The Art of Getting Well: Maximizing Health and Well-being When You Have a Chronic Illness [Hardcover]

David Spero (Author), Martin Rossman (Foreword), Martin L. Rossman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2003

A majority of chronic illnesses have no medical cure. The best therapy, asserts the author, is self-care. This comprehensive guide suggests healthy behaviors and holistic approaches while acknowledging the barriers people face in applying them.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Spero, a practicing nurse who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis over a decade ago, presents an accessible, practical and encouraging self-care manual for the chronically ill. Spero's five-step plan for assisting with physical recovery slowing down, making positive changes, maintaining a support network, learning to value one's body and taking some responsibility for improvement may well be useful for the healthy and ill alike. Each step is presented in detail and is interwoven with both the author's personal experiences and those of other patients. Spero describes how a 53-year-old woman diagnosed with severe hypertension made two job changes in order to find work that not only was less stressful, but also gave her greater satisfaction. He provides many examples of the benefits of building a wide support network: relying on several rather than one "helper" actually gave patients more independence. Of particular interest is the list of "twenty-four reasons to live," which suggests creative ideas to lift depression, such as getting a pet, spending more time in nature and developing new hobbies. The author is careful to stress the importance of health professionals but is convinced that caring for oneself emotionally enhances medical treatment.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Hunter House (CA) (February 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0897933575
• ISBN-13: 978-0897933575
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 7.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,235,451 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I am the author of The Art of Getting Well: a Five-step Plan for Maximizing Health When You Have a Chronic Illness (Hunter House 2002).



I am a nurse and health educator, living with multiple sclerosis for the last 20 years or so. My work is helping people overcome barriers to self-care. I specialize in serving people with diabetes and weight issues.



I write regularly for Diabetes Self-Management, Arthritis Self-Management, MS Focus and Alternative Medicine magazines.



My new book, The Politics of Diabetes, will be out in 2005. I also create relaxation tapes and inspirational videos.



I do have other interests, including music, mammals, peace, justice, food, dancing and fun.



Contact me at wwwdotdavidsperoRNdotcom

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wise and gentle guide, May 4, 2002

By 

Jean Tepperman (Berkeley, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Art of Getting Well: Maximizing Health and Well-being When You Have a Chronic Illness (Paperback)

The hard thing about living with a chronic illness is that you have to deal with it on so many levels: physical symptoms, the choice of caregivers--and then the job of relating to them, information from the internet, lifestyle changes, emotions, spiritual dimensions, and more. The unique thing about this wise and compassionate book is that it addresses issues of living with a chronic illness on all those levels and more, with a gentle, down-to-earth humor that provides its own emotional support on the spot (an example is the title of the first chapter: "Studies show life is hard.") This must be because the author is both a nurse and a person living with MS--as well as a very talented writer. Throughout the book are many stories of people -- and in one case a plant -- who are doing better by using one of the ideas described. I've read a lot of advice books--another unique thing about this one is that it's not pushing any one approach. The author starts with a description of some basic orientations necessary to take care of ourselves. It gives information about a wide range of strategies for self-care, with step-by-step directions for getting started and information about where to learn more. It also gives brief descriptions of many places to get help from others and how to find them. I think the Art of Getting Well will soon be seen as an indispensable support for anyone living with a chronic illness-actually it contains a lot of wisdom that anyone could benefit from!

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Art of Living Well, July 11, 2002

By 

Leslie Simon (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Art of Getting Well: Maximizing Health and Well-being When You Have a Chronic Illness (Paperback)

You don't have to have a chronic illness to get a lot out of Spero's "The Art of Getting Well." Maybe that's because living in our fast paced and relatively crazed culture qualifies all of us as chronically ill. Whatever the case, the accessible style and reassuring tone of this book give you the confidence and motivation to make real changes in your life. I'm especially pleased that Spero does not fall into the "blame the victim" camp. Getting sick is not our fault, although we can have a say in how or whether we get well, up to a point. Sometimes our luck runs out, but our spirit can still remain strong, furthered along by the compassion of bonafide healers and primo storytellers like Spero. Get two: one for yourself and one for a friend.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent manual to wellness, May 4, 2002

By 

"katop" (Sarasota, FL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Art of Getting Well: Maximizing Health and Well-being When You Have a Chronic Illness (Paperback)

The Art of Getting Well

This book is for anyone coping with a chronic condition. Mr. Spero's book is a friendly companion to the not always friendly art of living with a chronic condition. Having lived with Multiple Sclerosis for 14 years, I have yet to find a book that so plainly and straightforwardly tackles the multiplicity of issues faced by those who choose wellness over illness. It is at once a teacher of the issues, a giver of strategies, and an offering of a method. I will read this book again and again to help remind myself to choose wellness and I will share it with others who seek the same. This is truly a well organized, thought provoking look at what it takes to be well...