Coping with COPD: Understanding, Treating, and Living with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease [Paperback]

Elaine Fantle Shimberg (Author), Thomas L. Petty (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2003

The first hands-on guide to living and coping with an insidious disease that affects tens of millions of people

Experts estimate that as many as thirty-five million Americans literally cannot catch their breath-they are suffering from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. The fourth-leading cause of death in America, COPD is a combination of chronic bronchitis and emphysema with airflow obstruction.

In this clear, concise, and up-to-date guide to dealing with and living well with COPD, readers will learn:

- How to navigate activities of daily living, from applying make-up to continuing work
- How to quite smoking-at any age
- How oxygen therapy may help you
- How to tailor diet to meet new nutritional needs
- How to foster a useful patient/doctor relationship and how and when to visit a pulmonologist
- How to tailor your diet to meet your new dietary needs

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Elaine Fantle Shimberg is an award-winning medical writer and Coping with COPD is her nineteenth book. She is the first layperson to serve on the Florida Medical Association's Ethical and Judicial Affairs Committee and is past president of the American Medical Writers Association. She is also chairman of the board of St. Joseph's Baptist Hospitals in the Tampa Bay area. Shimberg divides her time between Scarborough, Maine and Tampa, Florida.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; 1st edition (October 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312307772
• ISBN-13: 978-0312307776
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,417,537 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Elaine Fantle Shimberg was born in Yankton, South Dakota in 1937. She grew up in Fort Dodge, Iowa, detailed in her memoir, GROWING UP JEWISH IN SMALL TOWN AMERICA, although her last two years of her teens was in Sioux City, Iowa. She graduated from Northwestern University. Her first book was published in 1979 and her memoir marks her 23rd book. She's appeared on numerous national radio and TV shows including the TODAY show and AM CHICAGO where she was interviewed by then-little known Oprah.For five years she co-hosted a women's talk show on WFLA-TV in Tampa. Her RELIEF FROM IBS was selected as one of "Best Lay Medical Books for Public Libraries" by LIBRARY JOURNAL. Her articles have appeared in READER'S DIGEST, MEN'S HEALTH, SEVENTEEN, ESSENCE,WRITER'S DIGEST, and others. In 2002, she received an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from the University of South Florida. She served as chairman of the Board for Tampa's St. Joseph's Hospitals and presently is the chairman of the Hospitals' Foundation. Elaine is married, has five adult children, and ten grandchildren. She resides in Tampa, Florida and spends much of her summer in Maine.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars What a waste!, July 11, 2006

By 

Bill McNulty (Evanston, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Coping with COPD: Understanding, Treating, and Living with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (Paperback)

Don't waste your money! All this book does is tell you how sick you are and how sick you will become. Nowhere does it give even a hint how to help yourself get well which is why I bought it. So forget it!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Coping with COPD: Understanding, Treating, and Living with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, May 12, 2007

By 

J. Traverso (Chicago) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Coping with COPD: Understanding, Treating, and Living with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (Paperback)

I found this book is a very helpful resource. It is clear and easy to understand and certainly answered a lot of my questions. I would highly recommend it.

5.0 out of 5 stars COPD, March 21, 2009

By 

T. PARDO - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Coping with COPD: Understanding, Treating, and Living with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (Paperback)

IT A GOOD TO READ,I HAVE COPD, SO I GOT IT TO UNDERSTAND AND LEARN ABOUT IT.