Suzanne Somers' 19th book was written as a result of being misdiagnosed with full body cancer in November 2008. Suzanne says that her doctor told her to prepare herself and her family for the end. It makes me wonder, if something like that can happen to someone with Suzanne's resources, what else is happening that we never hear about. "Knockout" is a series of interviews with patients who've received alternative medical treatments and the doctors or medical practitioners who prescribe these different types of treatments. Dr. Burzynski from Houston, TX is featured in the book. Suzanne is passionate in her defense of Dr. Burzynki even though his methods are considered controversial. link to Suzanne Somers video Oct 19, 2009: “Cancer’s an epidemic,” said the 63-year-old actress in an interview in a Manhattan hotel a day before Tuesday’s release of “Knockout,” her 19th book. “And yet we keep going back to the same old pot, because it’s all we’ve got. Well, this is a book about options." source msnbc What strikes me in this debate about which method works best is this: how is a patient, who's just been hit with a frightening diagnosis, supposed to sort all this out in the heat of the moment? My impression is that Suzanne wants to make sure that each patient has emotional and mental space to explore the options. In an interview with Joy Behar, Suzanne says, "It's very hard, in a hospital setting, to go against standard of care." Stand Up for Yourself How do you stand up for yourself? It's no surprise to me that we talk about waging war on cancer. Suzanne used a fight term "knockout" as the title of her book. We fight cancer. We don't passively accept what's coming at us. So, once you've joined "the (cancer) Club", how do you decide what to do? Conversely, if you're someone in a position to assist someone in making choices, how do you best serve their needs? If you're interested in understanding more about alternative therapies and hearing first-hand from practitioners and their patients, reading "Knockout" is a good place to start. Create a Clear Space As You Make Your Choices This topic sparks emotional debate because we want what's best for our loved ones. We want the "right" answer. We want patients to get the "right" treatment. But it's confusing with so many voices arguing that their approach is the best one. In my conversations with people close to me who have cancer, I've learned the following from listening to their complaints about other people's attempts to be helpful. This is what I gleaned from them: - Alternative medicines aren't in everyone's budget.
- People with cancer have their own medical teams filling them with conventional choices. Listen carefully to what they're saying. Fear fogs our brains! Bring someone with you to help you listen and to ask questions to clarify the options.
- Many people prefer conventional medicine, no matter what.
- No two patients are alike.
- This is a very personal choice.
- It's difficult to get agreement from everyone around you on which treatment to choose.
- Limit having conversations that second-guess someone’s choice.
- Stop telling people, cancer is preventable – after they already have it. How is this conversation ever going to help them get better?
An Example of Choosing Your Own Way A quick example from my own life – not cancer related – may help to demonstrate the absurdity of other people's efforts to be helpful. My friend, Charlie, owned the local yoga studio where I took my yoga classes. One day, I let him know that I wouldn't be coming back because I wanted to switch to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ is a martial art). He was horrified and said I would injure myself because I didn't have the flexibility needed to do Jiu Jitsu. He's an expert, right? He went out of his way to contact several other yoga school owners and teachers. They all returned the same answer. Someone your age, "50 and stiff", should NOT be doing martial arts. I started taking yoga to help with my flexibility. I hated doing yoga, and after 9 months, I remained unable to do a decent Standing Bow. Did I ask him for help in making my decision? NO! Fast forward: I've been practicing BJJ for over a year and a half. I'm almost a blue belt. I'm the highest ranking female in my class. I LOVE it! I intend to receive a black belt. My world has changed – meaning I have new supportive friends and a new sport to be passionate about. Look what I would have missed if I had listened to the Yoga experts. I share this story to help those of us who want to be helpful to people battling cancer. We don't know anymore than anyone else does about what's best. Respect your loved one's decision once the choice has been made…and continue to respect their choices when they change their mind and go in another direction. Cancer is messy. The Bottom Line Suzanne is a strident supporter of Alternative Remedies. Knockout is a great place to start to have some of your questions answered and to help make decisions about how to proceed with individual – and sometimes controversial – cancer treatment plans. My name is Cheryl Ragsdale. If you’d like to catch up with my mad adventures in my efforts to live a healthy, juicy life. Drop by and say hello! You can find me here at ThatGirlisFunny.  | 
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