Book Review: "My IBS Healing"

My IBS Healing by Louise Parker is an IBS memoir that reads like a gripping novel. Parker courageously speaks up about the havoc that IBS created in her life and shares her innermost thoughts and fears. As you read further, Parker takes you right alongside her as she seeks help and eventually finds her way to a place where her life is no longer ruled by her intestines.

Louise Parker could be your sister, daughter, neighbor or best friend - just someone who had the misfortune to be struck by IBS. This is her first book.

• My IBS Healing is extremely well-written. Parker's writing style is so descriptive, you can easily imagine watching her story unfold in a movie. Once you start reading, the book is hard to put down.
• This first-hand account of living with IBS beautifully illustrates how disruptive IBS can be and how it can take over a life.
• Parker also does a nice job of providing the valuable insight that sometimes IBS needs to be attacked on a variety of fronts.
• The book takes the mystery out of acupuncture and psychotherapy, which will hopefully inspire readers who have not yet tried these alternative forms of IBS treatment.

• I really loved this book and thus had to dig deep to find a shortcoming. At times, the book refers to events in the author's life without providing relevant background information. Some might find this confusing, I personally thought it added to the book's charm.
• The book is currently only available as an eBook which might limit reader accessibility.

If you suffer from IBS, you must add this book to your list of must-reads. You will be gratified to learn that you are not alone in your fears and your attempts to gain control over your body. You will also benefit from seeing how unhealthy thinking about the disorder only makes things worse. Most important, you will gain hope that IBS need not rule your life forever.

Those who do not have IBS will certainly enjoy the tale of Parker's psychological journey and gain a deeper understanding of the devastating effects of the disorder. Also, in my opinion, the first three chapters should be required reading for anyone who works in the health care field, as Parker graphically describes, from a patient's perspective, what it is like to undergo diagnostic testing. Health care providers will benefit from the reminder that in their work, they are dealing with people, not numbers.

You can order an eBook copy at myibshealing.com.