The First Year--Lupus: An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed [Paperback]

Nancy C. Hanger (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2, 2003 | Series: The First Year

Lupus affects an estimated 1.5 million people in the U.S.—90 percent of whom are women—but due to the diversity of its symptoms and severity, it remains one of the most difficult conditions to identify and diagnose. In the tradition of the other titles in the First Year™ series, The First Year™—Lupus uses a unique approach—guiding readers through their first seven days following diagnosis, then the next three weeks of their first month, and finally the next eleven months of their first year—to provide answers and advice that will help everyone newly diagnosed with lupus come to terms with their condition and the lifestyle changes that accompany it. Starting with the day of diagnosis, Hanger provides vital information about the nature of lupus, choosing the right doctors, treatment options, coping mechanisms, holistic alternatives, and much more. The First Year™—Lupus will be a supportive and educational resource for everyone who wants to take an active role in the management of their condition. Although Lupus is not preventable or curable, this illustrated book explains how symptoms can be treated through prescription medications and self-management strategies.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Includes special sections on coping with chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, discoid and overlapping lupus, Sjögren’s and Raynaud’s syndromes, the lupus mask, sleep disorders, and lupus and pregnancy

About the Author

NANCY C. HANGER is a freelance writer and editor who was diagnosed with lupus in the early 1990s. She is the coauthor of Essential Business Tactics for the Net and a columnist for BYTE.com and WIRED News. Her freelance business, Windhaven Press, handles book editing and production for most of the major New York publishing houses. She lives in New Hampshire.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press; 1 edition (October 2, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1569245096
• ISBN-13: 978-1569245095
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #114,377 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #4 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Disorders & Diseases > Lupus
  • #8 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Disorders & Diseases > Rheumatic Diseases
  • #29 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Disorders & Diseases > Immune Systems

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Definitely Essential!, June 29, 2004

By 

Inge Nakel (Newburyport, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The First Year--Lupus: An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed (Paperback)

Many thanks to Nancy Hanger for outlining the things that a Lupus patient needs to know. She organizes the information in such easy bites that it doesn't overwhelm you. The explanations are clear and the information is valuable. So many doctors rely on information (or misinformation) based on what they learned about Lupus back in medical school twenty years ago. Even some rheumatologists dance around the diagnosis, the symptoms, what you should be told. Nancy Hanger spells it out clearly.

If you are newly diagnosed, or even if you've had Lupus for a while, this is A Must Read. Thank you, Nancy Hanger.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Important Information Every Newly Lupus Diagnosed Patient (and their friends and families) Needs to Know, March 19, 2006

By 

D. Moses (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The First Year--Lupus: An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed (Paperback)

I found this book very informative and it helped me personally answer many questions that I have had about how I'm feeling, not only now, but for many years. I found that I personally had many of these symptoms for the past 20 years, yet it took the medical profession to finally give me a diagnosis after being hospitalized for over 2 weeks with zero white count, bone marrow suppression, and many other symptoms in this book. I was tested for every disease from HIV to Hepititis B & C, all negative and 3 bone marrow biopsies that were incluclusive as I did not have enough bone marrow to test and my red cells and platelets started depleteing. As a friend put it I had a Text Book Case of Lupus, yet, my rheumatologist couldn't give me a Lupus Diagnosis until I finally had a Full Blown Lupus Flare Up, although, 2 years ago I did have a postive ANA test, they had to wait for the flare up, which did not occur until 2 and half years after my hospitalization. This book is not only helpful to the patient, but to their families and friends also. I copied many sections to give to friends so they could better understand what I was going through. I also ordered more books for family members, so they also could understand why I act the way I do or feel the way I do, but also Lupus can be hereditary and I believe we all need to better educate ourselves with our familie's medical histories. I believe this author did a very well and informative job on educating those people who are newly diagnosed with Lupus.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have for all lupus patients, August 27, 2005

By 

Tonks18 (Stillwater, OK USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The First Year--Lupus: An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed (Paperback)

This book helped me so much and I have been diagnosed for over a year. The author explains everything so that it is easy to understand and is very thorough. You are supposed to read the book throughout the year, but it took me four days. It read almost like a novel.