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Library Reviews Archive
Reviews by: N.S. Kaye N. S. Kaye has been living with MS for the last 22 years. She has a Master's degree in Literature from McGill University in Montreal and worked for MS Quebec and McGill News Alumni Magazine from 1985 - 1995 as a literature reviewer. Title: Me and my Shadow Author: Carole Mackie Publication Information: Aurum Press Ltd, London, ©1999. Pages: 248 p. Reviewed by: N.S. Kaye ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Immediately, Carole Mackie’s choice of title is explained to the reader when she declares that “For those with MS the illness is a shadow they live with every day of their lives.” But have no doubt that there is hardly any negativity in this personal account of an existence with MS, and it affirms that “life with MS can still be fun fulfilling and challenging in the most positive way.”
Mackie tells her story with unfailing frankness and courage, and shows her resilience when she demonstrates how she has taken responsibility for her disease by effecting helpful lifestyle changes (complementary therapies, a healthy diet, etc.) and “lots and lots of sleep”, as she says.
This is a very realistic, but upbeat, story that tells how an individual can indeed take charge of this chronic illness rather than the other way around.
Title: Surviving Your Spouse’s Chronic Illness Author: Chris McGonigle, Ph.D. Publication Information: Henry Holt & Company, New York©1999. Pages: 238 Reviewed by: N.S. Kaye ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In her book, Chris McGonagle may come across as angry, but she makes a very relevant point. People living with a disease like MS most likely know about the domestic statistics that speak of broken marriages or the difficulty of coping with this unpredictable illness. And there is untold material of how, unless anyone has walked a mile in our shoes, no one can ever really understand the ravages of MS.
One can only surmise that MS is as intense and emotionally all-encompassing an experience looking at it from the inside as from the outside of an MS-riddled body. The far reaching empathy called for in the well spouse is not something commonly learned in our society. Is it any wonder that so many individuals, caregivers, friends and family of people with this mysterious disease cannot understand it?
McGonagle concludes that the answer may lie in finding that fine balance between walking a mile in another’s shoes while also walking a mile in your own. Title: The Multiple Sclerosis Diet Book Author: Roy L. Swank, M.D., PhD. & Mary-Helen Pullen Publication Information: Doubleday Inc., New York, © 1977 Pages: 326 Reviewed by: N.S. Kaye --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When I was first diagnosed with MS in 1988 at The Montreal Neurological Institute, The Swank Diet was a popularity rage that was dying out while the pharmaceutical Interferon rage was just beginning. Professor Swank was resident at the Neuro in the 40s and 50s until he moved on to The University of Oregon, but his theories have never lost their sway with the MS community. Swank’s principle idea is that the disease is very closely linked with “a marked variation in fat consumption in different parts of the world” (p. vii): the idea being that the less fat in a diet, the lower the incidence of MS.
Dr. Swank followed a number of patients over a number of years, and observed his theories panning out. And he also points out that “To obtain maximum benefit from treatment, we advocate its application as early as possible” (p. 3). Interferon-producing pharmaceutical companies also came to this conclusion, impressing upon the MS patient the benefits of early detection. But even Swank is careful not to discount the body’s reaction to positive thinking and a good attitude. Whichever of his ideas is workable for MS, certainly they all offer hope.
Title: Dietary Supplements and Multiple Sclerosis: A Health Professional’s Guide Author: Allen C. Bowling M.D., PhD. & Thomas M. Stewart JD, PA-C, MS. Publication Information: Demos Medical Publishing Inc., New York ©2004. Reviewed by: N.S. Kaye --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This can certainly be viewed as a reference book for GPs with MS patients who are curious to explore the various treatment options available to them. Bowling and Stewart’s compilation can in no way be called comprehensive or in depth, but perhaps it is not intended to be. It would offer a physician the “at your fingertips”, superficial information that allows a non-specialist in MS the means to point a person afflicted with MS, who wants to explore many treatments, in the right direction.
If the reader does not look at Dietary Supplements and Multiple Sclerosis: A Health Professional’s Guide as a research text but as a sign-post reference text, it could prove to be extremely helpful.
In Anne Katherine’s book she deals with the boundaries that an individual needs in her/his everyday life in order to exist peacefully. For those with MS, whether mild or severe, issues of privacy and dignity very easily top the list of these boundaries. Katherine describes these very well when she declares that our boundaries “protect our well-being and define us as unique and individual.” Katherine shows incredible insight and sensitivity in the chapter entitled, “The Wall Between”, when she states that “Boundaries bring order to our lives. As we learn to stregthen our boundaries, we gain a clearer sense of ourselves and our relationship to others. Boundaries empower us to determine how we’ll be treated by others. (p. 17) This certainly presents food for thought to the person living with MS: how to maintain your integrity without seeming ungrateful. Anne Katherine gives her reader a way to deal with this delicate balance, and yet live a creative and fulfilling life. For the individual fashioning a life in the company of MS, this can prove extremely helpful and encouraging.Top
At first glance, Boundaries Face to Face seemed a strange book in relation to MS. But the more I read through, the more I realized that, yes, it has everything to do with having MS. Cloud and Townsend, in this book, have hit upon a very, very crucial aspect of having an illness: the ability to realize that each of us unapologetically can and must take responsibility for our condition. As they put it, “Sometimes it’s just a matter of saying no so we don’t get overextended”. Setting limits, to a person living with MS, is a new thing. We’ve always been taught to do that little bit more, to go that extra mile; but we were never taught how to live with a disease. The rules changed on us, and now we must modify the rules: we simply cannot go the extra mile, even if we want to. So, what to do? Cloud and Townsend suggest putting new rules into this new game. But already anticipating the resentment that change can bring about, they wisely state, “To make someone aware of a problem, the best approach is always to be loving but direct.” (p. 105) In this vein, Cloud and Townsend offer sound and firm advice to an individual livi ng with MS and doing her/his best to find the way in a “new normal”.Top
Title: Climbing Higher There is no doubt that Montel Williams’ book provides quite a bit of inspiration, but perhaps that inspiration gets lost in the personal agenda. His book certainly gives a lot of very practical day to day information about MS. And the accounts that express his positive attitude make this book worthy of looking through. Williams himself says “I could go on barreling ahead, eyes front, shoulders hunched, trying to mow down obsticles, and i’d certainly get somewhere, but am I sure it’s where I truly want to go?” Williams’ book is a realisation that living with a disease like MS is not about moving mountains, but about really conquering them. “It’s time to climb a little higher. Take a clear look around and see where I am.” He has become a spokesperson and fundraiser for MS research in these days. The books he has published on MS are helpful albeit a little subjective. He makes a controversial case for marijuana usage and his own personal beliefs about treatment. However the chapters on doctors’ opinions as well as sexuality are quite helpful to the individual doing his/her best to live a normal life with MS. Williams’ too personal accounts of life with this disease weaken the book somewhat, but as anyone knows, they are necessary. I would not call Climbing Higher essential, but I would say it can be helpful in the spirit that comes forth. Top Title: Multiple Sclerosis: A Self-Help Guide to Its Management After having lived with MS for over 14 years, Judy Graham has obviously found a way to take charge of this illness rather than letting it take charge of her. In her helpful design of MS magagement, Graham empowers her reader by covering recent reseach in various self-help therapies like: diet, food supplements, exerceise, and yoga. Where a conventionally minded reader may become a little wary, would de when encountering chapters entitled, “Holistic medicine” (ch. 10) or “hyperbaric oxygen treatment” (ch. 13). I feel these alternative views simply represent Graham’s beliefs, and there is no discomfort of doubt that she is very much in touch with the various everyday obstacles encountered by an individual with MS. Her handling of topics such as: mental attitude (ch. 16), hints on daily living (ch. 17) and relationships and sex (ch. 18) offer enlightened advice for a reader trying to find a positive way to tackle the complex obstacles encountered when living with MS.
Dr. Jon Kabet-Zinn’s very helpful and encouraging book is unabashedly about meditation, which he calls mindfulness. He informs the reader that this concept stems from Buddhism, but, as he says it is more about the fact that “We are often more asleep than awake to the unique beauty and possibilities of each present moment as it unfolds.” In this very easy and simple book, Kabet-Zinn offers the individual living with MS a chance to cultivate this mindfulness into a less than simple life. This is by no means a practical “how-to” book on living with a disease like MS. But it will show an individual the way to live with “spirit, clarity, and ease”. It offers a person a philosophical way of living day to day with a disease that requires management. Kabet-Zinn’s views support the individual trying to see the big picture, while dealing practically with the daily trials of MS. Admitedly, Wherever You Go There You Are offers very unhelpful aphorisms like “It is an inner hearing you attending to, just as it is an inner soil that is being tilled for the cultivation of mindfulness.” pp.47 These kinds of sentiments are liberally sprikled throughout the book, and it is possible that a person living with MS may not be patient with it. But there is no denying that a book like this could indeed proove helpful to the peace of mind of an individual who wants to look beyond the everyday. I can’t say Kabat-Zinn’s book will be readily helpful to an individual living with MS, but it will certainly be encouraging. Top
The foreword, as an introduction to the endeavor to exercise with MS offers a factual, if clinical, approach to physical activity: “The benefits of exercise are numerous and include reduction in fatigue, spasticity and pain.” (p. 3). Like the rest of the book, it is indeed helpful to know this factual information, but there is nothing warm and encouraging in this foreword written by an individual who has the credentials, “RN, MN, MSCN”. Everybody Stretch begins with some very practical tips in sections called “It’s okay to stop and start”, “Feeling hot, hot, hot” and ”Pain is not gain” (pp. 5 & 6). This functional booklet gets really helpful when Fowler begins to spell out things that an MS reader would be most conscious of when exercising: balance, fatigue, coordination, and comfort. These issues are dealt with in a practical helpful and factual way and address the real-life encounters of a person with MS. The strongest feature of this workbook is the adaption it describes for each level of disability in MS. This is very relevant because it takes into account the day-to-day fluctuations in MS, and the fact that MS is a very individualized disease. The diagrams and the clear language of this workbook make it extremely easy to use. But it’s quite clear that a self-directed person with ample motivation is the individual that will benefit most from Fowler’s book. The fact that “Emotional Rating” is given a 1 – 10 scale on a worksheet (p. 13) tells the reader living with MS that this will be a very helpful book, physically. But if there are other dimensions of MS to be dealt with, here is not the place. Top
Unless you are an upper-middle class suburban female, don’t have unrealistic expectations that this book will meet your needs. Certainly Napier’s stress on good nutrition, particularly during illness, is a good reminder for people who would have a natural tendency to neglect this important source of fuel during times of low energy or practical physical difficulty. The chapter dealing specifically with Multiple Sclerosis disappointingly reiterates the myths of MS: Like that it “strikes between ages thirty and fifty” (p. 191); the low fat diet (p. 192) and the emphasis on Omega-3 fatty acids (p. 193), but it does indeed provide some sound information on good nutrition, for example the section entitled, “Eat for a Healthy Immune System” and the practical information given in the sections, “Vitamin B12” and “Vitamin E”. The menu planning may be helpful to some with its good ideas and motivation to follow a system. While many will find the information in Napier’s book gratuitous, it does have the advantage of educating the reader with basic nutritional information. Top
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - The first thing that strikes the reader of this short publication is that it opens on a very, very hopeful and encouraging note, with the first section entitled, “Never mind the myths – just get moving!” (p. 2) and it manages to sustain this tone throughout. Keeping physically active at whatever the ability level is the key here. This booklet provides incredible motivation, and it stresses the mental, emotional, and, most importantly, the physical benefits of activity. It points out that activity is the optimum way to live with a disease like MS. It is also a way that makes living with MS more ideal and more possible. The publication is careful to point out that it’s important the activities it speaks of, “take place under highly professional supervision, in cooperation with many specialists.” (p. 3) This booklet speaks of the many side effects of remaining physically active, other than the obvious physical benefits that will help in living with MS. Sections entitled “Avoiding social exclusion” (p. 3), “A dynamic approach to motor rehabilitation” (p. 8) and “The dangers of physical inactivity” (p. 7) are especially helpful in meeting this end. Certainly, the reader with MS is reassured about care for limitations, with some sections entitled, “The fundamental principals” (p. 9), “Expert advice” (p. 13), and “The benefits” (p. 13). This offers a reader with MS the reassurance and sensitivity called for by this disease.Top
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The positiveness and upbeat nature of Margaret Blackstone’s Multiple Sclerosis: The First Year speaks volumes about the hopeful and compassionate nature of this book. Blackstone obviously knows whereof she speaks, being an MS patient herself, and she brings this empathy and understanding to the writing of her book. She has split each chapter into sections of “Living” and “Learning” which cover various very necessary topics like: Coping, Debunking myths and Management. Blackstone also doesn’t neglect practical areas like employment, insurance and starting a family. Her no nonsense approach to stress, sex and travel, inspire the confidence in Blackstone’s readers that MS can largely be dealt with in a common sense manner; but she is neither short on emotional understanding nor a humorous perspective. One factor that might be somewhat dismaying to the reader is Blackstone’s very constant and repetitive reliance on pharmaceutical products for all of MS’s symptoms. While “Benadryl” or “Dramamine” (p. 87) will surely help dizziness and vertigo, some natural products or simply a quiet day’s rest may do the trick. But this drawback in the book can only serve to make the reader think for her/him self, and explore all the possibilities available to an individual.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - -- - - - I must say that my initial reaction upon reading Multiple Sclerosis – A Guide for the Newly Diagnosed was an emotional one: I laughed and I cried. I was sad that at my discovery that I had MS in 1982, I could find none of this kind of information; and felt joy that this helpful, even encouraging, information was now available to individuals living with this disease. The helpful and upbeat manner in which Holland et al present their very practical information is outlined in their clearly worded chapter titles like ”What is the Cause of Multiple Sclerosis/”, “Practical Guidelines”, and “Coping with Multiple Sclerosis”. Not only are the well-written chapters and positive language a tremendous source of upliftment, but with selections entitled “Numbness”, “Pain”, “Bladder Control”, “Bowel Control”, “Fatigue”, etc., make this book informative as well as helpful to the MS patient on a day-to-day basis. The only query that Multiple Sclerosis – A Guide for the Newly Diagnosed poses is its presumption that individuals with MS all come from a mainstream background in corporate employment. The absence of alternative families, alternative living arrangements and alternative employment styles can make some people who live with MS feel excluded from Holland et al’s book, but this can indeed be remedied by some resourcefulness on the reader’s part. Title: Me and my Shadow --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Immediately, Carole Mackie’s choice of title is explained to the reader when she declares that “For those with MS the illness is a shadow they live with every day of their lives.” But have no doubt that there is hardly any negativity in this personal account of an existence with MS, and it affirms that “life with MS can still be fun fulfilling and challenging in the most positive way.” Mackie tells her story with unfailing frankness and courage, and shows her resilience when she demonstrates how she has taken responsibility for her disease by effecting helpful lifestyle changes (complementary therapies, a healthy diet, etc.) and “lots and lots of sleep”, as she says. This is a very realistic, but upbeat, story that tells how an individual can indeed take charge of this chronic illness rather than the other way around.
Title: Surviving Your Spouse’s Chronic Illness --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In her book, Chris McGonagle may come across as angry, but she makes a very relevant point. People living with a disease like MS most likely know about the domestic statistics that speak of broken marriages or the difficulty of coping with this unpredictable illness. And there is untold material of how, unless anyone has walked a mile in our shoes, no one can ever really understand the ravages of MS. One can only surmise that MS is as intense and emotionally all-encompassing an experience looking at it from the inside as from the outside of an MS-riddled body. The far reaching empathy called for in the well spouse is not something commonly learned in our society. Is it any wonder that so many individuals, caregivers, friends and family of people with this mysterious disease cannot understand it? McGonagle concludes that the answer may lie in finding that fine balance between walking a mile in another’s shoes while also walking a mile in your own.
Title: The Multiple Sclerosis Diet Book ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When I was first diagnosed with MS in 1988 at The Montreal Neurological Institute, The Swank Diet was a popularity rage that was dying out while the pharmaceutical Interferon rage was just beginning. Professor Swank was resident at the Neuro in the 40s and 50s until he moved on to The University of Oregon, but his theories have never lost their sway with the MS community. Swank’s principle idea is that the disease is very closely linked with “a marked variation in fat consumption in different parts of the world” (p. vii): the idea being that the less fat in a diet, the lower the incidence of MS. Dr. Swank followed a number of patients over a number of years, and observed his theories panning out. And he also points out that “To obtain maximum benefit from treatment, we advocate its application as early as possible” (p. 3). Interferon-producing pharmaceutical companies also came to this conclusion, impressing upon the MS patient the benefits of early detection. But even Swank is careful not to discount the body’s reaction to positive thinking and a good attitude. Whichever of his ideas is workable for MS, certainly they all offer hope.
Title: Dietary Supplements and Multiple Sclerosis: A Health Professional’s Guide Author: Allen C. Bowling M.D., PhD. & Thomas M. Stewart JD, PA-C, MS. Publication Information: Demos Medical Publishing Inc., New York ©2004. Pages: 110 Reviewed by: N.S. Kaye ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This can certainly be viewed as a reference book for GPs with MS patients who are curious to explore the various treatment options available to them. Bowling and Stewart’s compilation can in no way be called comprehensive or in depth, but perhaps it is not intended to be. It would offer a physician the “at your fingertips”, superficial information that allows a non-specialist in MS the means to point a person afflicted with MS, who wants to explore many treatments, in the right direction. The authors don’t pretend to offer the kind of research information that an MS patient couldn’t easily find in a library or resource centre, but they do hope to confirm both the patient’s and the physician’s ideas about various alternatives. These are offered with an eye to their “possible efficacy and popularity”, keeping in mind “dosages, interactions with drugs and other dietary supplements, contraindications, and side effects” ( p. ix). If the reader does not look at Dietary Supplements and Multiple Sclerosis: A Health Professional’s Guide as a research text but as a sign-post reference text, it could prove to be extremely helpful.
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