Customer Reviews

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Guide for Patients and Families

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My mother was diagnosed with ALS in January 2001. Unfortunately, it took me 4 months as "Buyer Waiting" to obtain a copy of this book. By the time I received the book, my family and I already felt besieged by the challenges of rapidly advancing bulbar ALS. While I cannot speak for what this book might mean for the ALS patient, I can attest for what it has meant to me as caretaker. As such, I found my time and attention limited to each immediate crisis at hand. Fortunately, the book is arranged in such a way that you can skip around--reading whichever chapter or chapter portion pertains to your current dilemma. Sadly, I lost my Mom on Easter Sunday 2003. Probably, I only read 50 percent of this book before her passing--but that 50% did help me navigate the turbulent challenges of this disease and connect emotionally with my mother on a level that otherwise might not have been possible once she lost her ability to communicate. While this book is not an end-all resource within itself, it is a good place to start for the newly initiated.

I used this book religiously before my dad passed away from complications due to ALS last July. The book was very helpful to understand what was happening and what was coming. As depressing as it all is, it was better to understand the situation so I could do all I could to help my loved one. I was just looking at my copy the other day and the amount of highlighting in it and stickies hanging out of it reminded me of how used the book was.

This book has helped our family tremendously with understanding what is occuring and how to stay ahead of the game dealing with ALS.

Ideas shared in the book are practical and helpful.

A good read for families dealing with ALS...especially care givers.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Guide for Patients and Families IT'S A LITTLE TECHNICAL, BUT SURE TELLS YOU WHAT WANT YOU WANT TO KNOW. I WILL FIND OUT TOMORROW IF I HAVE IT,

Hiroshi Misumoto, MD, author of this book, has assembled articles from experts in all areas surrounding ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). While it can become fairly technical in scope for the home user, it is an encyclopedic reference for those who suffer from the disease and those who care for them.

Usually, I avoid books with articles from many experts because often these articles are simply filler that make a short book appear long. Such is not the case with this book. Each expert has contributed advice from his or her field of experience and knowledge concerning ALS. Every issue of treatment and care is covered in this book, and there is enough information to help the patient and caregiver ask the physician specific questions and be knowledgeable enough to understand the answers.

I imagine that reading Amyotropic Lateral Sclerosis will appear daunting at first to many. However, the information is presented in readable fashion once you get started. Each subject area, covered in chapter format, can be tackled as needed, so you don't have to attempt to read this book through in a very short time.

Hats off to Mitsumoto for a well-researched, well-presented volume.

Comprehensive, current and clear resource for patients and caregivers. A variety of authors cover a practical and emotional issues in a series of caring and well written chapters.

Lou Gehrig's disease cut short the career of a baseball icon and has cut short the lives of thousands since. "Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Guide for Patients and Families" is a guide for victims and families of Lou Gehrig's disease and how to deal with this incurable, but treatable disease. From symptoms to medicine, to more, "Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis" is a top pick for those who want to be armed with the knowledge they need to deal with the disease.

SAM,

I APOLOGIZE FOR BEING LATE THIS MORNING BUT THERE ARE A FEW FACTS YOU NEED TO KNOW. AND PERHAPS I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE HONEST BUT UNFORTUNATELY IN OUR INSURANCE WORLD OF TODAY IF YOU SAY YOU WERE DIAGNOSED WITH ALS ABOUT A YEAR AGO, WELL, YOU JUST CAN'T GET WORK BECAUSE OF THE POLITICAL REALITY OF THE RIGHT-WING POWER BASE. THAT IS, IF YOU ARE WORTH INSURING THIS MEANS YOU ARE WORTH HIRING WHICH MEANS OF COURSE THAT THERE COULD NEVER BE ANY THING WRONG WITH YOUR HEALTH BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW GOD ONLY CURSES THOSE WHO DESERVE IT, AND THEREFORE, IF YOU HAVE ALS IT MUST BE FOR A GOOD REASON, SUCH AS HAVING RUBEOLA AT 6 IN 1961 THAT ALMOST KILLED ME BUT BY GOD'S GRACE, SOMEHOW SURVIVED. THOUGH I COULDN'T WALK OR TALK FOR ABOUT 2 MONTHS. BUT ONCE YOU GET VIRAL ENCEPHALITIS, WELL, YOU KNOW, 45 YEARS LATER YOU DEVELOP BULBAR ALS, WHICH I GUESS IN THE CONSERVATIVE'S WAY OF UNDERSTANDING THE WORLD, AND THAT IS GOD'S WAY OF PUNISHING ME FOR SURVIVING AT 6 YEARS OF AGE. I MEAN, I AM SURE GOD MEANT TO KILL THE LITTLE CHILD (...) AT THE TIME BUT SOMEHOW I FELL THROUGH THE CRACKS WHICH MUST REALLY PISS BILL OREILLY OFF. I MEAN, IF GOD MEANT FOR ME TO HAVE INSURANCE, WELL, I WOULD BE IN PERFECT HEALTH. I THINK THEY CALL THIS CIRCULAR REASONING, BUT LOGICALLY, OF COURSE, IT IS NONSENSE OF WHICH THE OREILLY'S OF THIS WORLD JUST LOVE. ANYWAY, THIS LAST YEAR HAS BEEN GETTING A BIT MORE DIFFICULT FOR ME IN MOVING AROUND, ESPECIALLY MY LEGS-EACH MORNING MY BROTHER, ALONG WITH ZANAFLEX, BACLOFEN, AND A 1 HR HOT BATH GETS MY LEGS GOING. THIS MORNING ENSIGN GOT UP AND WOKE ME UP AT 6 AM; HE HAD TO TAKE HIS YAMAHA DOWN TO GET IT TESTED FOR REGISTRATION. I FELL BACK ASLEEP BUT NORMALLY HE WOULD HAVE GOTTEN ME UP AND INTO THE BATH TO GET MY LEGS GOING-HE AND I JUST FORGET TO SET THE ALARM THE SECOND TIME FOR WHICH I WILL BE ETERNALLY DAMNED BECAUSE ONLY PERFECT PEOPLE WORK IN THIS COUNTRY. IT IS A PROJECT FOR ME AND I SUPPOSE IT WAS FOOLISH OF ME TO HOPE THAT I COULD WORK AGAIN, ESPECIALLY RETAIL, WITHOUT HELP TO GET THESE DAMN LEGS WORKING EACH DAY. ONCE THEY'RE MOVING THEY DO OK BUT GETTING THEM STARTED CAN BE A MAJOR TASK. SO, I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT TELLING YOU ABOUT MY ALS BUT THEN THIS IS A LEARNING PROCESS FOR ME TOO IN TERMS OF WHAT I CAN AND CANNOT DO ALL THE TIME. I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THE CHANCE TO WORK THOUGH IT WAS PERHAPS RIDICULOUS TO EXPECT SO MUCH OF MY WORTHLESS BODY. I WAS NICE TO KNOW THAT I COULD INTELLECTUALLY AT LEAST STILL FUNCTION AT A DECENT RATE. I DON'T THINK I MADE ANY MISTAKES WHICH IS A BIG ACHIEVEMENT FOR ME THOUGH A SMALL ONE. BUT IMPORTANT. I REALIZE NOW WHY WE DON'T HAVE HANDICAPPED PHARMACISTS (EVER SEEN ONE?) ANYWHERE. THEY SHOOT HORSES DON'T THEY??? IT IS FUNNY BUT MY BINDER AND BINDER SOCIAL SECURITY PEOPLE TELL ME IT WILL TAKE 2-3 YEARS TO GET DISABILITIY INSURANCE, BENEFITS BUT OF COURSE I WILL BE DEAD BY THEN MOST LIKELY. YOU GOT TO LOVE THE GOVERNMENT AND THE LAWYERS. OF COURSE I WILL NOT ACCEPT ANY RENUMERATION FOR MY" SUBPAR SERVICES" BUT IF YOU WANT I WOULD SEND ANY FUNDS TO "DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS", A FRENCH GROUP THAT DOES REALLY GOOD WORK WITH THE MONEY THEY GET FOR THE BOOKS, AS IN ACCOUNTING BOOKS. SO, TO FINISH, I DO HONESTLY APPRECIATE THE CHANCE TO WORK THOUGH IT WAS PERHAPS ON MY PART UNREALISTIC TO THINK I COULD WORK CONSISTENTLY AGAIN-I WON'T HAVE ALL THE SUPPORT STAFF, IE, MY BROTHER, TO GET MY BUTT GOING EVERYDAY. IF I CAUSED ANY PROBLEMS YOU HAVE MY MOST SINCERE APOLOGIES. YOU ARE A GOOD GUY SAM AND I REALLY WAS HOPING TO GET A CHANCE TO WORK FOR YOU-YOU'RE HONEST AND CARING AND THAT IS DAMN RARE ANYMORE, ESPECIALLY FOR SOMEONE LIKE ME WITH SPECIAL ISSUES. I WON'T SAY CRIPPLED BECAUSE THE FEDS DON'T LIKE THAT TERM AND I MIGHT BE ARRESTED FOR INSPIRING SOCIAL UNREST LIKE SUGGESTING PEOPLE WHO HAVE DISABILITIES SHOULD HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE AND DISABILITY INSURANCE WHICH OF COURSE COSTS MONEY AND THE REPUBLICANS ARE TRYING THEIR BEST TO GET RID OF SOCIAL SECURITY ANYWAY, OR AS LEAST GET RID OF MOST OF THE BENEFITS. SORRY ABOUT THE POLITICAL DIATRIBE BUT IT DOES ACTUALLY APPLY HERE PERFECTLY. I SHOULD SEND A LETTER TO OUR PRESIDENT BUT I AM AFRAID THAT I WOULD COME UNDER SUSPICION.`


SINCERELY YOURS,

GARY HINCHMAN, RPH