A Place to Go – How
Scleroderma Changed My Life by Maureen Taylor (ISBN-10:
0595405304; ISBN-13: 978-0595405305; iUniverse, Inc.;
Paperback; 133 pages; $13.95) As the title of the book
indicates, it describes the author's journey of being near
death from scleroderma to her return to health. But, it would
be a mistaken belief to think this book is only about
scleroderma. The book will be of interest to anyone who has
experienced an illness and struggled to find a cure through
traditional medicine. Everyone will be mesmerized by Taylor's
story: the physical assault of scleroderma upon her body; the
insensitivity of most traditional medical professionals; and,
finally, her rebirth to health through a variety of
alternative and traditional methods. This is not just a story
of a rebirth only of the body but of an emotional and
spiritual transformation as well.
Born in Ireland in the
mid-1940s, the author, Maureen Taylor, arrived in the United
States in 1968 after completing the four years of nursing
training to become a nurse. She then went on to change
careers from nursing to real estate in 1984. Stricken with
debilitating scleroderma, Taylor refused to give up. Because
of her perseverance, she has returned to work as a full-time
real estate agent and a part-time nurse, living now in Wayne,
New Jersey. She is also a certified teacher of both Tai chi
and Gi-gong and is active in various animal charities.
Her story, then, is one of strength, hope, and the
remarkable ability of the human will to survive. Making
endless visits to doctors, Taylor relates the frustration of
hearing either an array of inaccurate diagnoses and
recommendations that she see a psychiatrist. Even when
Taylor's body became deformed by the disease and the pain was
unbearable, she held hope of recovery. Her dogged
determination that she would not surrender to the illness gave
her the strength to continue a search for a cure. It was two
years after her first symptoms appeared that Taylor found a
doctor, Hal Whitman, M.D., who gave her the diagnosis of
scleroderma. Dr. Whitman, very much a traditional
practitioner, but unlike so many other traditional doctors,
was open to working with all of the alternative methods
Taylor's research revealed might help. The methods she used
included macrobiotics, herbs, and magnetic therapy.
The book vividly describes Taylor's shock, pain,
and heartbreak of the illness; and, finally the joy upon
recovery. We also learn of the reaction of the author's
husband and family to her illness, and the isolation she
experienced. There is no doubt that anyone who has been told
that there is no hope for their medical condition or that they
will have to spend the rest of their lives in pain will
relate to, and be inspired by, this well-written thoughtful
book. Taylor's book is well worth the investment and
is available through
www.amazon.com. She may be contacted at
aplacetogo@optonline.
Ms. Tea gained knowledge
of alternative methods of healing after a myriad of
neurological symptoms forced her to leave a successful Wall
Street career. When traditional doctors were unsuccessful in
making an accurate diagnosis of her condition, it was through
her research and use of alternative methods that Ms. Tea was
able to regain an active lifestyle.
*********************************
Another Review of A Place
To Go by Susan S. Tiernan
I found out about Maureen through the internet and then read
her book when it came out. Her knowledge of not only
scleroderma but all the alternative and conventional
approaches that she used to assist her in her journey back to
health is amazing. That she believes in both conventional and
alternative approaches to healing is consistent with my own
beliefs. But, above all, I am so grateful to her for sharing
her experience in A Place To Go.
Emanating from the pages of her book, her compassion, honesty,
and perseverance are easily perceived; and it seems that her
attitude and determination ultimately turned her health
around.
As with Maureen, I, too, was diagnosed with diffuse
scleroderma and was told it was progressing very rapidly.
Western medicine could only offer me powerful drugs; and, with
the exception of my internist, none believed in
alternative treatments or even in the antibiotic therapy for
this condition. In addition to the conventional approach,
acupuncture, hand and physical therapy, and energy therapies I
was already receiving, I began antibiotic therapy and adopted
a macrobiotic diet. Within a few weeks of following
the macrobiotic diet, my energy level noticeably improved.
And within three months of taking antibiotics, my skin was
softening, the redness and inflammation were decreasing, and
my mobility improved. Now, after six months my skin is
softer, my energy level is consistent, and I am finally
sleeping through most nights. Coincidence (remission due to
drugs other than the antibiotics)? I don't think so. I never
felt like this on methotrexate (for RA), neurontin or
oxycontin (for pain), Ambien, and the small amount of
prednisone that I took – none of which relieved my severe
pain, immobility, or my insomnia.
You don't need to have a serious physical illness to benefit
from reading A Place to Go.
It is an inspiration to anyone going through a grief process
or living with or knowing someone who is. This book will be
on my recommended reading list for my clients after my return
to work. Thanks to Maureen's own personal triumph it is easy
to envision the day when I will again be doing all the things
we so often take for granted each day.
