Customer Reviews

Living Well with Autoimmune Disease: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell You...That You Need to Know

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

As an woman with autoimmune condition, Graves' disease, I have been desperately looking for information to help me in my efforts to improve my health. I am very grateful for Mary Shomon's book, because it's a fresh approach, and doesn't back off of looking at alternative and natural medicine options, but does include all the standard information (symptoms, how it's diagnosed, traditional treatments) that some people want.

As for me, I struggled for years with symptoms that were vague, and were pooh-poohed by the numerous doctors, until finally hitting on the right doctor to get a diagnosis. That was when my horror story just began, because I had to go through the dreadful maze of antithyroid drugs, radioiodine and thyroid treatment. What a mess. Since that time, I have suspected that I might have other conditions as well [symptoms of Raynaud's, arthritis, hair loss, I am even worried at times that I might be getting lupus], but most doctors look at me like I am losing my mind when I raise the risk of autoimmune disease, or complain about these symptoms as related to my Graves' disease.

I learned a great deal reading about the more than 30 conditions discussed in depth. They're grouped according to the organs or systems under autoimmune attack (like hair & skin, gastrointestinal, and such), which I've not seen done anywhere else.

There's a chapter that's just a list of symptoms and various things that put you at risk for autoimmune diseases. It's particularly detailed -- that list alone would have made this book worth its weight in gold to me back when I was struggling with mysterious symptoms and my GP and I couldn't figure it out. It would have saved me months of fear, and helped us narrow down the field pretty quickly, instead of going to a neurologist, an infectious disease specialist and a gynecologist before they figured out I had Graves' disease.

The writer has included information I had not seen in any other book, including the use of antibiotic and anti-pathogen therapies, how supplements and diet can help the immune system without suppressing it, the role of diet, detoxification and food allergies in autoimmune disease, and natural antiviral therapies. I'm taking the book to my latest practitioner [my current doctor is actually pretty understanding on these conditions] and he and I will use the book to continue finetuning my efforts to feel better. (FWIW, I'm also using Elaine Moore's terrific book on Graves' disease, Mary Shomon's other book which is on thyroid problems, and the Paleo Diet, which are all helping as well.)

As a fan of integrative medicine, I'm glad to see someone finally look at autoimmune disease from this perspective, and offer me some practical things I can actually do to help my own health. I can wholeheartedly recommend this book.

I had been diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder, the doctors just did not know which one. There was a baffling array of symptoms that suggested that there were two disorders involved. Which two? The lack of information, and the lack of something specific to research, was maddening.

This book helped it all make sense to me. Seeing all the possible disorders and all the possible symptoms, it became clear how difficult it was for the doctors to pinpoint a problem. It also helped me to realize that I did not need a label before I could begin working for a treatment. This book gave enough information for me to feel more in control and to familiarize me with the different diseases that were possibilities. Now I know which symptoms could be significant and should be reported. Things that did not seemed trivial before now have a different level of importance. But without guidance, I would not know what was worthwhile to report. Now I can be a better patient and can help my doctor narrow the diagnosis.

This book was an excellent springboard to new topics to research and possible treatment avenues that might be worth investigating. The references for more information -- and why you would care -- was helpful too. This is a great book for those new to the autoimmune disease community.

In Living Well With Autoimmune Disease, Mary shows the reader how to successfully take charge of their autoimmune condition. Mary empowers her readers by showing how the best of both conventional and alternative medicine can be incorporated into a lifestyle plan. She not only teaches us about cutting-edge therapies, she explains how lifestyle changes contribute to healing. Showing us how diet, stress, and environmental toxins affect immune system health, she invites the reader to take charge and reduce their symptoms. By including anecdotes, symptom lists, and recommendations from a wide array of medical practitioners, Mary makes this book very user friendly and a welcome addition to any personal library.

Having treated auto-immune conditions for over 20 years, I am delighted to finally have a book on the subject that I can recommend to my patients wholeheartedly. Mary Shoman has done a truly superb job in collecting and coordinating a wide variety of very helpful diagnostic and therapeutic information. I am especially please to see the inclusion of both conventional and alternative approaches. In fact, her book makes more sense out of the auto-immune challenge than most of the medical textbooks I have read.

Best of all, this richly packed comprehensive overview is easily readable and understandable. Her action plans are a compelling incentive for patients to take health issues into their own hands. Her detailed list of resources and references together rounds out a sparkling achievement. With auto-immune illness increasing dramatically all over the world, EVERYONE needs to read this book.

Two years ago I dragged myself to the doctor for blood tests after a friend told me to read Mary Shomon's Living Well with Hypothyroidism. Reading that book changed my life, it gave me the tools I needed to DEMAND correct treatment by my doctor. I've been waiting for Living Well with Autoimmune Disease to read more about Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (my autoimmune disease) and to share the book with my mother, who suffers from Raynaud's Phenomenon. I can't believe that Ms. Shomon keeps writing books that *I* need; it's like she's a close personal friend.

So far my mother has already taken what she's read in this book and written it all down to ask her doctor questions about changing her current treatment. To empower my mom this way is just a gift.

I need to buy two more copies now, as I know folks with Crohn's Disease who will benefit greatly from Ms. Shomon's wisdom. 5 Stars.

I bought this book after being told by my doctor that I have an autoimmune disease, she just does not know which one. This book is very well written, informative, and easy to read. I learned a lot about the cause of autoimmune diseases and how the immune system works. My only complaints about the book are that there is no index showing what disease is on what page and not all the autoimmune diseases are discussed in the book. The author grouped the diseases by what parts of the body they affect. In the beginning of the book there is a list of all the autoimmune diseases, but the book does not tell you what section they are under or what page to find them on. Also, not all the diseases listed are explained in the book. I was looking for a book that would explain all of the diseases. If you have a fairly common AID, then you will be pleased with the book. If you have a not-so-common one then you are out of luck.

Having been diagnosed with an AD (Chrohn's Disease) six years ago and not changing my living habits, I found myself hospitalized and in need of surgery (double ostomy). Since this surgery I have found myself reevaluating my life. I have trying to absorb all of the information about Chrohn's and AD in general.

This is the third book about AD that I have read and by far the best of the three. The other two were medical text books that contained a lot of technical information with little practicality. They went into a lot of depth about what AD is and current treatments, but they did not go into any depth about living with an AD.

This book gives great information about all AD and what you as the patient can do to prevent getting more AD (yes if you have one it is easier to get another), and treatments (mostly herbal and general diet guidelines) that a doctor won't discuss with you.

Although this is a great book in that it covers all AD, it does not go into any significant depth. What I came to realize is that all of the information that I had read (specifically with Chrohn's) was previously provided in all of the AD specific books that I had read. I learned nothing new about my disease (except that if you have one AD it is easier to get another).

If you have just been diagnosed with an AD, then I would highly recommend reading this book, but I don't think it was worth adding it to my "medical" library (check it out from the library). After that explore you AD and use the information in this book to get started on your treatment.

I was diagnosed with auto immune hearing loss 2 years ago, and although my condition is so rare that it didn't make it in the book, the general information in it changed my life. Through reading the book, I was encouraged to figure out if I had a food allergy. Discovering a food allergy (to wheat) changed my life and my body. It put my chaotic body into a state of order for the first time in 5 years, and I had more energy than I had known in my life.

Carol
Grand Haven, Michigan

This book gives some good background on various autoimmune disorders, some of which I didn't know are actually classified as autoimmune, and some I'd never heard of. However, I found this book to possess more breadth than depth. It mentions many autoimmune disorders, but it does not always go into depth about every disorder that is mentioned; on the other hand some disorders rate their own sections.

This book is worth owning anyway, since it brings up both conventional and alternative treatments, and it's a place to start your journey. If you find something of interest in this book, you'll probably need to reference other books or information elsewhere to get the rest of the details.

Nationally-recognized patient advocate Mary Shomon has scored another success with her latest book, Living Well With Autoimmune Disease. As a physician, I've recommended her book on hypothyroidism to many patients, and this new work is equally valuable. Addressing the conventional diagnostic and therapeutic modalities as well as including thoughtful and intelligent discussions of alternative therapies and lifestyle measures to help symptom control, this book is a must for anyone suffering from autoimmune disease or having a family history of these conditions.

Written in accessible form, the book is packed with information, including extensive lists of references and resources on patient support and advocacy services. I particularly applaud Shomon's emphasis on patient empowerment and becoming an educated health consumer. Also included are information on choosing the right doctor for you, and practical lifestyle tips including stress management advice.

I highly recommend this book to both patients and practitioners.