Fibromyalgia: Up Close & Personal [Paperback]

Mark J. Pellegrino (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2005 | ISBN-10: 1890018503 | ISBN-13: 978-1890018504 | Edition: 2

Mark J. Pellegrino, MD has just completed Fibromyalgia: Up Close Personal, his 10th book on fibromyalgia. He is one of the foremost writers and speakers on this disease which he has devoted his life to treating and which he himself has lived with since childhood. Dr. Pellegrino brings readers up-to-date with the newest drug and physical treatments for fibromyalgia. He also presents the latest thinking on diet and exercise to help people with this condition lead a full life. Up Close Personal is packed with 43 chapters of inside medical information and hands-on practical advice for everyday living. Recognized by fibromyalgia sufferers for understanding what they are going through, Dr. Pellegrino is a welcoming and encouraging presence for everyone with this conditionand this quality comes through very clearly in his writing. It's as if each person reading his book is having a private consultation with Dr. Pellegrino about their shared disease. In Up Close Personal Dr. Pellegrino has enlisted two leading attorneys to bring readers much needed insight into disability and personal injury issues. Also, he asked a knowledgeable physician to contribute a chapter on the common problem of post-traumatic fibromyalgia caused by whiplash.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

The doctor who has fibromyalgia and specializes in treating this condition has completed his 10th book on fibromyalgia. Dr. Mark Pellegrino is one of the foremost writers and speakers on this disease which he has devoted his life to treating. Readers of Up Close & Personal achieve the ability to guide their own treatment and to develop coping skills to make the most of their lives. Over 15,000 fibromyalgia patients have entrusted their "well-being" to Dr. Pellegrino, and the same proven help and advice he gives his own patients can be found in this book.

From the Author

As a patient and a physician, I have come to appreciate how complex this condition really is, and that every individual is affected differently. Since fibromyalgia is the most common condition I see in my practice, I am committed to helping these patients reach their fullest abilities and try to have the best quality of life possible, despite having fibromyalgia.

My simple philosophy in treating fibromyalgia is to find whatever works. This includes a responsible and successful home program and a good mental outlook. In Up Close & Personal, I’ve combined the accumulated professional and personal experiences to help my patients gain insight and useful knowledge.

By arming the reader of this book with knowledge, experience, and some timely guidance, we all have the chance to overcome the effects of fibromyalgia and ultimately conquer it.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 424 pages
• Publisher: Anadem Publishing; 2 edition (January 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1890018503
• ISBN-13: 978-1890018504
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #334,376 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #94 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Disorders & Diseases > Chronic Fatigue Syndrome & Fibromyalgia
  • #95 in Books > Medical Books > Pharmacology > Pain Medicine

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book helps you, help yourself !, June 26, 2005

By 

Ann M. Evans "Patient, Writer, Support Group ... (Akron, Ohio) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fibromyalgia: Up Close & Personal (Paperback)

I think you will find that there is valuable information for all types of fibromyalgia patients in Dr. Pellegrino's latest work, "Fibromyalgia: Up Close and Personal." It is a comprehensive and expanded version of his earlier book, "Inside Fibromyalgia." The update information should be helpful to a range of patients and in particular those that are newly diagnosed. For the newly diagnosed patient, validation of this diagnosis, from a physician that has fibromyalgia himself, is so important.

For the long term patients with more resistant forms of fibromyalgia, like myself, it is comforting to encounter a physician that can state (p. 231)"There are no easy answers." "I try to emphasize that their pain is not their fault or caused by something they are doing wrong." In my interactions with physicans, it is rare that fibromyalgia veteran leaves the doctor's office without being blamed for their condition. I think Dr. Pellegrno shows a perspective rarely considered by most physicians and it is the biggest strength of the book.

I think this book can help you, help yourself.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The newest from Dr. Pellegrino shines..., April 26, 2006

By 

Margy Squires "Health Writer" (Fountain Hills, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fibromyalgia: Up Close & Personal (Paperback)

To say that Dr. Mark Pellegrino has done it again is quite the understatement. At first glance, you may be a bit overwhelmed but don't let the size of Up Close and Personal intimidate you. While it's not a weekend read-I tried that for my review - the 400 plus pages are worth their weight in gold even if you risk a fibro-flare carrying it home from the bookstore! It's a reference book that mixes a blend of fibromyalgia history, diagnosis, therapy, research and legalese with a twist of Dr. Pellegrino's unique sense of humor. Dr. Pellegrino puts it best in his own words, "My approach has been to help all patients deal with their symptoms, first by helping them understand fibromyalgia, and second to encourage them to use successful strategies to become a fibromyalgia survivor". Author of several other fibromyalgia books and a physician with a clinical practice experience of more than 15,000 patients, he's more than qualified to share his opinion.

Still, you may be asking why you would need another fibromyalgia book. After all, is there really anything new to write about? For the newly diagnosed, this book is an easy to understand reference. For the seasoned, it's updated to include the latest in fibromyalgia research including chiari malformation, nutrition and the legal aspects of post-traumatic fibromyalgia, updates gleaned in the three years since his last book, Inside Fibromyalgia. While 400 pages may seem daunting, the book is divided into six sections, with 6-8 chapters in each section, which helps the reader break down and absorb the well-presented information. In addition, exclamation points on certain pages draw your attention to helpful bite-sized facts. For those wanting more, at the end of each chapter is a resource list "If You Want to Know More" that satisfies their appetite. Illustrations help the reader get a visual focus on what is being explained verbally and the only stick figures you'll find are the ones getting tastefully into "comfortable positions" in the chapter on Sex & Intimacy.

Even the title Up Close and Personal, Dr. Pellegrino explains, was chosen because "I see it up close in my patients, and I deal with it on a personal basis every day. I understand fibromyalgia". Throughout the book, he profiles several of these patients in Up Close Patient Snapshot like "The Rodeo Roper's Rotator Woe", as well as himself in Personal Profile. One of my favorite glimpses of Dr. Pellegrino that he shares is how his deafness helped him later in dealing with fibromyalgia. Nobody likes to think they are different. But with his great sense of style, you almost want fibromyalgia so you can be "just like Mark". Not to be left out of the updates are familiar favorites from previous books -- such as FMS Greeting Cards, Famous Last Words Before a Flare (FLAWS) and Fibronyms. Dr. Pellegrino also includes what he calls his "diversionary writings" which lighten up the complex task of explaining fibromyalgia, although he doesn't need much help as he does it so well. Previous topics are expanded -- nutritional approaches (including weight loss!) and post-traumatic fibromyalgia -- and new topics on disability and legal issues are added, written by attorneys who deal specifically with medical-legal issues.

Is there any that Up Close and Personal lacks? I don't think so. Even if Dr. Pellegrino's explanation that "As part of my therapy, I enjoy writing" may be true, it is therapeutic as well for his readers who benefit from this catharsis. His dedication to educating and empowering the reader into becoming a "fibromyalgia victor"--his new slogan-is both a support and a challenge. Dr. Pellegrino claims that "his simple philosophy is treating fibromyalgia is to find whatever works", but it's his personal caring that comes through in each of his books. This one is no exception. Buy the book - it may be the only fibromyalgia book you will need-until he writes his next one!

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fibromyalgia Support Group Leader, Medical Social Worker, FMS sufferer for over 30 years, June 22, 2005

By 

R.Kate Greer (New Mexico, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fibromyalgia: Up Close & Personal (Paperback)

As with all of Dr. Pelligrino's books one knows he knows what he speaks of. Both as a DR. who treats people with this and other allied conditions and as a person with Fibromyalgia. He is up to date with research and writes clearly and informatively. I have and will continue to recomend this book to the many people with FMS I speak to.