Patricia Farrell

I requested this book through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program. I was a winner.

My husband was diagnosed several years ago with MS. We have both read books and attended lectures given by specialists in the field of diagnosing and treating patients with multiple sclerosis.

This book is very good. It is accurate and concise.

It is so helpful to approach the emotional experiences as well as addressing the physical aspects of an MS diagnosis. The patient and the family/friends both experience and deal with the emotional issues almost daily. Clinicians, occasionally do not address the emotional ramifications. Support groups, for patients and caregivers have been helpful.

I would recommend this book to family and friends, and my husband read it, too. He didn't have much to say one way or the other.

( *** 1/2)… (mehr)

I thought this would be a difficult topic to wade through because the subjects are not the most pleasant. However, the book is very readable, not falling into medical jargon, and is a very good explanation of the causes and issues with depression and a chronic illness like M.S. The basic premise is that depression is not in your head, as in a psychological condition. Rather it is a symptom, a "prediagnostic indicator of an underlying illness". Apparently many people were suffering from depression and mood swings before receiving a diagnosis of M.S. In addition to explanations, there are tips on how to handle these condtions, and what to do to enhance memory, which is another outcome of depression and anxiety. I found these very helpful, even though I do not have M.S., and feel that anyone could use these tips when confronted with memory issues. I had been putting off reading this book, but once I started I breezed through it very quickly. Each chapter has lists for further reading as well.… (mehr)

This book about multiple sclerosis reads well. It deals in particular with ones mental health, but suggests this is not a sign of something aberrant, but rather a result of how the sclerosis affects the brain. The book talks with the person who has M.S., so it is very approachable. It brings up the tiredness that many have and suggests strategies as to how to live with this fatigue and other situations, which a person may not have complete control over. It deals nicely with the emotions one has with M.S., but keeps one from feeling burdened by them. There are sample cases of people with M.S. that are good to read and give a more rounded view of how one might live with M.S.… (mehr)