Pat Sullivan Blog

Two New Online Chapters ofWellness Piece By Piece

The story continues...

I have posted 2 NEW ONLINE CHAPTERS of my book, Wellness Piece By Piece: Brain Trauma & Mold.

Thanks Connie

(Posted by Patrick Sullivan Jr.)

Connie emailed Pat and said some very nice things about Pat's book, Wellness Piece by Piece.  I asked if Connie wouldn't mind writing a review.  Here's what she posted on Amazon.com.

I have been on a journey to uncover the secrets behind my chronic illness for many years and it wasn't until I discovered Pat Sullivan's book "Wellness Piece by Piece" that things started to make sense for me. I have read just about everything there is out there regarding fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and chronic illness, but I never felt like is was hitting the nail on the head with regard to getting better. I never felt like someone understood the big picture until Pat shared his story. What a gift to hear from someone who has been there and walked out on the other side. Pat's book is like finding the key that unlocks all the secrets to getting better. Each chapter reveals his experience regarding a piece of the puzzle toward feeling better and I have to say that everything he has said, and that I have tried, has been right on. Please, if you are suffering from chronic illness, give yourself a gift, read this book. You won't be sorry.

Thanks so much for your kind and encouraging words Connie!  I'm glad that Pat's book has been so helpful since it's intended purpose was to give a 17 year shortcut to those stuck in the web of chronic conditions like Pat was for so long.

Btw dear blog readers, if you sign up for Jigsaw Health monthly eNewsletter, we'll send you a link to download the entire book at no cost. 

Jon Kyl on Newt Gingrich

One of my Arizona Senators, Jon Kyl, recently wrote this about Newt Gingrich's new book, Winning the Future.  I like both guys.  I recently heard Kyl speak briefly at an dinner.  He is a very sharp and bright guy.  While many don't like Newt, I admire his insightfulness and directness.  I also admired his ability to pull off the "contract with America" sweeping Republicans into the Congress. 

Republicans and Dems alike would do well to tell the American people directly what they want to do.  Personally, I think the Reps are pretty good at this.  The MSM hate what the Reps want to do but at least you know what it is they want to do.  The Dems have hinted that they are working on their "contract".  Problem is that the only things that they can agree to put on the list is:

1. Hate Bush

2. Hate anything Bush says or does.

3. Hate all Republicans

4. Protect the right to kill babies while in, or almost out of their mothers wombs.

This does not come close to Newt's contract.  I am tired of hearing them do nothing but criticize without offering any alternative that is better.  They offer no alternatives!

I agree with the 5 main things Newt fears will happen in our future:

1. That Islamist terrorists and rogue dictatorships will acquire and launch nuclear or biological weapons.

2. That God will be driven from American public life and reduce us to the civilizational ennui that now characterizes a declining Europe.

3. That America will lose the patriotic sense of itself as a unique civilization.

4. That America’s economic supremacy will yield to China and India because of failing schools and weakening scientific and technological leadership.

5. That an aging America’s demands on Social Security, Medicare, and related government programs will collapse the systems.

Typical of Newt, he offers solutions for those 5 things:

1. We must commit to a long war to defeat the terrorists and tyrants who would destroy America.

2. We must reestablish that our rights come from our Creator and that an America that has driven God out of the public arena is an America on the way to decay and defeat.

3. We must insist on patriotic immigration and patriotic education based on classic American history and the wisdom of the Founding Fathers and Abraham Lincoln.

4. We must transform our domestic institutions in order to harness modern science and technology to create jobs, wealth, and lead the world economy into the 21st century.

5. We must establish the opportunities for a personal Social Security account, a portable personal pension account, and a personal health savings account, so the wealth we create during our working lives is wealth we control.

Jeffrey Roberts review

I just received this review for my book from Jeffrey Roberts of IBS Self Help and Support Group.  Thanks Jeffrey!

"Mr. Sullivan presents a from-the-heart look at how he has begun to conquer his chronic health issues.  The take away message here for readers is that Mr. Sullivan took control of his life and did something about it.  I applaud him for doing that and for sharing his struggle with us."

Jeffrey D. Roberts, B.Sc., MSEd
President & Founder
IBS Self Help and Support Group

Email: jeffrey.roberts@ibsgroup.org
Url: http://www.ibsgroup.org

Dr. Donald Miller's Review

Dr. Donald Miller just sent me this great review about my book last night.  Thank you so much Dr. Miller!  Your kind words are much appreciated!

"Pat Sullivan is a successful entrepreneur who became debilitated by chronic illness and faced the truth that nine-tenths of our happiness is determined by our health alone.  As a result, in a thorough, entrepreneurial fashion he has explored the jigsaw puzzle of health.  In Wellness Piece by Piece he takes the reader along with him on this journey.  With a sharp eye to the facts of the matter he finds that the path to good health is within our control, and that it lies outside the realm of conventional medicine.  This book should be read not only by people who suffer from chronic illness, but also by those seeking to achieve optimum health.  After reading it I, among other things, will install a Far Infra Red sauna at home for my family and me to use." 
    -- Donald W. Miller, Jr., M.D., Professor of Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine.

Dr. Messerman's Letter

You know, no one sends letters anymore -- except Dr. Terry Messerman, member of the IAOMT.  I sent him a copy of my book about two months ago and he sent this kind letter. 

Thanks Dr. Messerman!

What are Darwinists afraid of?

President Bush touched a MAJOR nerve with his rather innocuous comment about Intelligent Design.  The Darwinists are going crazy and the liberal media has been hammering him over the head.  It has been the number one topic on Technorati for about the last 24 hours.  Google News is showing 230 articles on the subject.

If the scientific evidence is so strong in favor of the theory that the universe and humans evolved by chance from nothing, why would these Darwinists feel threatened by both theories being taught in a classroom? 

Oh yeah, because it "smells" of religion.  Someone grab a "SEPERATION OF CHURCH AND STATE!" sign.  Thank goodness we're getting rid of Christianity in America. 

The Darwinists have had a total monopoly in the classroom for decades and yet only 22% of Americans today believe that we evolved!  And the number is decreasing every year. 

(I will say that, somewhat surprisingly, so many of the blog entries throughout the day have been anti-ID, contrary to what one would expect according to the Harris Poll.  Wonder what the Harris people have to say?  I have no explanation...)

Similar to how the mercury-autism debate always turns political instead of sticking to science, the Intelligent Design/Evolution debate has turned from intellectually honest, "tolerant" scientific discussion to "those damn religious wackos want to force God on everyone" faster than a cilia can change directions!  (If the cilia reference doesn't make any sense, it comes from Michael Behe's excellent book, "Darwin's Black Box".) 

In reality, Darwinism is a faith that requires you to throw out reason and logic!  We came from nothing?  Deep in our hearts, we know it is untrue.  But we want to believe it because if we came from nothing, we report to no one.  But in our heart, we know that's not true either. 

A little known fact is that there are numerous ex-Darwinist scientists that started down the path to ABSOLUTELY PROVE ONCE AND FOR ALL that we all came from nothing.  Along the way, they found that this just couldn't be done and they became Christians because the Biblical record was more scientifically plausible than any other theory. 

An excellent book for the layperson is "The Case for a Creator" by Lee Strobel.

PS - Is it any wonder that my nameless, faceless, east coast surgeon, arch-nemisis Orac has an anti-ID post up right now?  Although, LaShawn Barber didn't settle for any of his babble.  (See omments 62 and 63.)  Orac, may the God you surely do not believe in bless you anyways. 

Kevin Trudeau's Natural Cures

(Posted by Patrick Sullivan Jr.)

Kevin Trudeau's book, Natural Cures 'They' Don't Want You to Know About has sold over 1 million copies almost exclusively via infomercial.  It's not so much that the infomercial is well-produced or flashy in any way, it's just that the story Kevin is telling/selling is very convincing to a large audience. 

Essentially, Kevin tapped into an audience with a "worldview" that believes, "The FDA, Pharma cartel, etc. really doesn't want me to know about natural cures...but I want to know what they are!" and wrapped it in a nice, easy to purchase, "package" of a book.

UNFORTUNATELY, the book itself is garbage, according to the overwhelming majority of reviews on Amazon.com.  (Average rating is 2 out of 5 stars.)  Here's two examples:

"Natural cures I won't tell you about, unless you spend more money. That should be the title of this book."

"If you buy it after reading this, you are an idiot and deserve to have your money stripped away to fund Trudeau's next money-making scheme."

I have not read this book, but from what I know about it, there are really no answers that you couldn't find for free by doing a google search (or just going straight to JigsawHealth.com). 

Sadly, while the story itself sells well, the product delivered doesn't even come close to meeting expectations.  So the story itself is disingenuous.  And by being disingenuous, Trudeau has managed to piss off about 975,000 people!  (Who are now, of course, more suspect of those telling stories about "natural cures".)

As Seth Godin writes in his book, "All Marketers are Liars," effective marketers tell a story to an audience with a like-minded "worldview".  Mr. Trudeau has been a very effective at story telling, just not in book form!

Fortunately, there are no reviews like this for my book.  But I hardly expect to bat a thousand with positive reviews forever!

UPDATE 1/23/06: Since posting this 6 months ago, I have skimmed through Natural Cures, and I have changed mind slightly about Trudeau and his book.  As other commenters on this blog have mentioned, there are actually some good suggestions in this book (though I still contend that the same suggestions could easily be found for free online) and following these suggestions, several commentors on this blog have changed their health for the better.  That is wonderful!

Book: Overdosed America - The Broken Promise of American Medicine

I have not yet finished reading this incredible book, but last week I heard the author, John Abramson, M.D. (now a clinical instructor at Harvard) speak at the Boulderfest 2005 conference. 

Dr. Abramson's talk was easily the best and SCARIEST of the conference.  In his lecture, and in his book, he methodically tears apart study after study, many of which have been used to get the FDA to approve numerous drugs.  And many of these drugs, like Vioxx, have now been proven to be dangerous. 

Overdo$ed America was published just weeks before Merck announced that it was pulling Vioxx off the market.  He points out how the data to support drugs like statins, anti-depressives, pain killers, osteoporetics, anti-hypertensives is blatantly twisted and sold to doctors and laypeople alike.  And Dr. Abramson makes the case that the FDA is either being duped or is knowingly a part of what is effectively a multi-billion dollar scam.

It is shocking that doctors prescribed $7 billion worth of Vioxx AFTER both Merck and the FDA had become aware of the dangers of Vioxx in 2000, causing an estimated tens of thousands of deaths!  And this in spite of the fact that the approval studies regarding Vioxx clearly showed that it was no more effective than the older, safer, and the far less costly anti-inflammatory Aleve.

It is said "all statistics lie and all liars use statistics."  After listening to Dr. Abramson, you could not help but believe this saying.  His basic conclusion is that at the heart of the current crisis in American Medicine is the commercialization of medical knowledege itself.  To quote Dr. Abramson as he investigated this sad state of afairs, "Just when you think you've found the bottom, you haven't." 

My oft-used statement here and in my book WELLNESS PIECE BY PIECE, is "follow the money."  Apparently, that remains true!

Elliot Fisher, M.D. and Professor of Medicine at Dartmouth says, "Most Americans assume that the scientific information provided to patients and physicians is accurate, the clinical practice is guided by science... "Overdo$ed America" provides a compelling and well-documented analysis of why each of these assumptions is wrong."

If you sometimes wonder about the drugs you are taking, you need to read Dr. Abramson's Overdosed America.

In related news, it seems the peer-reviewed journals themselves are now admitting that medical science is often trumped by, well, newer medical science.

Here's medical news you can trust: A new study confirms that what doctors once said was good for you often turns out to be bad - or at least not as great as initially thought.

Read the rest of this interesting article, "Medical studies often refuted by later findings, review says"

Dr. Blaylock's Review

Review from Dr. Russell Blaylock of WELLNESS PIECE BY PIECE.

It is said that the greatest teacher is experience.  This is especially true in the case of those suffering from chronic undiagnosed disorders.  Often, traditional medicine is of little help.  Pat Sullivan not only tells of his personal journey to health, he also outlines one of the most common sense programs for working out your own chronic health problems ever presented.  He compares this to a jigsaw puzzle, in which the addition of each piece gives us a clearer picture of our whole health and wellbeing needs.  I strongly recommend this valuable book to all those interested in getting their life back.

     -- Russell L. Blaylock, M.D.  Author of Health and Nutrition Secrets That Can Save Your Life, Natural Strategies for Cancer Patients, and Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills.

Thank you so much Dr. Blaylock!  I am really blessed by what you said!

Dr. Shoemaker's Review

I blogged about Ritchie Shoemaker previously here.  Here is what he had to say about my book. 

It was a pleasure to read Wellness Piece by Piece, by Pat Sullivan.  My medical practice is devoted to treatment of illnesses characterized by multiple symptoms, especially chronic fatigue.  A large part of that practice involves research into the underlying physiologic disturbances that cause the chronic illness.  By simply reading Pat's excellent overview of "what is out there," patients and physicians alike can begin to sort out what approaches to illness make sense for their own cases.

More than being just a compendium of good ideas from caring professionals, Wellness Piece by Piece is a reflection of an attitude I salute:  we are all searching for answers and all of us have something important to add.  We can all learn by listening, keeping in mind that each of us has something worthwhile to say.

My experience with Pat supports the idea that he is putting pieces together like few others have.  Wellness sits in a prominent location on my bookshelf and probably should be on yours as well.

Ritchie C. Shoemaker MD
Pocomoke, Md
July 8, 2005

I asked Ritchie for a "blurb of endorsement" and quite frankly, I am honored and humbled by what he wrote. 

After meeting him about a month ago, we have had several email and phone conversations as my test results have come back.  It has been very exciting to work with him!  He is one of the most competent  and yet humble doctors I have ever met. I believe that he is truly practicing medicine in a way that is beyond most other physicians. 

Now, I'm not ready to share all the findings from my trip to Pocomoke, but I think what piqued Ritchie's interest in me (and my book) was that as my blood tests came back, he made guesses on other markers that would come from the results of other tests (ie. because you have ABC geneotype, you're going to have XYZ hormone marker, etc.) based on his experience with a 3000+ other patients with chronic conditions.  Many of his guesses were right on but he was suprised when some of my markers were normal.

In his words, I had an "incredibly deranged physiology but somehow I was still functioning at a very high level."   He told me, "You're doing something right and next time we talk I want to get into all the things you are doing nutritionally." 

This was exciting to hear!  Even more exciting was that he clearly discovered a few very important new puzzle pieces for me!  We have started working on fixing my deranged physiology!  More to come in later posts.

Thanks Ritchie!

Review from Carolyn Dohrenwend

Review from Carolyn Dohrenwend of the Consumers for Dental Choice.

WELLNESS PIECE BY PIECE is well written and easy to read.  It offers great encouragement for people with chronic illnesses and is an excellent resource to use in addition to a physician.

Thank you Carolyn!

My Interview with Phoenix Business Journal

My interview with Angela Gonzales appeared in the July 1, 2005 edition of the Phoenix Business Journal.  It is not online, so here is the text of the interview.

ACT! Founder ventures into health arena with new firm
By Angela Gonzales

The entrepreneur who created ACT!-the software that organizes your contact and customer information-now wants to help you with your chronic illness.

Pat Sullivan, who founded, took public and sold ACT! and SalesLogix to Sage Software in the U.K for about $300 million in 2001, just launched a company called Jigsaw Health, and he’s written a book to offer hope to the more than 125 million Americans suffering with chronic illness.

His new health company will be a resource to people with chronic conditions, offering information about mainstream and alternative medicine options.

While Sullivan was successfully running his two Phoenix tech companies, he suffered major chronic illnesses, from irritable bowel syndrome to heavy metal poisoning. 

“Since I was a sophomore in college, I have wrestled with various chronic conditions that have come and gone throughout my entire career,” Sullivan said.

But he took charge of his health, and now wants to share what he learned with others.

“Many people are sick, and they don’t know why. The biggest problem is that most chronic conditions usually have more than one thing going on. Uncovering all the issues and the pieces related to the chronic condition is a puzzle. You have to find the pieces to the puzzle and put them in place.”

“It actually is very similar when you approach it from a marketing standpoint,” Sullivan said. “We built a brand around ACT! and SalesLogix so when people heard the word ACT! they knew what it meant. We’re doing exactly the same thing with Jigsaw Health.”

ACT! is a contact management system used by more than 5 million sales people and managers to track their contact information. SalesLogix is a corporate version of ACT! and can be used to build a database of a company’s customers.

Sullivan said he intends to raise money through private investors, which is how he grew ACT!

He’s not sure if he will take Jigsaw Health public or sell to another company, saying that kind of decision is anywhere from five to nine years away.  “Who can predict what the environment will be then?” he said.

The company also will serve as a distributor of nutritional supplement products, food products and a line of testing that most doctors don’t typically use. One of those is functional metabolic tests such as an organic acids tests to measure what the kidneys are getting rid of.

“It can uncover hidden infections and things that are metabolically wrong,” Sullivan said.

Jigsaw would sell these types of tests, which would be administered by a doctor in a network the company is building nationwide.

Book Review from Charlie Brown

Charlie Brown is the National Counsel for the Consumers for Dental Choice.  (And in the interest of full disclosure, Jigsaw Health is a financial supporter of Consumers for Dental Choice.) Charlie is involved with most, if not all, the legislation and lobbying efforts surrounding mercury amalgams.  He and the team at the Consumers for Dental Choice are truly making an impact! 

We sent him a copy of my book a few weeks ago and his reaction was so positive over the phone that we asked him to write a small "blurb."  This is what he wrote: 

I commend Pat Sullivan's "Wellness Piece by Piece", to every person whose life or family is affected by chronic illness, or who wants to join in the fight to abolish its root causes. Pat's chapter on mercury [Chapter 9] provides a remarkable education for every parent and every health care consumer -- concise, informative, and 100% correct. Mercury is a neurotoxin that can cause permanent brain damage to fetuses and children. Its major source is -- no, not fish -- but mercury amalgam fillings. The cover-up by the American Dental Association, such as miscalling the fillings silver and imposing a gag rule now under challenge in the California Supreme Court, is one of the major health disasters of all time.
              --Charles G. Brown, National Counsel
              Consumers for Dental Choice

Thanks for the kind words Charlie.  But more importantly, thank you so much for all of the hard work you, Freya Koss, Carolyn Dohrenwend, Bernice Collura, and others are doing to outlaw the use of mercury in dentistry!

Amazon Review from Jim Abdu

This review was really great to read.  Thanks for the kind words Jim!!  Read more about his battle with amalgams here and read more about National Amalgam Awareness Week.

Timely, informative, easy to read. Highly recommended!, July 6, 2005

Reviewer:

James A. Abdu (Cap Cod) - See all my reviews

The issue of mercury toxicity and chronic health problems have been around for decades but is little known. Mr Sullivan's book exposes this issue.

Pat's book is packed with useful information about mercury and chronic health problems. Having suffered mercury toxicity from my dental amalgams I've done a lot of research on the subject.

Pat's book pulls all the latest thought and research together in an easy to understand and hard to put down style. Pat also includes an historical perspective that shows why mercury is still in use today.

Whether you are suffering chronic illnesses, know someone who is or are interested in this topic Pat's book is not to be missed as it will become a classic resource and reference.

Pat's unique style and perspective is thought provoking and eye-opening. For example, Pat points out that the medical and dental communities speak of people with "allergic reactions" to mercury. Pat points out how silly this is! Allergic to a powerful neuro toxin? My comment: Pat's right, it's like saying people have an allergic reaction to battery acid!

I believe the issue of mercury toxicity and chronic illness will get much attention in the future as it impacts every family in the nation. Pat's book provides an excellent background and understanding of the situation as it stands today.

Don't miss this book!! It's new in 2005 and I'm sure you'll be hearing more about the issue of mercury, chronic health condition and Pat's book.

Powerful Review

A good friend of mine attended our recent book signing party.  He sent me the following email last weekend.  It really encouraged me in a big way!  When you write a book, build a software product, etc. you get so close to it that it becomes difficult -- if not impossible -- to look at with objective eyes from the "outside."

Receiving unsolicited feedback like this always makes you step back and say, "Well, I guess we're doing something right!" 

I read “Wellness Piece by Piece” over the past few nights.  I am impressed; it had a much greater impact on me than I expected. I thought I already understood your businesses story from talking with you and perusing the Jigsaw website.  After reading the book, I now get it at a whole different level. 

Most of us have heard the stories and reports for decades about the questionable state of the medical and dental profession, the lack of real health and wellness information, our doctors tendency to treat the symptoms not the root cause…And although this isn’t news to me, I have liked my doctor and have just gone on using the same of approach.  My current model is (1) some fitness pursuits, but usually not enough (2) shop at Trader Joes and Sprouts so the groceries are healthier (3) try to drink more water (4) when health need necessitates -- go to the drug store counter, (5) when more is needed, schedule a doctor visit (6) then go to the pharmacist, (repeat 5 and 6 until better). 

This obviously is wrong. 

For example, I know at least a dozen people that are 50 to 70 years old that have recurrent stomach aches, allergies, the perpetual sores that don’t heal, and the severe daily itching and scratching -- and they all just suffer through. And nothing really works and they are stuck on a repeating the if-else loop of step 4-6 above.  My father in law is one.  But as I advanced through “Wellness Piece by Piece” an epiphany occurred.  For the first time I understood that there may be real cause, and an understandable root-cause model, and there is real hope to address these types of health issues at a fundamental level.  It may be possible to quit searching for relief -- and fix complicated (and connected)  problems. 

I have been ordering my healthcare cosmos by dancing around this fire and doing the equivalent of throwing virgins into a volcano.  (ed. note:  That line made me LOL!!)  And by reading “Wellness” I just figured out that after a half a lifetime that this was all pretty ridiculous. 

I have been treating healthcare and my relationship with my doctors similar to how most of us old Catholics used to handle the Latin Mass -- I had no idea what was going on or being said, but I hoped it was good (and prayed the monsignor didn’t ask for too much money during the fund drive). I have known this wasn’t working. 

I even dodged an operation once and fixed a year round allergy by working with a nutritionist -- but now I know why the old approach was broken.  And I am sure that there is more than only working though the Latin-wielding intermediaries. Real health and wellness management requires an entirely different model than I use now. 

The first step is awareness that it is possible to get personally involved.  It is even important do some self directing.  The problem is, just knowing my model is broken and why without knowing how to take better control and get directly involved is even a bit terrifying.  People can find comfort in the familiar, even if it is broken and ineffective.  With Jigsaw, I have a tool to get personally involved, imagine where to start, gain quality advice, find naturopathic help, identify world-class expertise, know where to obtain quality trusted supplements, and establish regimens that have the ability to address root cause.   

Jigsaw is engaged in some very important work.

Listen to me on VoiceAmerica

UPDATE 6/30 3:35pm:  The show's archive is now available!  (To access it, you must go to www.Health.VoiceAmerica.com, click Meet Our Guests > click Rayna Gangi > click "The Colon and Digestive Health with Pat Sullivan 6-30-05 > then Click to Listen.) 

Here are a few comments that have been made about the broadcast this morning:

"Great show, as usual. Need to know more about water and the colon. Only have 1 filling, but have a host of problems. Would like a consult with you when you get to Vegas."

"Can you please get this show on regular radio? So many people need to hear what you have to say. Pat was great."

"Great show! I'll be getting Pat's book for sure. Thanks for being there and please stay on the air!"

UPDATE 6/30 8:59am:  Thanks to Rayna G for having me on Holistic Health Hotline.  I'll post a link when the archive becomes available. 

UPDATE 6/30 8am:  I'M ON THE AIR NOW.  CLICK HERE

I have been invited to be a guest on VoiceAmerica's "Holistic Health Hotline" on June 30th, and I am very honored and excited about this opportunity!  I hope it will enable me to inform a wide audience about what I have learned through my struggles with chronic illness and getting well. 

I will be talking about my book, WELLNESS PIECE BY PIECE, and fielding as many questions as we have time for, so please don't hesitate to call in!  You can tune in live at 8am Pacific (11am Eastern), or just check out the taping anytime after that...on demand!

   

New review of my book on Amazon.com!

Thanks to J. Joines for her complementary review of my book, WELLNESS PIECE BY PIECE, on Amazon.com:

" Thought Provoking Look into Medicine

This is an interesting, thought provoking look into one person's struggle to find answers to nagging and common chronic health problems. It is very easy reading and reveals the author's thorough research of various health treaments, traditional and non-traditional. The author reveals a compasion and sensitivity towards the subject that lets the reader identify with him. He clearly discloses numerous times that he is not a medical professional, but rather a lay person with lots of experience. His "been there done that" approach without formal training provides the confidence many need to ask questions of their physicians. It certainly prompted me to question my physician about various treatments."

Read more reviews!  Or, write one of your own!

Book Signing Party Today!

For those in the Scottsdale area today, we'll be having a book singing party at Jigsaw Health to promote WELLNESS PIECE BY PIECE. 

Here's all the relevant info.  It's an open invitation, so if you're in the area, please drop by. 

The books will be given away for free, but donations will be accepted and given to the Consumers for Dental Choice.

Jesus is not *IN* the way!

So enough for now about mercury and disease and politics.  I also want to occasionally write about my ideas on Faith.

I recently finished reading two books that my daughter Colleen gave to me.  They were written by Brian McClaren, a leader of what is known as the "post modern movement."  It is not really a movement per se, but rather a realization that we are moving past what has been known as the modern view of religion to a "post modern" view.  It is a very interesting topic and quite relevant if you have kids who are having trouble relating to the "old" modern church view.  They are part of the post modern world and probably are not even aware of it.

I enjoyed both books that I read.  "A New Kind of Christian," and the sequel, "The Story We Find Ourselves In,"  are written as novels and tell the story of a pastor who is thinking about leaving the ministry because of things he struggles with intellectually regarding what he is teaching and the seeming irrelevancy of it all.  He meets one of his children's teachers, Neo, who eventually helps him begin to understand the transition from modernism to post modernism.  Neo is a High School science teacher from Jamaica who gets in trouble regularly for sharing his different views of evolution (he sort of believes in a variant of creation and evolution) at church youth groups.  It turns out that Neo also used to be a pastor himself.

The books will definitely make you think and you will find yourself agreeing and disagreeing with many things but they are a great read!

One of the things that struck me was a conversation that Neo was having with the pastor where they touched on the controversial statement that Jesus made when He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No man comes to the Father except though me" (John 14:6). This one statement has stopped many seekers in their tracks because it seems so exclusionary!  I have had many discussions with people who struggled over this statement.  I have struggled with it as well.

Neo simply says, "yes, but Jesus is NOT standing in the way to the Father!"  I thought that was very insightful and put a very different slant on this statement.  Jesus is not an obstacle preventing anyone from coming to God.  He is saying of Himself that He is the best, easiest, most efficient way to come to the truth about Father God.

It stands to reason that if Jesus is who He said He was - the unique Son of the Father - that He would in fact be the authority on coming to know the Father.  Interestingly, in just a few verses later Jesus says to his disciples, "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father... I and the Father are one" (John 14:9-10).  In this context, if you believe what He says, Jesus is not saying anything that should be anymore controversial than anything else he said and did!

It is also important to realize that Jesus said these things in a very intimate, private meeting with his few disciples the night that his path to His crucifixion began.  In so many other places Jesus openly declares to the multitude a totally open invitation that was NOT at all exclusive. 

For instance, Jesus says, "Whoever asks receives. Whoever seeks, finds. Whoever knocks, the door is opened to them" (Matthew 7:8, Luke 11:10).  "Whoever" is VERY inclusive!!  There are multitudes of stories where simple people cried out in ignorance to God and He did something to reveal Himself to them.

The key point I want to make here though is that Jesus is not standing in anyone's way of coming to know and believe in God.  Quite simply, He is the best and easiest way to do that.  I have found it so.

Are there other "paths" to come to know God?  Probably.  But personally after being exposed to some of those paths through various people and books I have read, nothing even comes close to the simplicity of getting to know Jesus.  I don't know another "way/path" I could point someone to that would be as sure and certain. 

I am NOT saying the "church" is the way!  I am not saying trying to be good is the way!  Those have often failed me.  But the more I get to know Jesus, the more deeply I internally sense that when I see Him and learn of Him, I do in fact, see and learn of God. 

Review from Rex Miller

Rex Miller is a friend of mine and the author of The Millennium Matrix : Reclaiming the Past, Reframing the Future of the Church.  Here is what he had to say about WELLNESS PIECE BY PIECE.

"I struggled for more than ten years with fatigue and an unexplained blood loss.  I explored every option I could find.  The process was frustrating, baffling and at times despairing.  The good news is that one of the “experiments” I tried worked.  My symptoms disappeared three days before I was scheduled for radical stomach surgery.  “Wellness Piece by Piece” answered the many unexplained questions I was left with.  The doctors I went to followed a checklist process.  I wish they had understood the jigsaw journey that Pat talks about.  I’m excited now because I can change that with Pat’s book and I’m giving copies to my current doctors and urging them to read it." 

Thanks for the kind words Rex!  By the way, his book is a very interesting read too.  Check it out!

Reviews of My Book on Amazon.com

Thanks to everyone who has written a positive review of WELLNESS PIECE BY PIECE on Amazon.com!  Here's a round-up of comments so far:

Terrific! 
Excellent book! A great one that really got me started on the right foot toward improving my diet, fitness, and overall health. Thanks Pat! 

A moving story and great resource for chronic sufferers 
I plan to share this book with a friend who has suffered with chronic fatigue for years. Not only was it a really moving story about a man who has struggled with his health and faith, but it also sheds light on issues that have been ignored for too long. 

Inspirational and informational 
Pat's book is very inspirational and thought provoking. He shares his odyssey on his years of suffering, and gives sick people...Hope. This book is fantastic and a must have for anyone who is suffering from chronic pain, inflammation or anyone who needs help in finding relief for their ailments. 

Bringing practical positions to complex chronic issues
It's refreshing to read how someone who is not a doctor can penetrate the information bubble and discover the answers that so many have been looking for regarding chronic issues. A great read by someone who is successful in more than one area in life.

Excellent Book
Wellness Piece by Piece has given me a new look on life and getting healthy. After reading this book I have found hope in knowing there are answers to solving my health problems. I never realized natural foods and supplements played such an important role in the health and well being of my body. I can't wait to start feeling 100%. I definitely recommend everyone read this book.

Endorsement from Dr. Merrifield

Medical endorsement for WELLNESS PIECE BY PIECE.

“Pat Sullivan has mastered the concept of the integrated medical model. By adding his personal health and life journey, he has offered hope to others seeking potential solutions to their own chronic health problems.”
        - Margaret Merrifield, MD, CCFP

Endorsement from Dr. Manby

Medical endorsement for WELLNESS PIECE BY PIECE.

“Pat Sullivan is an advocate of the philosophy that all individuals have the opportunity to create their own health rather than succumb to the current conventional avenues for chronic illness that are often paved with a series of prescription medications and little hope.”
        - Ann L. Manby, NMD

Endorsement from Jennifer Cox, FNP-C

Medical endorsement for WELLNESS PIECE BY PIECE.

“Pat Sullivan provides a refreshing, proactive approach for getting well and staying well. As an experienced ER nurse practioner, I have seen firsthand the detrimental health effects of patients who are overloaded with medications to treat symptoms, rather than the root causes. WELLNESS PIECE BY PIECE offers a newfound hope for those who don’t want to be slaves to medication, and who seek real answers for living well.”
        - Jennifer Cox, FNP-C

Evidence of Harm

David Kirby's Evidence of Harm: Mercury in Vaccines and the Autism Epidemic is on my desk and I can't wait to read it!

My Book: Wellness Piece by Piece

What they say about the book...

In “Wellness Piece by Piece,” Pat Sullivan openly discusses his own 30-year struggle with chronic illnesses. Though he is not a doctor, Sullivan has become an expert on many chronic illnesses in his search for answers.  Writing from the layman's perspective, Sullivan skillfully blends science, research, and personal experience. 

More than 125 million Americans suffer with chronic illness, and at least half of those suffer from multiple chronic illnesses. With each page, you can feel Sullivan’s passion and empathy for every one of these people. 

While wrestling with Mercury-Toxicity (from dental amalgams), Candidiasis, and Chronic Fatigue, Irritable Bowel, and Adrenal Fatigue Syndromes, Sullivan discovered various pieces to his puzzle, a powerful metaphor used throughout the book.  His motivation to find these pieces came from, as he states, “a deep-seated belief in cause and effect...if there is an effect, there MUST be a cause!”

As Sullivan shares the discoveries that have helped him—practicing proper nutrition, detoxifying mercury, balancing hormones, clearing infections and more—you will find hope, along with practical advice, to begin solving your own chronic health puzzle.

Pat Sullivan's “Wellness Piece by Piece” is a quick, exciting and insightful read for anyone suffering from chronic illness.

Purchase Wellness Piece by Piece: you can find my book on Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Health Press, or JigsawHealth.com.

For a sneak preview, go here.

For reviews about Wellness Piece by Piece, go here.

For corrections to Wellness Piece by Piece, go here.

-Pat

Reviews and Press on Wellness Piece by Piece

WELLNESS PIECE BY PIECE was originally published on March 31, 2005, and then re-published by Health Press NA on December 1, 2005.  Here is a list of reviews...

Posted September 8, 2005:  Review from Dr. Miller

Posted September 8, 2005:  Letter from Dr. Messerman

Posted July 11, 2005: Review from Dr. Blaylock

Posted July 9, 2005: Review from Dr. Shoemaker

Posted July 9, 2005: Review from Carolyn Dohrenwend of Consumers for Dental Choice

Posted July 6, 2005: Amazon Review from Jim Abdu

Posted July 6, 2005: Endorsement from Charlie Brown, Counsel for Consumers for Dental Choice

Posted July 1, 2005: A Powerful Review

Posted June 25, 2005: Review from J. Joines on Amazon.com

Posted June 7, 2005: Review from Rex Miller, author of The Millennium Matrix : Reclaiming the Past, Reframing the Future of the Church

Posted June 6, 2005: Review from Dr. Margaret Merrifield

Posted June 6, 2005: Review from Dr. Ann Manby

Posted June 6, 2005: Review from Certified Family Nurse Practioner Jennifer Cox

Posted June 6, 2005: Round-up of reviews on Amazon.com

Columbus

"THE WORLD IS STILL FLAT!!"

Welcome to www.EveryoneButChristopherColumbus.com! 

To me, the ADA proclaiming that mercury amalgams are safe is as erroneous as everyone saying that the world is flat.  Everyone but Christopher Columbus did actually believe that at one time though.

"All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident."
       -- Arthur Schopenhauer (1788 - 1860) courtesy of The Quotations Page.