Lupus: Alternative Therapies That Work

This book is written by Sharon Moore, who suffered from SLE (Systemic Lupus Erythomatus or simply called Lupus) and who was told that it is an autoimmune disorder and she may not recover from it. She did recover from it by studying alternative approaches to health, which she describes well in this book. Her story is spread over 13 chapters and an epilogue. She talks of the effect of liver on health, diet and health, nutritional supplements, herbs, beneficial fats and oils, toxins in food, problems from toxins in dental work, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Mind-Body Therapies, Caring for Your Spirit and interestingly the last chapter, "How to Begin" a good road map. The epilogue is a good graphic portrayal of her recovery from a debilitating illness. I found the book readable in general but some sections are a little more technical, which may need additional reading. Fortunately, the author supplements her book with Suggested Reading and Resources. An index is also added to enable you to return to a specific topic easily. I would suggest that you should read the Introduction, My Story, What is Lupus and Your Liver, followed by a quick read of the rest of the book. When you reach the chapter How to Begin, you would know whether these approaches are for you. If you are convinced that Sharon's suggestions will work for you, read that chapter carefully and follow the advice given by Sharon. The epilogue should keep giving you courage and perseverance when things look a little bleak. I found her suggestions on the treatment of depression (which is a natural complication of any chronic health problem) with Multivitamin supplements, B Complex, DLPA and tyrosine (detailed on pages 75-76) very interesting and very useful. I am painfully aware of the problems of B 12 deficiency and associated problems. I have no hesitation in recommending it to you if you or your people need a good resource book on the alternative approaches to the management of Lupus or other autoimmune disorders. However, each person has to find his/her own path to recovery. The problem is not just in the body, but in mind and in spirit. Swamy About the reviewer: I am a physicist and a metallurgist, not a medical man. Thus I am a lay reader as far as health books are concerned. However, I have been deeply interested in health (partly because of my own health challenges) for long. I have studied Homeopathy, Biochemic (Schussler's) Tissue Remedies, Bach Flower Remedies, Reiki (I am a certified Usui Reiki Master Healer), Crystal Healing etc. I would strongly advise you to seek the advice of a health professional when trying to add any alternative health system to your treatment protocol.

Sharon Moore's book combines many valuable attributes. First, it tells a fascinating story of the author's search to discover the nature of her frightening illness. I could sense that, in spite of being so ill, she was determined to discover the most effective therapies to bring the disease under control. In the process, she has done an enormous amount of research that she shares with her readers. Anyone, whether suffering from lupus or not, can benefit from the research she has done and that she so competently reports to her readers. While her purpose is to reach out to lupus patients, her research is so broad that any person interested in alternative approaches to the promotion of physical, mental, or emotional health can learn and benefit from this useful book. Her approach is detailed and scientific, yet easily understood. In addition, it is an interesting story about a very interesting individual who has lived an extremely interesting life. Above all, she makes clear her hope to reach out to others who suffer from lupus so that they can benefit from what she has learned and find themselves recovering from this debilitating disease.

What a welcome book for those of us with chronic and debilitating health conditions! From the outset, the reader can feel Moore's empathy come through. This is an affirmation for us and a small antidote to the social isolation that is common in us. The experience of reading her book is the experience of receiving support and encouragement. We are not alone!The content of Moore's book, in addition to being emotionally uplifting, is also helpful in a more concrete way: She describes in readable prose an avenue each of us can take, can tailor to our individual needs and preferences, so that each of us can take control of our lives and our healing. In addition, we find ourselves educated along the way by a woman who is knowledgeable about the human body and its intricacies and who is able to communicate with us lay people about our health concerns.I especially enjoyed the way Moore described her "journey," her method of systematically trying out non-mainstream therapies and evaluating their effectiveness, ultimately coming up with a menu of treatments that works for her. She offers tools each of us can employ so that we can decide what works for each of us as individuals.Moore ties together her recommendations in her final chapter on how to begin and offers a succinct, detailed process in which to do just that. Instead of being left overwhelmed, I loved having a way to actually get started.

Sharon Moore's book provides a gripping saga, detailing her encounters with a painful and confusing illness. As her desperate search for a cure evolved, she examined both the historical and scientific backgrounds of numerous alternative therapies. Her tenacity, curiosity and indomitable spirit led her to a hard won victory over this debilitating disease.

It was uplifting! I was a little apprehensive about reading a book about a disease, since I also have an auto-immune disease. But it wasn't like that at all. It was about a journey to wellness. I was so inspired by her story, that I bought three more books for friends. I read over half of it in one night. It is well written, informative, and human. I have enjoyed following her research, and have started to rethink my eating habits.