Against Medical Advice: A True Story

A friend gave me this book to read when my son developed Tourette's, and the tragedy is that this is the impression she has of what the course of TS actually looks like. I think a lot more was going on for this youth than what was reported, and not a lot explained the parents rapid cycling through various treatments for the multiple things the kid was going through. That kind of knee jerk reaction may have made things worse instead of better. A lot of parents get into this idea that they'll polarize treatments and doctors, into categories of saviors on the one side, and that they know better than anyone else on the other, and if anything, this book is a good example of it. I'm glad the kid got better, but question what was it that he really got better from? The ending completely led me to mistrust what was written and made me ask, what are they not saying or sharing about the family dynamics, emotional and substance abuse history in the family, trauma??? I would not recommend this book to anyone wanting to understand TS.

This is the story of a young man and his incredible struggle with Tourette's Syndrome, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and Anxiety.

Although the subject matter does not sound exciting, it certainly is in 'Against Medical Advice'. Authored by James Patterson and the father of the boy in the story, Hal Friedman, this reads like a novel. Undoubtedly that is due to Patterson's exceptional writing ability along with a compelling story.

This book follows Cory Friedman from age four, when he first exhibited symptoms of Tourette's through age seventeen. It chronicles an incredible journey filled with horrendous physical symptoms, cruelty of other children, and even the insensitivity of teachers and doctors.

At times, it appears that Cory is a 'guinea pig' for the medical establishment. Although most of them were undoubtedly trying their best, it is quite obvious that they really did not know what to do with him. Rather, they experimented by prescribing countless medications (some multiple times). This may very well be a real eye opener to many about the limitations of the normally revered physician class.

The sheer number of medications given to Friedman is astounding. As it goes along, it becomes quite apparent that this is a good deal of his problem. The toxicity of the medications in his system appears to have exacerbated many of his symptoms.

The best part of this is the way that he overcomes his trials. It is inspirational and really full of hope.

I would strongly recommend this to anyone who is plagued with Tourette's Syndrome, OCD, or any other physical or mental health challenge. Along with that group, I think that almost anyone would enjoy this story. Highly recommended!

The purpose of this review is to evaluate Against Medical Advice in a neuroscience standpoint. This book is excellent in its execution, and strongly conveys the sense that drugs are not necessarily the answer. The beginning of the book takes us to the turning point of the story. The authors then retell the story of Cory Friedman's fight against himself at its origins. It then leads us to the attempts the family makes to help Cory without the medical guidance and, ultimately, to Cory's triumph over Tourette's syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and anxiety disorder. This book has one of the most unique styles that I have ever seen in a true story. James Patterson, a thriller writer, takes that style and implements it in its entirety in this book. The chapters are fairly short, often jumping from instance to instance, but are delivered exceptionally well. This book will have you going from page to page, yearning for more. The book is also structured in Cory's point of view. The fact that you get to relive Cory's tale while reading his thought process is most intriguing.

Medication
Throughout the book, Cory is subjected to many different types of medication. This leads us to a couple points. The first is that Cory's unique condition was hard to diagnose. For that reason, he was most likely given drugs based on what was observed or mentioned to the doctor. Ultimately, the drugs administered made a negative net change in the behavior. Drugs are not so specific they will do one, and only one, thing. During Cory's battle, he saw thirteen doctors and was administered about sixty potent medications. The list of side effects for these drugs would no doubt cause your jaw to drop. It is seen that drugs do have a big impact on behavior, and that it is near impossible to diagnose a behavioral problem if part of the behavior is caused by medications being taken.
The second point this brings up is that drugs are not always the answer. After many years of unsuccessful medications and adjusting of doses, the path against medical advice leads to Cory's victory. The brain is very complex, and pumping it with chemicals, or altering with the chemicals in the brain, can lead to further trouble. Drugs are not always the answer, and, in this case, that was proven.

Tics
Tics are "sudden, repetitive, nonrhythmic, stereotyped motor movement or vocalization involving discrete muscle groups." This book displays the many thought processes within Cory. However, his condition was worsened by the fact that his Tourette's was accompanied by obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety disorder. Cory often found himself coaxed into doing things, which usually were disruptive actions. The tics were regardless of whether it would hurt him or not. Cory's brain was tricking him. His pleasure center made it seem like he needed to perform the tics. He would hop, make random noises, pull his own muscles, and commonly do whatever peers tried to get him to do. However, Cory prevailed against these "tics" and took control of them. Late in the book you read that he anticipated the tics to come, and when they didn't, it took a few days for it to sink it. He didn't want to get himself in another false sense of reality. Reading about tics in textbooks is nothing compared to this true account of what it feels like, random acts nagging at you to death until you cannot take it any longer.

Plasticity
The brain is always capable of changing itself. It has been shown that stroke patients who could not walk afterward are capable of walking again, eventually - the key to this being continual, intensive therapy. The bottom line is that the brain will reorganize itself. However, it is harder to do so as you get older, but it is possible. To be able to utilize this phenomenon, there needs to be cardiovascular fitness, motivation, learning that makes the mind work, and work that gradually increases. Cardiovascular fitness is important since the brain needs a lot of blood to pump to it.
Going back to the book, this is evident in Cory's time at the wilderness camp. He lost sixty pounds at the camp, and there was always the motivation to leave the place, which you couldn't do until you completed the program. The entire time there was difficult for Cory, but his brain was able to correct itself in order to survive there. The mandatory hikes, the frigid cold, having to remember to bring everything with him without misplacing it, and the will to go back home pushed Cory out of his dependence on medications, cigarettes, and alcohol.

Quotes
"It starts as I'm playing a video game. I feel an unusual, intense tension building up in my neck, and I think the only way to relieve it is to jerk my head to one side."

"I shift into third gear, give it the gas, and take off, laughing. I am alive. I am free. I am flying in the wind. I am me."

Conclusion
This book conveys strong messages about behavioral problems. In addition, the authors convey those messages in such a way that the book cannot be put down until you see the boy who had his world thrown upside down comes out of it victorious. Complex conditions such as Cory's should not be hastily diagnosed. Various drugs can only make the problem worse. The fact that the brain can correct problems given the time and work, I agree that going "against medical advice" can be very advantageous. In addition, the book displays what goes on inside the mind of Cory Friedman and his condition of Tourette's, OCD, and anxiety disorder. I fully recommend potential readers to get this book. I would go into reading this book with the expectation to get emotional and happy for Cory and his family as he digs his way out of this mess. As the title of this review suggests, this book is very suspenseful. I hope you get your hands on a copy of this book and enjoy it as much as I most certainly did.

This young child did not have Tourette's syndrome until he went to a doctor that prescribed a drug (ritalin) which has the side-effect of Tourette's!!! When he returned to the doctor and the initial muscle tension in his neck had worsened into a myriad of muscle problems, the Tourette's was diagnosed. And from there he started his journey into the deep dark hole of pharmaceuticals. How sad is that!!!

Ritalin has not been approved for children under 6 years old. How can this doctor not be held responsible for CAUSING such a horrendous outcome???

I also have to wonder as a chiropractor if a few adjustments would have alleviated the initial tension in his neck and his need to jerk it would have stopped. I wonder if it really could have been that simple. What a shame.

I rated this 5 stars because it is well told albeit very hard to read knowing how the medical _industry_ ruined this boy's life for 13 very long years.

This book, "Against Medical Advice" should be required reading for every teacher, principal, police officer and/or anyone dealing with people, not just children. This is a medical problem that has been ignored for far too long. These people [who have Tourette Syndrome] need to be treated with respect and helped instead of being treated with distain and rudeness. They are poor souls who need understanding and compassion.
If more people, in public service, knew about Tourette Syndrome and tried to be helpful and patient, there would be a much more civilized world.
If you haven't heard, or read about Tourette Syndrome, you owe it to yourself to read this book, so you can understand the torture these people go through just to live a normal life. God bless each and every person who has this disease, or ADHD, or any of the other diseases like this, that keeps them from being treated like human beings. May all the teachers, police officers and school administrators, and even doctors who don't know about this health problem, please read this book and make an effort to learn more so they can be more compassionate. And maybe, just maybe we'll find a cure. We will all be better people by reading this book. I want to thank James Patterson for writing this book and I hope he sells a million copies. Moreover; I hope a million people READ this book. It CAN make a difference.

Very few people realize the pain and hardships that Cory and his family experienced. It's a nightmare that has never even entered the consciousness of most of the population. There are not many more horrific diseases for a child to have to experience. "Against Medical Advice" is a testament to family, sacrifice and love.

One can easily throw stones at the medical community, but in their defense the disease lacks a common protocol for treatment. There is obviously a lesson learned here for being your own or your family's medical advocate.

Unfortunately the literary treatment is not worthy of the story. I have never read James Patterson before, but one reviewer mentioned this was his typical style - quick, short, dramatic chapters. While I was drawn to finish the book in two sittings, I do not think that style works so well here given the gravity. It trivializes a real-life, painful story. Detail and insight were sacrificed for a quick and suspenseful fiction-type read.

This book is absolutely AMAZING!!! My son has Tourette's Syndrome, and I thought his were bad. Not at all after reading this young man's journey. Cory Friedman is an AWESOME person. He struggled & survived!! Everyone should read this book. If you think your life is hard just wait til you read "Against Medical Advice". It will also get you thinking about how doctors treat people, and about how any professional person deals with a child with a medical issue. GREAT BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Against Medical Advice is Patterson's latest book and something completely different than anything he has ever written, yet also completely like everything he's ever written. First, it's a non-fiction medical story about Cory Friedman. Cory was a normal five year old boy, who one day suddenly had the overwhelming urge to twitch. And the urge never stopped. He twitched and spasmed and acted uncontrollably. Cory was a victim of Tourette's Syndrome and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and the story is an account of his life in trying to overcome the illness.

The prologue indicates the history of the book. Cory's dad, Hal, wrote the story then brought it to Patterson and together they worked on it. They decided to tell the entire story from Cory's point of view and in Patterson's traditional story telling style. So you get Patterson's fast moving, short chapter, turn the page story about a kid with amazing problems.

I think a little more detail about the medical condition would have made the story better. But, since it is from Cory's point of view, I think it works. Cory is just a kid when all this starts happening. Kids are remarkably resiliient and gain that strength usually from their parents. Cory sees that his parents love him and are in pain because they can't help them, but he doesn't realize how much his illness is hurting them. He only sees the love and compassion they are giving him.

I saw an interview with Patterson where he said the purposely filled the story with antecdotes from Cory's life. While interesting, I thought they were somewhat repetitive. I would have liked more info on the insane amount of medications Cory had to take. I wish more time had been spent on how he overcame his sickness. What did the medical community think? Whas there a medical explanation.

This book was a gripping story of one boy's battle against a terrible disease. The book also had a chance to be very educational, but its fast pace and first person point of view left out a lot of desired medical information. This book is a fast read that I recommend.

great trans.

I bought this book for my uncle for his birthday. He loved it! His mother, my Granny (RIP) raised me and she and I use to read books all the time and my favorite book that we read together was this book. So, in memory of my granny I bought this book, so my uncle could share a laugh with his mother. ♡♡♡