University Professor Publishes Book on How She Cheated Death

HONOLULU - June 4, 2014 - PRLog -- Cristy Kessler, associate professor at the University of Hawaii, tells how she won her battle against multiple autoimmune diseases in her new book, 5 S.T.E.P.S. to Being Your Own Patient Advocate. By taking charge and acting as her own patient advocate, she found the treatment that ultimately saved her life. During her  medical journey she developed the five steps of patient self-advocacy and now she shares those five steps for others to use.

“It’s about empowering people to speak for themselves when faced with serious medical challenges," she said in a recent interview. "I was fortunate to have an incredible medical team of doctors and a network of friends and family that helped me when I needed it most.” She sees the book as a means of paying it forward by helping others who face serious medical challenges. “It doesn't matter if you are dealing with a long term health issue or are someone who visits the doctor once a year for a physical exam; there is valuable information for anyone, patient or caregiver,” she concluded. “If nothing else, there are a few stories that will make you laugh.”

The five steps are Sensibility, Teamwork, Education, Perseverance/Patience, and Sustainability, which work interchangeably and are geared to the patient throughout the entire journey—body, mind, and spirit. Kessler is committed to using the book and these five steps as a springboard to a movement towards patient self-advocacy for everyone.

To that end, she founded a company called 5 STEPS Advocate, which will offer patient education and empowerment through books, workshops, webinars, podcasts and consulting services to individuals and organizations concerned with illness, wellness and recovery. . She is raising money for a scheduled book tour and business promotion through five states in July.

Learn more at http://www.5stepstobeingyourownpatientadvocate.com, and go to IndiGoGo (https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/waiting-to-die-learnin...) to learn more about the tour and to contribute to the book tour.