indecisive and washy-washy, and I just wanted to tell her to get control and and act like a grown-up. From personal experience I certainly understand some of the problems she faced, but I could not grasp her handling of the situation. I also have had relatives, friends, and acquaintances who have had or been diagnosed with MS, so I realize that this is not a black-and-white issue. Overall, I do not feel that I wasted any time by reading Misdiagnosed, and in fact I did learn some things.
February 10, 2016
Incredible book from the journey to the myriad of information it provided
There aren't too many books in this particular genre that I just can't put down, but I picked this book up yesterday and have been glued to it ever since.
Jody's story is incredible, heart wrenching and definitely a case for concern with our medical systems. From an MS diagnoses to a gluten intolerance, a little disconcerting that these two could be confused and so quickly by her first doctor.
Almost all the books Jody referenced in this book, I put on my already too long TBR pile. This has drawn my interest & concern with gluten intolerance as I struggle with eczema and some of the other symptoms that were listed.
This will be a book I continuously recommend!
There aren't too many books in this particular genre that I just can't put down, but I picked this book up yesterday and have been glued to it ever since.
Jody's story is incredible, heart wrenching and definitely a case for concern with our medical systems. From an MS diagnoses to a gluten intolerance, a little disconcerting that these two could be confused and so quickly by her first doctor.
Almost all the books Jody referenced in this book, I put on my already too long TBR pile. This has drawn my interest & concern with gluten intolerance as I struggle with eczema and some of the other symptoms that were listed.
This will be a book I continuously recommend!
January 18, 2017
I appreciated reading about this woman's journey to get to the bottom of her medical issues but some of the telling seemed a bit too bizarre. I had a difficult time believing her story of going to a father and son team of orthodontists who recommended that they "shave her tongue" because of the possibility of her tongue putting her teeth out of whack. This was during her extensive history of getting braces to fix her teeth. I just don't know about that one. Hmm. Other than that hokey section of the story, the rest of the book was just alright. I do feel that the book is important in highlighting how often we put our lives into the hands of doctors who are basically weeding through symptoms and don't necessarily have all the answers.
July 12, 2017
There are reasons to dislike this book. The biggest is the author. She sounds like a classic entitled 21st century American. She thinks she's entitled to good health, all the time ignoring the fact that the body she worships will eventually betray her, regardless of her "belief system". Her tales of her sex life are distracting, pointless, and exhibitionist. She rejects science in favor of whatever she wants to superstitiously believe. (She shouldn't be allowed to use a cell phone or any other advanced technology.) She travels the world at will to fulfill whatever whim she has then whines about how difficult her life is. In spite of all her research, she still makes a multitude of misleading and downright incorrect statements about MS.
She deserves some slack because her mother (as she describes the woman) has serious psychological issues that inflicted untold damage on her in childhood. Some of her friends are beyond insensitive. And her first neurologist is arrogant and callous to the point of sadistic. I wish I'd been there to advise and defend her at her initial "diagnosis".
All that said, her basic point is on target and the book should be read by people facing a diagnosis of chronic illness, especially MS. I have some experience in the matter, having been diagnosed myself. As she makes clear, we have to face the medical community for what it is: a big business where the patient's well-being is second to profit. (Even at "non-profit" hospitals.)
Additionally, many doctors, such as the book's Dr. Silver, suffer from a god complex that doesn't allow them to be objective. They don't treat people, they treat diseases. Neurology in particular is more of a black art than a science. Doctors must be humble in the face of illnesses like MS. What William Goldman says about Hollywood is true of MS: "No one knows anything."
The most important statement Ms. Berger makes is found toward the end of the book, where she writes, "there isn't one right answer that is true and right for everyone." It's especially true of MS. Each person is different and should be treated as an individual. My doctor may know more about neurology than I do, but I know more about me. Facing medical treatment with eyes wide open and being your own advocate is more important now than ever.
She deserves some slack because her mother (as she describes the woman) has serious psychological issues that inflicted untold damage on her in childhood. Some of her friends are beyond insensitive. And her first neurologist is arrogant and callous to the point of sadistic. I wish I'd been there to advise and defend her at her initial "diagnosis".
All that said, her basic point is on target and the book should be read by people facing a diagnosis of chronic illness, especially MS. I have some experience in the matter, having been diagnosed myself. As she makes clear, we have to face the medical community for what it is: a big business where the patient's well-being is second to profit. (Even at "non-profit" hospitals.)
Additionally, many doctors, such as the book's Dr. Silver, suffer from a god complex that doesn't allow them to be objective. They don't treat people, they treat diseases. Neurology in particular is more of a black art than a science. Doctors must be humble in the face of illnesses like MS. What William Goldman says about Hollywood is true of MS: "No one knows anything."
The most important statement Ms. Berger makes is found toward the end of the book, where she writes, "there isn't one right answer that is true and right for everyone." It's especially true of MS. Each person is different and should be treated as an individual. My doctor may know more about neurology than I do, but I know more about me. Facing medical treatment with eyes wide open and being your own advocate is more important now than ever.
July 11, 2014
I really wasn't sure what to expect from this book. It turned out to be quite an emotional story which leaves you thinking and asking yourself questions.
Follow Jody in her journey through her quest to get answers and then come to terms with her diagnosis. Her Emotions as she tries to understand what it is that is wrong with her, what it is that her body is doing to her or telling her.
This story highlights just how an illness can be misdiagnosed, and how easy it is to take what the experts are telling you as the right answer.
After struggling myself for many years trying to get my own illness diagnosed. I could relate to some of what was being told in this stroy. Trying to get dr's to listen to you and take what you are saying seriously.
Very well written and dispite the subject and enjoyable but emotional read.
Product Description
Journalist, MS patient, gluten-alergy sufferer, healthcare advocate. For Judy Berger, it's all in a year's work.
At 43, award-winning journalist Jody Berger saw a doctor about a minor tingling in her hands and feet. One MRI later, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and told to pick a drug and resign herself to a slow death. Jody started asking questions, and a year and countless tests later she discovered that "M.S." was nothing more than a gluten allergy. Now healthier than ever, Jody shares her story and offers practical tips on navigating the healthcare world. For anyone who has ever been worried about wellness, Jody shows that while we can't always heal, we can always take control of our own health and our lives.
Follow Jody in her journey through her quest to get answers and then come to terms with her diagnosis. Her Emotions as she tries to understand what it is that is wrong with her, what it is that her body is doing to her or telling her.
This story highlights just how an illness can be misdiagnosed, and how easy it is to take what the experts are telling you as the right answer.
After struggling myself for many years trying to get my own illness diagnosed. I could relate to some of what was being told in this stroy. Trying to get dr's to listen to you and take what you are saying seriously.
Very well written and dispite the subject and enjoyable but emotional read.
Product Description
Journalist, MS patient, gluten-alergy sufferer, healthcare advocate. For Judy Berger, it's all in a year's work.
At 43, award-winning journalist Jody Berger saw a doctor about a minor tingling in her hands and feet. One MRI later, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and told to pick a drug and resign herself to a slow death. Jody started asking questions, and a year and countless tests later she discovered that "M.S." was nothing more than a gluten allergy. Now healthier than ever, Jody shares her story and offers practical tips on navigating the healthcare world. For anyone who has ever been worried about wellness, Jody shows that while we can't always heal, we can always take control of our own health and our lives.
March 23, 2015
Jody Berger began experiencing tingling in her hands and feet and her doctor referred her to a neurologist. After ordering an MRI, the neurologist declared that Berger had MS. Since Berger felt fine other than the tingling she decided to investigate other causes for her problem. Her quest for answers took her to Canada to confer with a holistic health educator, to Southern California to visit a physician and brain specialist, to Mexico for a yoga retreat, to Nita Desai, a Boulder physician who runs East West Integrated Health and is a Ayurvedic doctor, and to a craniosacral osteopathic doctor. As a reporter, Berger discovered there are a large number of individuals who are incorrectly diagnosed with MS. 14% of MS specialists said they would not tell a patient they had been misdiagnosed. If you want to know what Berger found out about her own health, you will need to read the book. This book was quite interesting and I was impressed with how Berger took her health into her own hands and thoroughly investigated all options. However, not many people would have the money or ability to travel the different paths that Berger did.
June 28, 2015
Jody Berger, at forty-three, sees a doctor about a minor tingling sensation in her hands and feet. One MRI later, she is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and told to pick a drug and accept her fate. Instead Jody starts asking question, only to receive a different diagnosis from each specialist she turns to, from vitamin deficiencies to metal toxicity to depression. While the intent of the book may have been good, the information can be misinterpreted and lead someone to question all physicians and delay treatment. What you need to remember is that there are good physicians and some not as good. Be well informed when you approach any disease and its' treatment. No physician purposely misdiagnoses.
November 22, 2014
~Received For An Honest Review~
Wasn't sure what to think when I started reading this book. It was different compared to what I was thinking prior to. But I am glad to be able to review this book. It's an eye opener to say the least. It will make you question yourself, how well you know your body and question any medical professional. It's so well written and easy to follow. If you haven't read this book yet, I would recommend you do!
Wasn't sure what to think when I started reading this book. It was different compared to what I was thinking prior to. But I am glad to be able to review this book. It's an eye opener to say the least. It will make you question yourself, how well you know your body and question any medical professional. It's so well written and easy to follow. If you haven't read this book yet, I would recommend you do!
January 20, 2016
Jody is amazing
I am amazed how far Jody went to find her answers. It would be wonderful if everyone had the tools and the ability to research like she did. I like that she gave the questions at the of the book to ask the doctor. However her ability to travel like she did isn't even feasible for 90%of us who might read this book. To get a doctor to listen to us would be like listening to a cadaver. Unfortunately real people don't really get very far in doctor land.
I am amazed how far Jody went to find her answers. It would be wonderful if everyone had the tools and the ability to research like she did. I like that she gave the questions at the of the book to ask the doctor. However her ability to travel like she did isn't even feasible for 90%of us who might read this book. To get a doctor to listen to us would be like listening to a cadaver. Unfortunately real people don't really get very far in doctor land.
September 20, 2016
This isn't an easy read, but IMHO it's a book that everyone should read. The title is perfect -- Healthcareland is a very scary place. Even if your problem is obvious and treatment known (which is not often the case), different doctors will have different opinions based on their training, experience, and career goals (watch out for researchers!).
September 8, 2025
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
One of the best, “help yourself medically,” books I have read!
Jody Berger is a journalist, meaning she’s also a writer. This book was well done! She starts at the beginning, gives enough info, but not too much.
She keeps the focus on herself, her story, her experience; it is never preachy. Even when she finds her proper diagnosis- she doesn't claim that will cure everyone, she merely uses it to push us to explore other options, ask questions we need to, and most importantly listen to our bodies and trust our instincts.
She does include good commentary and resources in the back. I like that they were put at the end, not the beginning of the book, this allows the author's story to naturally unfold and lets us find the information at the right time.
If you are struggling with symptoms that don't match up, now or in the past, or there is just that uneasiness when you follow the path your doctor prescribes - I think you'll find this book extremely helpful!
One of the best, “help yourself medically,” books I have read!
Jody Berger is a journalist, meaning she’s also a writer. This book was well done! She starts at the beginning, gives enough info, but not too much.
She keeps the focus on herself, her story, her experience; it is never preachy. Even when she finds her proper diagnosis- she doesn't claim that will cure everyone, she merely uses it to push us to explore other options, ask questions we need to, and most importantly listen to our bodies and trust our instincts.
She does include good commentary and resources in the back. I like that they were put at the end, not the beginning of the book, this allows the author's story to naturally unfold and lets us find the information at the right time.
If you are struggling with symptoms that don't match up, now or in the past, or there is just that uneasiness when you follow the path your doctor prescribes - I think you'll find this book extremely helpful!
June 10, 2022
nope
I’m not a huge fan of Western medicine, but this lady takes it right over the edge into ridiculous land. She was diagnosed with MS, scary, I get it. She hated the treatments, so she stopped & her symptoms subsided. Here is where you let it go. If A doesn’t work, B is fine. Not our fearless reporter. She had to whine to every doctor on 2 continents about her diagnosis and look for validation from them all. She mentions not wanting MS in her insurance profile (totally acceptable), but she spent big bucks on “alternative” therapies and doctors, so why does it matter what her insurance says? She clearly doesn’t need the money. By the end it was anti-Western medicine almost anti-vac garbage.
I’m not a huge fan of Western medicine, but this lady takes it right over the edge into ridiculous land. She was diagnosed with MS, scary, I get it. She hated the treatments, so she stopped & her symptoms subsided. Here is where you let it go. If A doesn’t work, B is fine. Not our fearless reporter. She had to whine to every doctor on 2 continents about her diagnosis and look for validation from them all. She mentions not wanting MS in her insurance profile (totally acceptable), but she spent big bucks on “alternative” therapies and doctors, so why does it matter what her insurance says? She clearly doesn’t need the money. By the end it was anti-Western medicine almost anti-vac garbage.
December 12, 2019
I very much enjoyed the way Jody shared her journey and her personal life, family and romantic on her journey toward finding wellness.
Her experience finding doctors who diagnose what they know was fascinating and a lesson for all of us in the need for second (and sometimes third, fourth, and fifth) opinions. That where she lands is a gluten intolerance is interesting but doesn't dive deeply enough into her recovery to learn how effective that diagnosis was.
Her experience finding doctors who diagnose what they know was fascinating and a lesson for all of us in the need for second (and sometimes third, fourth, and fifth) opinions. That where she lands is a gluten intolerance is interesting but doesn't dive deeply enough into her recovery to learn how effective that diagnosis was.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 3, 2020
Very informative
This book has made me wonder if I am gluten-sensitive or actually gluten-intolerant. I’m going to seek out a functional doctor and give them a try. I take 17 prescriptions every day, and have been diagnosed with many conditions throughout my 55 years. I started with digestive problems as an infant and have continued to struggle with them almost every day, along with many other conditions. Great book!
This book has made me wonder if I am gluten-sensitive or actually gluten-intolerant. I’m going to seek out a functional doctor and give them a try. I take 17 prescriptions every day, and have been diagnosed with many conditions throughout my 55 years. I started with digestive problems as an infant and have continued to struggle with them almost every day, along with many other conditions. Great book!
November 20, 2022
This is one woman's frustrating story of being misdiagnosed with a number of conditions in our massively imperfect healthcare system. While I can commiserate with her fear and frustration, it is a deeply personal journey that I just couldn't maintain any interest in by the end. TMI, too long a book.
February 22, 2023
I thought this was an interesting and informative read! She describes her journey about how she had tingling in her fingers & toes, and how it led her on a year + long process to find out what was going on. There is interesting insight into our medical system, and a lot of good advice on how to deal with one's own medical issues.
April 22, 2019
Awesome
More books should be written like this. They can be life saving and life changing ! I thoroughly enjoyed it, learned a lot, and noticed a few symptoms in myself. I've been told before times to go gluten free. Lol, I will !
More books should be written like this. They can be life saving and life changing ! I thoroughly enjoyed it, learned a lot, and noticed a few symptoms in myself. I've been told before times to go gluten free. Lol, I will !
November 7, 2022
The book Misdiagnosed is misrepresented. It claims to be a story of "miraculous recovery" - but really, the author had one weird symptom and a diagnosis-happy doctor. There's a lot of magical thinking and fear that goes unexamined.
November 16, 2017
Great "Food for Thought" (no pun intended) to add to my growing arsenal pointing to our diets and gut as the root of all evil!
September 23, 2014
This is an eye opening book that challenges all of us to think about where we put our trust in regards to our bodies and our health. Jody Berger shares with us her somewhat traumatic, intense and stressful journey from an initial INCORRECT diagnosis of MS (Multiple Sclerosis) to the truth of what was REALLY going on in her body over a period of year.
Written in a very readable memoir style, Jody takes us from her first moment after hearing the results of an MRI scan on her spine - "It's MS", surely not she thought? But you trust the specialists right? We do what we are told. Go and take the pills was the advice given to her.
Thankfully Jody didn't just walk away with that, she didn't listen and began her own research into what was going on inside her body. She did internet research, read medical journals and research. She made appointments and spent her own money seeing a multitude of natural health professionals and well being enthusiasts. She puts herself through lots of testing, blood analysis, probing into her health history and her mind over the period of a year. She wasn't stopping until she got answers.
Scary? Yes, because she gets conflicting verdicts along the way. But scarier still? The initial diagnosis by a SPECIALIST doctor was incorrect. Imagine, imagine if she had embraced that and taken the pills that her body was never meant to have.
It's a challenging book that encourages us to listen to our own bodies, to see second, third, fourth opinions and look outside the box for answers. The book inspired me, I have chronic illness and chronic pain conditions, some symptoms can't be placed in any box, other issues I have I am told there is no help for me. Thank you Jody for your book because now I am going to look outside of the box that western medicine has put me and not necessarily believe all that I am told by every "specialist".
Jody integrates memories of her life in the book and it's written really well. I am not usually a fan of memoirs but the topic and the way this was written kept me engrossed, I was keen to see what the final outcome was for Jody and shocked at the verdict. This is a book that makes you think and reassess things in relation to our western health care system. Is it indeed making a lot of us sicker? When did we stop listening to our own instincts?
Through dietary changes, vitamin and mineral supplements alone, Jody makes astounding health leaps. Somethings as simple as that. The body is a whole thing, therefore it makes sense that it's looked at from a holistic viewpoint, not through a narrow funnel. An important book, not a preachy book by any means, but a very important one.
It made me wonder how many people are out there right now in the world sitting on a misdiagnosis. Thousands? Millions? Scary thought. Jody was but one of those and I for one am glad she did not just accept what she first was told, it would have sent her on a totally different life path.
I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. Many thanks.
Written in a very readable memoir style, Jody takes us from her first moment after hearing the results of an MRI scan on her spine - "It's MS", surely not she thought? But you trust the specialists right? We do what we are told. Go and take the pills was the advice given to her.
Thankfully Jody didn't just walk away with that, she didn't listen and began her own research into what was going on inside her body. She did internet research, read medical journals and research. She made appointments and spent her own money seeing a multitude of natural health professionals and well being enthusiasts. She puts herself through lots of testing, blood analysis, probing into her health history and her mind over the period of a year. She wasn't stopping until she got answers.
Scary? Yes, because she gets conflicting verdicts along the way. But scarier still? The initial diagnosis by a SPECIALIST doctor was incorrect. Imagine, imagine if she had embraced that and taken the pills that her body was never meant to have.
It's a challenging book that encourages us to listen to our own bodies, to see second, third, fourth opinions and look outside the box for answers. The book inspired me, I have chronic illness and chronic pain conditions, some symptoms can't be placed in any box, other issues I have I am told there is no help for me. Thank you Jody for your book because now I am going to look outside of the box that western medicine has put me and not necessarily believe all that I am told by every "specialist".
Jody integrates memories of her life in the book and it's written really well. I am not usually a fan of memoirs but the topic and the way this was written kept me engrossed, I was keen to see what the final outcome was for Jody and shocked at the verdict. This is a book that makes you think and reassess things in relation to our western health care system. Is it indeed making a lot of us sicker? When did we stop listening to our own instincts?
Through dietary changes, vitamin and mineral supplements alone, Jody makes astounding health leaps. Somethings as simple as that. The body is a whole thing, therefore it makes sense that it's looked at from a holistic viewpoint, not through a narrow funnel. An important book, not a preachy book by any means, but a very important one.
It made me wonder how many people are out there right now in the world sitting on a misdiagnosis. Thousands? Millions? Scary thought. Jody was but one of those and I for one am glad she did not just accept what she first was told, it would have sent her on a totally different life path.
I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. Many thanks.
March 13, 2017
This is a bizarre adventure worth taking if you are interested in the world of modern medicine. While some of Jody Berger’s views are not ones that I hold, I believe that her search for answers in the face of a dark diagnosis can be an inspiration to others. Her writing style is excellent, likely because of her journalism experience. She brings to life the emotions and frustrations of her fight against an unfair diagnosis.
To visit my memoir review blog:
https://memoir.blog/ (home)
https://memoir.blog/misdiagnosed/ (this book)
To visit my memoir review blog:
https://memoir.blog/ (home)
https://memoir.blog/misdiagnosed/ (this book)
October 24, 2016
This review is partly biased because I'm really sick of reading account of upper-middle class people sorting through their health problems within a year or two and then frolicking through the flowers.
Where are the normal people who don't have boyfriends that will pay for them to fly to other countries and states to pay completely out of pocket for care..? Or the people who can't afford long yoga retreats in other states and countries? ... Or the ones who can barely get by and afford medical travel and time off work, let alone medical expenses? The ones with limited insurance networks and no out-of-network benefits?
Maybe they're too busy drowning in medical bills, work, and their illness(es) to write books...
The author just seems out of touch with what so many 'average' people struggle with with chronic illness(es). Like this little gem:
"[Disability] payments are made on the basis of disability, not the label. If there were reasons other than MS that a patient couldn't work, the patient still wouldn't be able work and would still be eligible for financial support."
Right. I'd love to live in a world where that shit is true.
She has a great support system (emotionally, financially, spiritually...). She can travel and see great doctors all over the place and go have fun all over the globe (with minimal consideration of her illness) just because. Almost all of her doctors gave her over an hour in her appointments... So to me, it's not relatable. At all.
I'm not trying to make it a pissing contest, but I also wish I could find more relatable stories. For me, this really, really isn't it.
But I digress...
I also thought this book was A LOT of pointless rambling. The story was so diluted that I think it doubled (or tripled?) the length of the book. It's seriously just like her rambling about a year or two of her life with pertinent medical stuff in between. Like why do I care that she made love to her boyfriend twice in one day and where they did it? Or about baboons fighting outside her window in Africa? Or about whatever random crap she threw in just because... I don't, and at times it almost felt like a slap in the face that she so (pointlessly and needlessly) speak nonchalantly about stuff that others with MS find challenging or impossible. The 'desperation' aspect of chronic illness seemed to be MIA as she continued to function normally through the whole ordeal.
Also, I'm a fan of the Oxford comma. I guess she is not.
Maybe this would be good for people who are just starting to have minor medical problems and get their feet wet with doctors, but if you've been dealing with a chronic illness for a while, there might not be much new or useful info here for you.
Where are the normal people who don't have boyfriends that will pay for them to fly to other countries and states to pay completely out of pocket for care..? Or the people who can't afford long yoga retreats in other states and countries? ... Or the ones who can barely get by and afford medical travel and time off work, let alone medical expenses? The ones with limited insurance networks and no out-of-network benefits?
Maybe they're too busy drowning in medical bills, work, and their illness(es) to write books...
The author just seems out of touch with what so many 'average' people struggle with with chronic illness(es). Like this little gem:
"[Disability] payments are made on the basis of disability, not the label. If there were reasons other than MS that a patient couldn't work, the patient still wouldn't be able work and would still be eligible for financial support."
Right. I'd love to live in a world where that shit is true.
She has a great support system (emotionally, financially, spiritually...). She can travel and see great doctors all over the place and go have fun all over the globe (with minimal consideration of her illness) just because. Almost all of her doctors gave her over an hour in her appointments... So to me, it's not relatable. At all.
I'm not trying to make it a pissing contest, but I also wish I could find more relatable stories. For me, this really, really isn't it.
But I digress...
I also thought this book was A LOT of pointless rambling. The story was so diluted that I think it doubled (or tripled?) the length of the book. It's seriously just like her rambling about a year or two of her life with pertinent medical stuff in between. Like why do I care that she made love to her boyfriend twice in one day and where they did it? Or about baboons fighting outside her window in Africa? Or about whatever random crap she threw in just because... I don't, and at times it almost felt like a slap in the face that she so (pointlessly and needlessly) speak nonchalantly about stuff that others with MS find challenging or impossible. The 'desperation' aspect of chronic illness seemed to be MIA as she continued to function normally through the whole ordeal.
Also, I'm a fan of the Oxford comma. I guess she is not.
Maybe this would be good for people who are just starting to have minor medical problems and get their feet wet with doctors, but if you've been dealing with a chronic illness for a while, there might not be much new or useful info here for you.
October 30, 2014
This wasn't a bad book at all. Again I just wanted something random to read and decided I would read this and put in on my Overdrive account to automatically checkout to me when it was available. Well I'm happy I finally got around to reading it before I had to return it because this book further helps reiterate that although doctors and those in the medical field are skilled and educated in what they do it by no means we should put our absolute and total faith in diagnoses without additional opinions. I know personally I've had to take my own body and health into my hands to figure out possible reasons why certain things where happening. I strongly feel if I hadn't taken the time and effort to constantly and consistently research my symptoms and such I may not be blessed with my fabulous family today. All I needed/wanted was one doctor to listen to what I thought the problem could be...just to listen and give me an honest opinion. Thankfully I found that doctor and he listened to my concerns, was very straightforward with me and onward we went! Just saying always ask questions and don't be afraid to drop one doctor for another especially when you feel your provider isn't truly listening to you but has their own agenda it seems!
September 29, 2015
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my review. I was very interested to read Jody's experience after having worked in healthcare for more than 30 years, many years as a patient advocate. Time pressures that physicians face to see more patients are often not helpful to either the patient or the physician. "If you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail" is an apt description of the way various disciplines viewed her condition and recommended conflicting approaches. The book is a remarkable portrayal of her journey to health and well-being. I read the book in a single sitting. It is moving and beautifully written. Sadly, Jody was alone in her journey both physically as well as emotionally for much of the time. As Jody found the warmth, love and affection she was searching for throughout her life, she learned so much about herself and the choices she made.
January 15, 2016
This book gets off to a slow start, with lots of unaswerable rhetorical questions in the first 100 pages and more detail than most readers would tolerate. The essence of it is the author being misdiagnosed with MS, since it's kind of a catch-all diagnosis of last resort. It turns out all the author's symptoms are from celiac disease, so once she realizes that and cuts gluten out of her diet, she's fine. The last 30 or so pages of the book are the most interesting part.
Another good question she raises is how doctors are affected by a kind of tunnel vision when they make their first diagnosis, and refuse to look out of the box at possible other causes. It's a good lesson in trusting yourself before you trust your doctors, since they may be married to their first quick diagnosis rather than considering alternatives. All in all, a pretty good book.
Another good question she raises is how doctors are affected by a kind of tunnel vision when they make their first diagnosis, and refuse to look out of the box at possible other causes. It's a good lesson in trusting yourself before you trust your doctors, since they may be married to their first quick diagnosis rather than considering alternatives. All in all, a pretty good book.
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