“Prostate Cancer: Sheep or Wolf?: Navigating Systemic Misinformation” by Murray Keith Wadsworth
In “Prostate Cancer: Sheep or Wolf?: Navigating Systemic Misinformation,” Murray Keith Wadsworth details his prostate cancer diagnosis and the differences in treatment options in the U.S. and Europe. Wadsworth explores the many thorough methods of screening in Europe that are not offered in the U.S., stressing the importance of self-advocacy when it comes to your health. By dividing the book into timelines, research and his RV road trips between four treatment regimens, Wadsworth empowers readers to dig deeper into their health care decisions.
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“Radical Remission: Surviving Cancer Against All Odds” by Kelly A. Turner
In “Radical Remission: Surviving Cancer Against All Odds,” Kelly A. Turner gives readers insight on “Radical Remission” survivors—patients who have cleared their cancer by drastically changing their lifestyles alongside conventional medicine. While Turner does not discount traditional medicine, often encouraging it, her work provides a new perspective on caring for cancer. The book contains real-life cancer patient experiences and details how actions such as changing your diet, following your intuition and eliminating stress may help you better treat your cancer and clear unwanted health problems.
“The Brain on Cannabis: What You Should Know about Recreational and Medical Marijuana” by Rebecca Siegel, M.D.
“It was so interesting to me to dive into the understanding of [cannabis] and gain knowledge so I could help other people,” says Dr. Rebecca Siegel, an adult and child psychiatrist. Siegel’s book, “The Brain on Cannabis,” has loads of information about recreational and medical marijuana packed between its pages.
Siegel’s objective and educational stance on cannabis offers readers insight on the pros and cons of marijuana, exploring the growing movement of people using cannabis to aid in problems such as depression, anxiety and chronic pain.
Siegel writes that her first experience of someone she knew talking about medical marijuana came from her daughter’s friend’s mother on the soccer field. The woman had told Siegel that she would be starting chemotherapy soon for breast cancer and heard that cannabis might be helpful to manage treatment side effects.
“I said, ‘This is something that I think is an option for you and you need to talk about it with your doctors.’ I didn’t want to do something that was going to harm her,” explains Siegel. “She talked to her doctors, came back to me and said they’re on board with it and I ended up certifying her for that purpose when she started chemo. A month later, she told me [cannabis] really helped her get through it. I saw firsthand what it could do with a therapeutic purpose.”
While Siegel acknowledges that cannabis can help people reduce painful symptoms and quell depression or anxiety, there can be small risks associated with the drug. Some people may benefit from cannabis use, and others may find that it increases anxiety and paranoia or causes nausea.
“You need to proceed with caution. Cannabis has wonderful options and is natural, but it can impact people in a whole lot of ways—some wonderful and beneficial, others not so much,” says Siegel.
Siegel never intended to write a book, but after learning about cannabis through medical conferences and her own research and having her patients ask about it, she believes everyone deserves to know information about cannabis for medical purposes. She also wanted people to have options when it came to finding ways to alleviate symptoms—whether for cancer, pain or mental health struggles.
“When you feel you have no options, it’s the worst way to feel,” expresses Siegel. “And then you start seeking out all kinds of stuff that might not be the best thing.”
Siegel hopes that “The Brain on Cannabis” helps anyone curious about cannabis make an informed decision about talking to their physician about it.
