How to Save Your Own Life: The Eight Steps Only You Can Take to Manage and Control Your Health Care

by Sondra Forsyth and Marie Savard

Book Overview

Once upon a time Americans had family doctors: white-coated figures who knew all about each patient's history. Today we have PCPs, HMOs, and a good deal of anxiety. Now M.D.-turned-patient-advocate Marie Savard shows you why you must be at the center of your own health care--and arms you with the revolutionary yet commonsense steps Book jacket.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0446676195
• ISBN13: 9780446676199
• Release Date: May 2000
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 4.8" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

How to Save Your Own Life

This book is timely and empowering. It provides guidelines that are detailed and easy to follow so that we can be informed participants in our own healthcare. This is a 'must have' if you: ~believe that you should be a part of the decision-making process regarding your healthcare; ~like being an informed consumer (includes information about diagnostic tests, interpreting results etc.); ~belong to an HMO and have minimal time with your primary care physician or see multiple physicians in large group practices (you can always provide them with up-to-date information); ~want more information about a disease or medical condition (the print and internet resources will direct you to accurate information); ~want to be able to take advantage of the most up-to-date medical and drug interventions (the information YOU can provide for your physician will make that decision easier).How to Save Your Own Life and the Savard Health Record will make a major impact on the quality of our healthcare. Family and friends on my gift list can expect copies!

A Life Saver

I cannot beleive you could read this book and not want to share it with anyone that you care about.This book impowered me to take health care out of the cold hands of the HMO's and put it back in the right hands. Mine and my Docter's. The advice and education you get from Dr. Savard in this book is so valuable. What a great gift to give to the people you love. As a health care professional I know that following the steps in this book and keeping the Savard Medical Record is not an option . I was so impressed with this book and the Medical Record that I shared it with my company. I am pleased to say that Atria Assisted Living saw the same value I did. We are currently exploring the possibilities of using the Savard Medical Record to help us provide optimum care for our residents across the country. If you do not read any books on health... read this one.

Safeguarding Your Medical Well Being

This is truly one of the more thoughtful and useful medical books written in a long time -- a small gem to be shared alike with family and friends. The message is simple yet vital to your health: managing your personal health care requires forging active and informed partnerships with your health care providers. In clear and engaging prose, Dr. Savard illustrates both why and how you should assume responsibility for your medical well being and guides you through the easy steps one takes to become a knowledgeable partner with your medical providers. The lessons learned from this book will stay you for a long time and will change not only the way you approach your own medical care, but those of your family as well. This book gives you the tools you need to navigate an often complicated and intimidating health care system. "How to Save Your Own Health" will serve you well in good health and may be critical when facing a medical crisis.

Common Sense

After reading this book I thought why haven't I given it a thought on how important it is to keep a journal of all my health information and especially my children....I certainly keep files on everything else. I actually didn't know that I could even ask for them. I also thought they were under lock and key at my doctors office and not meant for me to view. After reading this book I almost felt stupid that it has never even dawned on me to even think of keeping records on what is the most important thing there is in life....one's health. I suggest everyone read this book and you too will have the same reation! I heard about this book on Later Today where the author, Dr. Marie Savard was interviewed. I also found her website... where I read even more about Dr. Savard and her books.

Myths in Medicine

Before reading this well written and very informative book I never gave it a thought to collect my test results and doctors summaries. Doing so really makes sense and should have been done years ago. I keep thinking of all the files I keep on my pet, automobile, checking and savings account, etc. Yet I never even thought to keep a file on my health and health information. My family has a history of heart disease, yet I have never written this information down which could save my life one day. I've also relied on my doctor to tell me what to do. This book made me realize I need to take care of myself and have my doctor help me in that process. I also purchased the tool that Dr. Savard developed, The Savard Health Record. It's a 3 ring binder that will become my health record. This binder/system has a user's manual that explains how important it is take control of your health. It shows and explains tests like cholesterol, blood count so that I know what the normal is, what the abnormal is. I've read so much about medical mistakes. By getting my test results and learning how to read them I can help avoid any mistakes. I know now if my doctor says my cholestrol is fine because the range of normal is quite wide I need to question that because of my family history of heart disease. I highly recommend this book to everyone...it could save your life.