Customer Reviews

Facing the Cognitive Challenges of Multiple Sclerosis

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I thought my problems with MS were mostly physical and even those were invisible to most people. When I read this book by Jeffrey Gingold I felt sad and relieved at the same time. When I worked at the bank I had a similar experience to his.My customer just stood there as I look perplexed. I forgot how do do something that I had does hundreds of times. I just stood there and asked the person next to me if they could take over because I felt sick.I then disguised my memory problems with different strategies like he did. I have since retired fron the bank at the age of 39. I struggled to keep working with my diagnosis from the age of 31 but at 39 I had to change my priorities. I am going to try and get my family to read this so they can understand the struggle of this unpredictable disease. I highly recommend this book to someone with MS and medical personel that are working with people that have MS . Thank You Mr. Gingold!!!
Susan

Thank God Mr. Gingold had the courage and generosity to break the silence and call a spade a spade. Reading my story, almost
work for word, from another litigator desperately and secretly trying to keep all the balls in the air while inexorably sinking deeper into the morass of cognitive MS, has provided me the clarity to accept that this battle cannot be won on my terms so it is time to make peace with the disease and find a more MS-friendly, but still productive, life path. Mr. Gingold has provided an easily-read guidebook - a must read!

Were I able to articulate what I have been going through over the past years I would have chosen similar situations .It is as though I had written this book How good it feels when somebody understands truly understands .As most who have been through the difficulties of MS know it takes time, time to get the diagnosis, time to adjust to the limitations that seem to get ever worse, time to realize that you can no longer handle what you once may have found so simple, time to deal with the ever growing frustrations of mental limitations as well as the physical, Time to get those you love and care about to understand what you are going through,time to adapt to a new life .You can get through this ! What Mr.Gingold has shown here is he knows he really knows what it is all about. He aptly describes the frustrations we encounter on a daily basis, the fatigue of the mind, as well as of the body .You can reclaim some of the joys of life, you can live a bit more simple. he has given many helpful tips but for me nothing has been more helpful than to have another soul know what you are going through .I had been seeing a Neurologist for six years and found myself in the deepest pit of frustration as he said all I was going through related to diabetic neuropathies .MY GP sent me to the MS center here at a local hospital and like detectives working on an old dormant case the great personal here went back over my old records ordered tests and put all the pieces together until they solved the puzzle.I cannot tell you how good it felt when my wife and I sat down with Martha, she answered questions before we even got them out, she described what we were going through to us,just when we were at a point of questioning our own sanity, she gave us support .This is what Mr. Gingold does .All those strange feelings, fears, frustrations, The limitations that have been imposed upon you from God knows where and they can be so odd, like being unable to make a phone call, or to have papers build up on your desk without being able to respond , the mind freeze ,Loss of concentration thoughts blocked while in mid sentence ,someone moving about sending your nerves into a tailspin along with noise and confusion, being unable to do more than one thing at a time, the odd physical sensations and pain, most people know some degree of the physical difficulty. few seem to know the mental hardships which are just as devastating .It helps to know it is not just you.That others understand, you are not alone in what you are feeling, then you can begin to make some changes that will allow you to cope. Here Mr.Gingold offers some insights much the same as Martha did for my wife and I. That can make such a great and wonderful difference .My wife had been watching the man she has known for 35 years fade from view and she was unable to understand or stop the process .I worried for her as I felt myself become overwhelmed by everything .We are now working in a positive direction with the help of people like Martha, and with Mr.Gingold's book you can get a handle on your life and you can improve .Nothing was more helpful than to have someone understand and know just what you are going through Mr. Gingold articulates that so very well .and offers some very helpful realistic tips on how to cope and make the best of what you have . I thank him and all those wonderful people who work so hard to help us.

When you think of MS, you visualize the physical distruction of the disease. "Facing the Cognitive Challenges of Multiple Sclerosis" deals with the mental challenges. I was diagosed in 1998, and encourage Gingold's book as a must read for MS patients, their families, friends, and caregivers. Easy to read, I think his is the first book I've read that makes some sense out of the senseless world of Cognitive MS symptoms, treatments and maintenance routines. I've purchased two copies so far and have two more promised to the staff at the Mellen Center (Cleveland Clinic). If you know someone with MS - this book details what life is like for us. If you have MS, this book validates that perhaps we are not alone our a vast array of symptoms. Share it with anyone who needs to understand MS.

This has been the best book I have read since being diag. with MS. He has described my life in detailed and it is the first time I have felt that there is someone else out there that has been dealing with the same thing that I have dealing with....cognitive issues. It has been very comforting to read this book and I highly recommend this book to anyone who has MS or is dealing with cognitive issues. He allows the reader to join in his days and see what it is really like to have to deal with cognitive issues every day and know that you are not alone. Thank you for this book.

i thought that this book was terrific help to me in reading how someone else with ms experienced and dealt with ms' cognitive problems. yes, virginia, the cognitive problems are here and real... the emotional problems aree also real ... the brain is divided into sections, for which ms lesions can affect any part of our daily functioning!!! i felt like i'm not alone in this struggle ... i was disappointed that it didn't delve into greater detail about visiting a neuropsychologist and those tests and how neuropsychologists might interpret those reports and how he, if he ever did, go through the process of claiming disability ... i guess those are the limitations... overall, an outstanding book, very well written, and an excellent addition for anyone who suspects that their loved ones with ms might have cognitive problems (although i think that rossalyn(?)kalb's book is better for helping caregivers comprehend some of what we're going through) but this book gives those of us dealing with problems some hope and a feeling that we're not alone.

There have been times that I started to feel like I was losing my mind. Not remembering simple things, not finding that right word that is on the tip of my tongue and not recognizing people that I have already met and should know.

Jeff writes the book from a personal perspective that helps to let me know that I am not alone and I am not crazy. I may be losing some of the connections that help me remember things, but the lesions that come with MS sometimes can affect those connections.

I liked how he put perspectives at the end of each chapter. It helped to summarize what I read and makes it an easier reference to go back to later.

I also purchased his other book, Mental Sharpening Stones. It is also done in a nice format summarizing each chapter. In this book, he brings perspectives and real life stories from others with MS, a neurologist and it shares what techniques they have used to help deal with their cognitive issues.

This is a sensitive, well-written book which tells a personal story of the struggle to deal with some of the most challenging aspects of MS: memory loss, confusion, and difficulty thinking and working. If you have MS and are struggling with these issues, read this book!

As someone with MS, I often experience cognitive difficulties, which are quite scary. For example, I've driven down roads that I've been on countless times and find that I can't recognize where I am. The author has similar experiences. I'm grateful to Mr. Gingold for telling his story. I know what I'm experiencing is "normal" for MS. If you have similar experiences or have trouble explaining to family and friends, this book could be useful. Just keep in mind that MS is different for every 'body.' Let your medical team know your cognitive issues and don't be satisfied until you get the answers. Good Luck.

All the other books I've checked into have been CLINICAL. I'm happy to say, reading this book from someone who has experienced these things was so comforting. I laughed and cried and totally related. I even requested my husband and mother to read it. Cognitive issues are hard to explain so I told them, if you want to know how I feel and what I'm thinking when these things happen, read this book! Loved it!!!