Colonic-Diseases Books

Pat Sullivan's excellent account of his chronic illnesses, and how he went about learning the causes of each one, is a fascinating look into how one person's search for the truth can improve their own health and well-being. His writing is straightforward, readable and well-referenced. I especially enjoyed the chapters on nutrition and the dangers of mercury. While many of his approaches are somewhat alternative in nature, Sullivan is careful to maintain a balanced tone throughout this thoughtful and interesting book. The lessons shared here can no doubt help those of us who are looking for similar answers about how to live a healthier, happier life
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Well written. I've read many books on the same topics that he covers in the book, and I was very impressed with the chapter on mercury and the one on testing. The other chapters were quite good as well.

Wellness: Piece By Piece by Pat Sullivan is a highly informative study of what constitutes a chronic illness and a quite helpful guide to the healing process for such a condition. Introducing readers to chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, insomnia, candida, allergies, brain fog, the detoxification of mercury and other heavy metals, healing the gut, balancing hormones, clearing infections, proper nutrition, and the spiritual and physical connection with chronic illnesses, Wellness: Piece By Piece provides a concise and complete understanding of the incapacitating disorders. Wellness: Piece By Piece is very strongly recommended as a reliable and "reader friendly" reference or guide for coping with any form of chronic illness with respect to oneself or a loved one.

I have been on a journey to uncover the secrets behind my chronic illness for many years and it wasn't until I discovered Pat Sullivan's book "Wellness Piece by Piece" that things started to make sense for me. I have read just about everything there is out there regarding fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and chronic illness, but I never felt like is was hitting the nail on the head with regard to getting better. I never felt like someone understood the big picture until Pat shared his story. What a gift to hear from someone who has been there and walked out on the other side. Pat's book is like finding the key that unlocks all the secrets to getting better. Each chapter reveals his experience regarding a piece of the puzzle toward feeling better and I have to say that everything he has said, and that I have tried, has been right on. Please, if you are suffering from chronic illness, give yourself a gift, read this book. You won't be sorry.

As a fellow chronic sufferer, with much the same story of undiagnoses by the medical establishment and ineffective treatments or incomplete results by the alternative field, this book reveals the Truth that heavy metals and/or negative organisms are behind every chronic disease and what SEEMS a temporary ache and pain that builds momentum into the pits of hell.

Pat outlines the details of his tedious labors, uncovering why he continued to stay sick. Take special note of his message: until you erradicate the offending agent, supplements will have limited results, if any, as in my case and many others, and the liver doesn't know the difference between Prozac and Heroin. All metals are poison. Heart attack? Diabetes? Parkinsons? AIDS? All symptoms.

Pat gives much insight into what HAS helped him mitigate against the toxic load on the body while he was searching for the answer, and breaks down the list of myths that will be encountered in the healing fields, when enough time is spent hunting down the tiger. He also outlines what hasn't been effective to which I also concur in my own experience.

Wellness Piece by Piece is easy to read, hard to put down, and helps to reinforce you can get well when all seems hopeless.

Knowing metals may not even show up on a challenge test until you are chelating for a few months, the word out there by other chronic sufferers, is chelate anyway. The results [or lack thereof] will be revealed soon enough. Pat's book reveals what chelating agents are NOT effective, and with DMSA now available without prescription, anyone can start accomplishing results.

Disease doesn't appear overnight. This book is a must read for chronic sufferers and those who never want to get sick and who have probably already started the disease process and don't even know it! You can also find this book on Pat's Jigsaw Health website.

Thanks, Pat, for getting the word out. With enough available knowledge, people can stop the abuse of medical and health "care" and discover the answer lies in those who have come before them.

"That was terrific!" While not what you would expect to hear after a colonoscopy, these were the first words out of my husband's mouth as he woke up from this somewhat inconvenient procedure a few weeks ago, which he and I had postponed as long as possible. Howls of laughter burst forth from the nurses and others present in the recovery room. Nonetheless, the words revealed my husband's shock and delight that the dreaded procedure began and ended so imperceptibly and so painlessly.

"That was terrific!" would also be my assessment of this little book. While there is nothing sexy about the prospect of reading a book about cancer, my middle age, my weight, my family history, and personal medical history nearly demanded that I inform myself. The previous reviews for amazon.com have focused repeatedly on Dr. Adrouny's gift for making a boring, technical, and frightening subject accessible to the non-medical public through very readable text, references, and glossary, as well as lucid diagrams. I would echo all of those comments nearly verbatim. Anyone in the field knows that teaching science to non-science majors is more difficult than teaching it to those committed to the subject. You have to engage them first, and then inform them. Dr. Adrouny succeeds brilliantly in his chapters such as "Who Gets Colon Cancer and Why," "The `Look'...," "The `Feel'...," the stages, the prognosis, the treatment, prevention and future of colon cancer.

For me, however, Dr. Adrouny's greater gift is the art of gentle persuasion. He informs but does not preach. Who wants to go to the doctor and be ordered to go and lose 30 pounds? My husband was spurred to action by Dr. Adrouny, and now it's my turn. My colonoscopy is in two months. When will you sign up? (As he points out, there is usually a wait.) Read the book while you are waiting. Meantime, I am wondering if perhaps Dr. Adrouny's next book should be, "Understanding Extra Pounds."

Reviewed by Sonia Russo
Gaithersburg, Maryland

Dr. Adrouny is one of those rare physician/oncologists who is able to convert knowledge of his subject into words, phrases and thoughts that are fluid and understandable to the layman. Since colon cancer is the number two cause of cancer in the nation today, interest in the subject has heightened considerably and the book is a fast, yet comprehensive read for a wide audience. Having ordered and read the book before undergoing a routine colonoscopy I went into the procedure with a positive and informed outlook. Dr. Adrouny also analyzes the latest techniques in colon examinations including the merits of virtual colonscopies.

C. G. Elliott
Wailea, Hawaii

Richard Adrouny, MD is a personal friend of mine but I am not a patient of his nor a physician nor do I have any medical training. However, I am approaching 60. I do get annual checkups and prostate exams and I do worry about cancer.
Understanding Colon Cancer is as good a book on a critical medical issue as any lay reader could ever hope to find. Dr. Adrouny writes very fully and specifically about colorectal cancer, its development, theories regarding its prevention, and current treatment interventions. What makes his writing so valuable to cancer patients and others of us without medical training is its accessibility. He continuously offers clear, direct and perfectly understandable explanations so that the interested reader can truly grasp the meaning of necessary medical terms and their significance. When he mentions sigmoidoscopy he explains that the procedure is an examination of the inner rectum and lower colon. When he refers to adenomatous polyps he specifies that a polyp is a growth from a mucous membrane and an adenoma is a benign growth from a glandular tissue. Continuously, he shares with us state of the art medical understanding in terms non-physicians can grasp. And in the course of treatment for a potentially life-threatening disease understanding is comfort.
Colorectal cancer screening as an annual event isn't a high priority for most men or women. When Dr. Adrouny explains that 15% of all cancers can be detected by a simple digital rectal examination, the momentary inconvenience of this act of diligence seems a small price to pay confirming our health status. Similarly, fecal occult blood testing, barium enema, and endoscopy all offer evaluations that could spare us suffering and save our lives.
While reading this book I wondered if Dr. Adrouny didn't perhaps edit his own writing by asking himself "So what?" every paragraph or so and then took the time to make clear the importance of his points to his general audience.
While reading this book, I could imagine a colon cancer patient returning home after seeing his own oncologist and grabbing for Dr. Adrouny's book by way of understanding his own physician comments.

Adrouny does a great job explaining the ABC's of colon cancer.

This short--less than 150 pages--guide to colon cancer is accessible to those of us who are not physicians or familiar with healthcare terms. Adrouny patiently walks us through the basics of colon cancer: Who Gets Colon Cancer (men and women, too!); the look (signs) and feel (symptoms) of the disease; and the treatments and prevention.

This book is an absolute must for anyone who has colon cancer or anyone who is close to someone with the disease. The book also provides easy to read charts and drawings that I found very helpful.

My father was recently diagnosed with Colon Cancer and I decided to purchase a book about the horrible disease. This book by A. Richard Adrouny MD, a new author of medical books, provided me with facts and a new understanding of what my father is going through. This book will make you much smarter about this disease no matter what knowledge you have. I strongly suggest you buy this book to further increase your knowledge of one of the most common forms of cancer in America.

Dr Phillip takes the reader on an anatomical journey, exploring all the ups, downs, rights and wrongs of surgery for the colon, rectum, and of course... the anus. This journey is not without it's share of danger, however Dr Phillip always reveals the perfect solution to the reader. I have no doubt that this story will continue to shock, intrigue, and amuse readers for years to come. I highly recommend this book, it is a fascinating read, and it contains frequent use of the word rectum!

Soon to be updated, this is an excellent, well balanced text, in which all chapters are written by the senior authors, both of whom are experienced and expert clinicians

No doc who treats diseases of the colon should be without this superb, up to date reference.

Very practical textbook reviewing all the scope of coloproctology for every day practice.

Colon cancer doesn't receive the publicity devoted to other types of cancer, yet it's the third most common malignancy in the world and the second leading cause of death from cancer, aside from lung cancer. Living With Colon Cancer: Beating The Odds tells of the author's own battle against colon cancer, her survival after a terrible diagnosis, and how to cope with treatment and emotional highs and lows. Insights on what to expect and how to handle it are well done and very specific.

Colon cancer doesn't receive the publicity devoted to other types of cancer, yet it's the third most common malignancy in the world and the second leading cause of death from cancer, aside from lung cancer. Living With Colon Cancer: Beating The Odds tells of the author's own battle against colon cancer, her survival after a terrible diagnosis, and how to cope with treatment and emotional highs and lows. Insights on what to expect and how to handle it are well done and very specific.

Colon cancer doesn't receive the publicity devoted to other types of cancer, yet it's the third most common malignancy in the world and the second leading cause of death from cancer, aside from lung cancer. Living With Colon Cancer: Beating The Odds tells of the author's own battle against colon cancer, her survival after a terrible diagnosis, and how to cope with treatment and emotional highs and lows. Insights on what to expect and how to handle it are well done and very specific.

Colon cancer doesn't receive the publicity devoted to other types of cancer, yet it's the third most common malignancy in the world and the second leading cause of death from cancer, aside from lung cancer. Living With Colon Cancer: Beating The Odds tells of the author's own battle against colon cancer, her survival after a terrible diagnosis, and how to cope with treatment and emotional highs and lows. Insights on what to expect and how to handle it are well done and very specific.

Eliza certainly went through tough times through her illness both because of the US centric healthcare system, the less than first class medical professionals, as well as the treatments itself. Would not recommend this book for anyone actually having Colon Cancer.

While this book is written for practitioners, it provides information and insight which can be useful for the sufferer of irritable bowl syndrome (IBS) as well. This may be especially true for many of the over 20 million individuals in the US alone who suffer from social anxiety disorder - a fear of being negatively evaluated and humiliated in social situations - who suffer from this painful and embarrassing disorder as well.

Given that the diseased-based biomedical model can't adequately account for these gastrointestinal symptoms and their psychological effects, it is gratifying to see an empirically-supported cognitive-behavioral treatment for IBS which is effective.

In addition to its gender and social context issues, its comprehensive set of treatment recommendations includes emphasis on coping with shame, anger, assertiveness, self-efficacy, social approval, perfectionism, control, self-nuturance, and performance anxiety. To assist the therapist in facilitating the client's learning, the book also includes recommendations, troubleshooting guides, common problems and myths, case histories, scripts, and client-therapist dialogues.

This is an excellent volume on a condition which heretofore has received little attention.

Written by Brenda Toner and her colleagues, who have worked extensively on psychosocial aspects of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), this manual provides a thorough, yet accessible, introduction to the current understanding of IBS and cognitive behavioural approaches to its treatment.

One of the particularly interesting aspects of the book is the attention paid to gender socialisation and social stigma as factors which may help to explain both the high proportion of female IBS outpatients and some of the central concerns of the patient group. After summarising current research into the biological, psychological and social factors that contribute to the disorder the second half of the book outlines the cognitive behavioural therapy program developed and implemented by the Toronto group. A detailed outline of session themes and session content is included. Case studies and sample scripts are used throughout making this book clear and interesting to read.

Beyond its use as a manual to guide health care professionals in the management and treatment of patients with IBS, this book provides a great insight into the nature of the disorder and the impact it has on patient's psychological state and day to day lives.

This is an excellent guide, giving many details of symptoms, causes, diet change needs,trigger foods, and stress reduction. I refer to it frequently. It has no gender bias that women are the major sufferers of IBS.

I certainly do agree on some of the topics mentioned in this book. My understanding as reading this book and also attending at the time a Psycologist, is I think it narrows down yes with some foods you eat, I feel everyone is sensitive to certain foods than others, but what I found very interesting and had a hard time dealing with is to accept the fact that I had IBS. That's the first thing you have to accept. The second is STRESS, what major role that plays on the digestive system. You may not agree, but what I've learned through experience and dealing with stressful situations, yes I do believe this can play a Major Role. I was confinced that stress didn't have a role in this and that I had something wrong with me, even though all my test were coming back fine. I had to accept that I had IBS and handle stressful situations a different way. It could be things from the past, present, or the future.

As any medical professional knows, no illness is categorized by symptoms XYZ alone. There are always variations and this book adjusts to them quite well. I am sorry that previous reviewers didn't glance through the book first and pay attnetion to their own bodies and what works for them.

This books is also wonderful in that it doesn't lable IBS as being "all in your head". It is very objective in describing the many factors that may be causing your IB symptoms. Things like stress, food, fiber, and possible other food triggers.

This book is also short, and doesn't go into a list of supplements you should be taking. It focuses on how to best help yourself, rather than telling you to do #1, #2, or #3, as every body is slightly different. It helps you focus on your symptoms, and what may help to alleviate them.

It is important to understand that IBS in THIS country is often related to the Type A lifestyle, and often times modifing this (by reducing stress, focusing on quality of food choices) often helps. However, things like lactose intolerance and celiac sprue are SEPERATE. You may be lactose intolerant, and by eliminating lactose from your diet you will be fine. However, that may not be a problem for every person suffering from IBS. Same thing with celiac sprue--just because you have IBS does not mean you have celiac sprue. It's VERY important to be honest with your symptoms and treat yourself accordingly.

As a medical professional I believe in western medicine, but I also believe that people need to take responsibility for helping themselves. There is no magic pill or magic cure for everything. Sometimes you have to be patient and go through a little trial and error. This book will help you do just that, but will also help you recognize when you need to revise what you are doing and seek medical attention.

I have bought Heather Van Vorous' books regarding IBS -- They are fantastic and I thought that buying THIS book would give additional help! The book is virtually useless. . . The biggest negative about this book was the advice on loading up on wheat fiber -- which can cause horrible reactions in IBS patients! In addition, this team could not have researched the reaction of people with IBS to dairy products -- including yogurt -- Be smart and buy Heather Van Vorous' books -- they are simply wonderful and will help manage this condition!

Well, who doesn't love sitting down and writing a review about a book that tries to make your butt work better . . . anyway, despite the disclaimers about published medical advice regarding this book it helped me out a good deal and out of gratitude I can't help but give it anything less than 5 stars.

After spending several thousand dollars over several years to buy the pleasure of having doctors tell me "I don't know, I think we should do more tests" I frankly gave up on the medical establishment's ability to handle IBS cases. (I don't know if they are afraid of lawsuits or what, but none of the doctors I saw offered any useful advice or even tried a therapy or suggested a special diet or anything. Several friends and family members have reported the exact same pattern in modern medicine for IBS and other symptoms, thousands of dollars spent on inconclusive tests with no medical advice or relief. What's going on?? Doesn't eleventy years of supposedly the most stressful schooling in the world equip doctors with any knowledge beyond telling you that some scribbles in some boxes on test results mean absolutely nothing?)

This book does not offer a cure, as there is none for IBS yet apparently. However it tells you how to minimize symptoms in a holistic manner, and for me this actually worked quite well. Five relatively major changes that were included in this book worked for my particular case:

1.) Reduction of stress and balancing my life. This was harder than most people would probably like since for me it involved switching jobs, moving, and temporarily dipping into retirement savings, but quality of life has improved significantly and IBS symptoms reduced commensurately.

2.) Avoiding trigger foods, especially fatty foods, gassy foods, lactose containing foods, and spices. (Sadly, no more Thai and Mexican food, no more ice cream, no more lots of foods but it's worth it.)

3.) Increasing fiber intake. For me whole weat bread does upset my stomach, but a big bowl of Grape-Nuts with Soy Milk every day seems to get the job done.

4.) Eating three regular meals a day. Sometimes hard, especially when my normal response to having particularly bad IBS symptoms was to forgo eating, but this book explains the physiological science as to why this actually makes symptoms worse.

5.) Making exercise a regular habit. I finally feel healthy again.

A lot of this sounds like common-sense stuff, but this book explained why they would work (with other possible strategies for people with different symptoms) and helped me find which foods I could and could not tolerate. With this knowledge I was more committed to seeing the life changes through and with time they improved my condition more than I thought they would.

The sections on how to relax your muscles and your mind through breathing, little physical exercises, and mental techniques are also very helpful.

Since everyone's different I can't promise this book will help you. But with some experimentation this book drastically increased the speed and effectiveness of the lifestyle changes necessary to keep my IBS under control.

The introduction to this book is very well written and informative. It is also filled with resources for families to use, a glossary and of course a how to guide of making toilet paper flowers. This doctor knows his stuff. The story itself is incredibly cheesy.
-"Julia took a deep breath and said, 'It's because I have a disease called Crohn's disease.' Nikki grabbed Julia's hands and they both sat down on her bed"-
I was actually laughing out loud at some parts because the writing does not reflect how kids speak to each other. There is no doubt though, this book has outlined the disease clearly, has diagrams and kids could possibly relate to Julia and her embarrassing, and challenging experiences. I'm on the fence, this book has a lot, but kids may question if you know them and their personality/age group at all.

As a sufferer from Crohn's Disease, I was particularly interested in reading how a doctor would explain it to a child. I was disappointed. No child I know would talk to another using these words. The dialog was stilted, didactic and inappropriate for the age level. It is understandable that a doctor would have trouble talking on a simple level about a disease that is not simple.
The idea of making flowers from toilet paper, supposedly due to the numerous and lengthy trips to the bathroom that are often necessary, is a cute hook. However, in reality, many of those trips are too painful to be creative at the same time.
In summary, I don't think a child would understand the condition too much better after reading the book. They need easier words.

As a father with Crohn's disease, this book allowed me to give my daughters (ages 3&7), a more clear understanding of what their daddy goes through on a daily basis. It was so inspiational that, for my birthday, they made me my own bouquet of toilet paper roses. A must have for any parent that has crohn's

I found this book to be well written and illustrated, easy to understand and compassionate.

This book helped my family so much. It is a way to explain Crohn's to children in a way they will understand. I even got one for the school to help educate teachers and other children.
Hopefully this will help bring awareness to the cause.

This is a story book. If you haven't read anything on the colon and/or disbelieve a cleansing may help you - this book may make you a believer. However, if you are seroius about proceeding into a healthier life style, the book does not offer any direction beyond directing you to other books. Try skipping right towards a "Jensen" book to get down to work. When I got this I was beyond the fluff.

This book was enjoyable, easy to read, and informative. I read it in one sitting, could't put it down. When I finished, I felt like having an enema. Anyone interested in taking responsibility for their health should READ THIS BOOK.

This book shares with the reader in step by step detail how the author regained perfect health after years of serious illness. This book is great information for people seeking the key to health and vitality.

In this book Debora Lee Meehan, the author, and expert in the filed of colon hygiene, shares with her readers her own personal battles to attain good health by cleansing the body of harmful parasites and bacterial type substances that affect thousands of people's health every year. Therefore, affecting their quality of life and time they have to live it. What I found most amazing is her ability to tackle an unmentionable subject with delightful humor.

I am confident that you will find this book amusing, informative, and easy to read. You may even find it to be a lifesaver. This book is a must read for anyone seeking the benefits of a healthier and happier life.