Customer Reviews

Coping with Ostomy (Coping with chronic conditions: guides to living with chronic illnesses for you & your family)

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Since Phillips is a practicing psychologist, this book reflects his background by concentrating on the emotional aspects of living with an ostomy - specifically issues of fear, depression, anger, etc. Phillips does acknowledge that these are issues more likely to be experienced by individuals who have suddenly underwent surgery due to a diagnosis of cancer or a sudden complication of IBD like toxic megacolon. Individuals with IBD consciously choosing the surgery often have a more positive attitude and suffer fewer emotional downswings because of the overall improvement in their post-surgery life. Phillips includes the usual chapters related to family members and their coping issues, which is very helpful, but the overall lack of first person accounts, and the slightly outdated information make The Ostomy Book the preferred book on this topic. Still, this volume would be useful if the new ostomate or a family member is having difficulty adjusting.