#BookReview - I Was Dying...Then I Changed My Mind

I Was Dying...Then I Changed My Mind

By: Güngör Buzot
Publisher: Atmosphere Press
Publication Date: November 14, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-639-8869-7-5
Reviewed by: Diane Lunsford
Review Date: December 14, 2022

Güngör Buzot’s I Was Dying...Then I Changed My Mind is a personal and compelling account of her departure from conventional medicine to a liberated and healthy life.

The story is broken down into three parts: I Was Dying, Then I Changed My Mind, and What I Learned. Within the pages, Ms. Buzot chronicles her journey of ailments, surgeries, and drug dependencies that began in early childhood. Her health (or the lack thereof) is not only the result of many choices she made, but the ‘remedies’ she subjected herself to at the hands of many medical practitioners and the pharmaceuticals they dispensed. Prior to arriving at Chapter One, Ms. Buzot penned an impactful ‘Author’s Note’ that begins with: "In Paris, early in 2014, I begged my family to help me free myself from my own body. I was tired of being in pain, tired of suffering. I wanted to end my life..." On the heels of Ms. Buzot’s opener, her daughter, Selen Aktar, in somewhat of a rebuttal to her mother’s opening comments, counters her wish with her Forward to the book: "...It is not easy to write about one’s life in a book for everyone to read. It takes a lot of self-reflection, and you need to be OK with being vulnerable. So many of us have forgotten how to be vulnerable, yet we need it in order to live freely..." If Ms. Aktar’s Forward isn’t enough, André Saine, ND supports Ms. Buzot’s story further with his comments: "...Conventional medicine perpetrates an unacceptable amount of iatrogenic diseases (those caused by physicians and their medical systems) and is plagued by insufficient education on nutrition in medical schools, big pharma’s infringement on everyday clinical practice, development of antimicrobial-resistant infectious diseases, and the pollution of the environment from all the excreted drugs used in conventional medicine..."

Born in Bursa, Turkey in the early 1950’s, Ms. Buzot shares fond memories of her deep love and admiration for her parents (now both deceased). Her father owned a factory that manufactured natural silk and he was the strength and provider for their family. She is one of four girls, and her mother took care of Güngör and her siblings while her father worked. Her illnesses started at a young age. As early as six months old, she succumbed to a high fever late one night. She was diagnosed with diphtheria and was treated with a serum. Soon thereafter, it was determined to be her fever was actually a simple case of a throat infection, but the dosage of medicine she received was too high for her young body. Throughout her adolescence she suffered through a variety of medical problems. Fast-forward to 1984 and a mother of two, she is now thirty-one and her periods are non-existent. Her gynecologist discovered a large cyst on her left ovary and after suggesting they take a ‘wait and see’ approach for a few months (and the cyst did not dissipate), he prescribed birth control. On April 26, 2014, at 9:00 a.m., Ms. Buzot made her choice to depart from conventional medical procedures, surgeries, pain remedies, and countless prescribed drugs and she began her homeopathic journey toward wellness.

Güngör Buzot has written an incredibly compelling and harrowing account of not only horrific medical experiences but a tangible sense of the personal heroics she embarked upon to take back her life. There are so many profound and prolific passages throughout this read, it’s difficult to site one in particular. However, one of the many sentiments that stood out for me was: "...Life is a very precious school that lasts from birth to death. We grow thanks to life’s lessons..." Her writing is raw and insightful and there is a strong message that resonates throughout toward the importance of one taking charge of one’s life; specifically, one’s health and well-being. I applaud Ms. Buzot for her tender tone throughout this read. In my opinion, she has many reasons to be bitter for some of the egregious medical treatments she endured, yet she is poised in her summary of her experiences in Section III. She shares her knowledge of what she learned and leaves it to the reader to do with the information what he/she will do. Bravo Ms. Buzot. You are a brave woman, and I can only hope you are working on your next book. You have a gift with words and the world needs more of your positive inspiration.

Quill says: I Was Dying...Then I Changed My Mind is without question a story of tenacity, inspiration and a testament to great things happening when one takes charge of one’s life and health.

To learn more about I Was Dying...Then I Changed My Mind, please visit the author’s website at: www.gungorbuzot.com/