Susannah Meadows

How far would a desperate woman go to give herself and her child a chance at a normal life? In "The Other Side of Impossible," Susannah Meadows describes her son, Shepherd, who struggled with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. His joints swelled up, he was in excruciating pain, and the medications prescribed by his doctor did not rid him of all his symptoms. Along with her own son's history, the author tells true stories of children with debilitating food allergies; seizures; severe ADHD; and a show more physician with Multiple Sclerosis. In all of these cases, the individuals concerned sought advice, did research on the Internet and, with their physicians' permission, tried alternative healing. They came to believe that factors such as a leaky gut (intestinal permeability), an imbalance in the patient's microbiome, and certain foods (dairy and gluten in particular) may contribute to inflammation that increases the severity of autoimmune disorders.

Meadows, a reporter who has written for Newsweek and the New York Times, does not make the extreme claim that the methods she discusses are effective for everyone or are FDA approved. On the contrary, visiting naturopaths and integrative medicine specialists is a bit scary. They may suggest supplements, herbal remedies (beware, since not all of these are safe), radical changes in diet, probiotics, acupuncture, and other non-standard treatments. Still, when the usual drugs do not work and a person's quality of life is steadily deteriorating, it is understandable that some individuals will go to great lengths to find answers.

Meadows is a skilled technical writer and researcher who shares enlightening and provocative comments from her interviews with physicians, scientists, patients, and their families. In addition, she lucidly explains how each patient fared before and after they tried alternative healing. The author humanizes her subjects with details about their personalities and relationships, and shows how chronic illness can bind families or tear them apart. Susannah Meadows and others like her are pioneers who deserve our admiration for their courage, tenacity, and self-sacrifice. Since "anecdotal evidence does not demonstrate cause and effect," further studies are needed to determine whether extreme dietary restrictions, fecal transplants, and other unconventional therapies should be used more widely to help those with autoimmune disorders. show less

This book covers a wide array of people with various and sundry illnesses. Some life threatening. Others daunting and grim. Still others, only mild conditions. But the author takes us through each individual's story, and lets see how grim that individual feels. How they have practically given up, when suddenly, that human spirit that we see so little of, you know the one, the one that says, I will not give up! I will not be a victim! I will be a victor! comes slowly to the surface.

Each case show more the individual is overwhelmed. And each case the person finds that fight within themselves to become a victor over illness. A willingness to take charge of the illness, and not be taken charge of!

They are often scoffed at by the very physicians and nurses they trusted to take care of them! Some even by their families and friends! But each one, determined to find the way back to a health. A normalcy of their former selves.

What wonderful insight each has in believing they KNOW what is best for their bodies and take charge! I found the work completely refreshing and energizing!

I give the work five stars,

a big thumbs up,

and I recommend it. show less

Susannah's reporting in the NY Times Magazine on this was super interesting and I'm excited to read her book! In a time when people are struggling to make sense of the contradictions in new medical information and the re-thinking of old beliefs, it's good to have someone to illuminate these issues.