Book Description
Fibromyalgia affects between three and six million Americans—80 percent of whom are women—yet remains one of the most difficult conditions to identify and diagnose. In the tradition of the other titles in the First Year series, The First Year—Fibromyalgia uses a unique approach—guiding readers through their first seven days following diagnosis, then the next three weeks of their first month, and finally the next eleven months of their first year—to provide answers and advice that will help everyone newly diagnosed with fibromyalgia come to terms with their condition and the lifestyle changes that accompany it. Starting with the day of diagnosis, patient-expert Marek provides vital information about the nature of fibromyalgia, choosing the right doctors, treatment options, psychological issues, holistic alternatives, self-management strategies, illustrative charts and tables, and much more. The First Year—Fibromyalgia will be a supportive and educational resource for everyone who wants to take an active role in the management of their condition.
From the Publisher
Includes special sections on dealing with chronic psychological effects like fibrofog, identifying fibromyalgia in children, and finding or starting a support group that works for you.
About the Author
CLAUDIA CRAIG MAREK, M.A., is a medical assistant who has counseled fibromyalgia patients for more than a dozen years and the co-author of What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Fibromyalgia. She lives in Los Angeles.
Fibromyalgia: An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed FROM THE PUBLISHER
Fibromyalgia affects millions of people in the United States, but as a condition with wide-ranging symptoms and no tests available yet for diagnosis, it remains one of the most difficult to identify and treat. When Claudia Craig Marek was definitively diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 1991, she found very little information, advice, or support for coping with her condition. Marek decided to take charge of her health and educate herself on every aspect of fibromyalgia -- by reading medical and scientific books and journals, talking with doctors, and networking with other people who have the condition. Now, as a "patient-expert," she shares her unrivaled experience and knowledge, walking those newly diagnosed step-by-step through their first year with fibromyalgia. By providing reliable, useful, empathetic, and up-to-date information you need to know when you most need to know it, The First Year -- Fibromyalgia is an indispensable resource for everyone learning to cope with this condition.
FROM THE CRITICS
Library Journal
Coauthor of What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Fibromyalgia, Marek is also a medical assistant and patient who has counseled others suffering from the condition. Along with journalist Florence, she aims to help newly diagnosed patients learn about fibromyalgia and develop coping skills over a one-year time frame. Typical questions a new patient might have (e.g., how to prepare for travel, how to communicate with health professionals and employers) are addressed in a highly readable and understandable style and presented in manageable learning bites. The authors also plainly but sensitively address the genitourinary symptoms that may accompany fibromyalgia. What is especially good about this guide is that the authors' tone is not alarmist but calm and evenhanded in articulating important precautions. Individuals who have pain-related disorders with no standardized treatment and no foreseeable cure are especially vulnerable to drastic or unproven therapies, which the authors address by emphasizing that patients seek out second opinions and do credible research for themselves. This is information a patient would hope to get from a good support group but provided in a format that can be revisited as symptoms and time progress. Recommended for all popular health collections.-Lisa McCormick, Jewish Hosp. Lib., Cincinnati Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
Art & Photography
Book Info
