Product Details
The First Year: Multiple Sclerosis: An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed

The First Year: Multiple Sclerosis: An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed
By Margaret Blackstone

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Product Description

One of the most widely recommended guides to living with multiple sclerosis, now completely revised and updated, including the latest research, the most recent information on treatments (including the news on Tysabri®), and new tips for managing MS. Multiple sclerosis is as much a mystery as it is a disease, but this chronic and often disabling condition of the central nervous system affects over 400,000 people nationwide. From the moment of her diagnosis in 2000, Margaret Blackstone took charge and educated herself on every aspect of her condition. Now, as a "patient-expert," she guides those newly diagnosed step-by-step through their first year with MS. She provides crucial information about: The most up-to-date treatment options Effective alternative therapies Choosing the right medical team Discussing your condition with family, friends, and co-workers Current medical research Stress management and exercises Extensive online and community resources Strategies for accomplishing necessary lifestyle changes

Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #40430 in Books
  • Published on: 2007-01-31
  • Original language: English
  • Number of items: 1
  • Binding: Paperback
  • 288 pages

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Editorial Reviews

Review
"A courageous book, as practical as it is compassionate." -- Marc Siegel, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, NYU Medical Center

"Blackstone's book offers the best medicine there is: hope through knowledge and positive action." -- Studs Terkel, author and oral historian

"[Offers] practical answers at a time of profound fragility." -- Richard Cohen, The New York Times

About the Author

Margaret Blackstone is a graduate of Yale University. She was awarded the Murray Fellowship and wrote and translated poetry in Mexico for a year. She is the author of several books on a variety of medical topics, including Beat Diabetes and Recovering from a C-Section, and a poet and an award-winning author of children’s books. She lives in Greenwich Village with her family.
Saud A. Sadiq, MD, is the Director of The Multiple Sclerosis Research and Treatment Center and Chairman, Department of Neurology, at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital in New York.
Contributor residences: Blackstone: New York, New York; Sadiq: New York, New York

Customer Reviews

great book5
I was actually diagnosed a year and a half ago so this book was less useful for me but boy, I sure would have loved to have had it those first few weeks and months when I was going through the stages of grief and trying to deal with so many emotions and thoughts all at once. This is better than the "newly diagnosed" book I had when I was hit with this reality. I can really see myself in these pages. It walks through all sorts of things you face emotionally but also gets to aswering questions that you have when first diagnosed. The book is broken down into chapters called Day 1, Day 2, etc. Really it's more like Week 1, week 2 etc. But within each chapter it has "living" which talks about what you may be feeling emotionally and it gives good perspective on that emotion; and then it has a section on 'learning" and that's where certain questions about MS or about living with MS are addressed. Each chapter is broken out that way. So it addresses not only the emotional side but also the thinking side. I think its a great book. Even though I'm past many of these questions I keep the book around and refer to it once in awhile to give myself a kick in the pants to exercise or eat better, etc. As my doctor told me, MS is like running a marathon - you're in it for the long haul. It took me a year to really understand what was meant by "chronic" illness -ie.e., yea this really isn't going to go away. This book is great though in helping to be proactive about the disease, not feeling gloom and doom. Highly recommended.

Good introduction to life with MS4
I thought this was a good general introduction for those newly diagnosed with mild symptoms of MS. It's a little less scary than some of the others. Since it's newer then many other books on the market, there is more emphasis on hope for the future.
Women will like this book better than men. The emotional & wellness essays are strongest aspect of the book. There were a couple of minor errors in fact but overall a very good book.

The best book for the newly diagnosed5
I wish I would have found this book first when I was newly diagnosed instead of some of the scarier books out there. This book really helps you understand not just your disease and the tests and procedures you must undergo, but also the emotional process you will experience, from anger to fear to self-pity. The author has MS and shares her experiences without being alarmist or depressing. This book really lifted my sprits and made me feel like I could handle my disease. If you have MS or are getting testing and want helpful information, this is the right book.