The First Year: Fibromyalgia An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed

by Florence, Mari; Marek, Claudia Craig; St. Armand, R. Paul

• ISBN13: 9781569245217
• ISBN10: 1569245215
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-05-27
• Publisher: Balance
• More Book Details
• Purchase Benefits

Summary

Fibromyalgia affects millions of people in the United States, but as a condition with wide-ranging symptoms and no tests available yet for diagnosis, it remains one of the most difficult to identify and treat. When Claudia Craig Marek was definitively diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 1991, she found very little information, advice, or support for coping with her condition. Marek decided to take charge of her health and educate herself on every aspect of fibromyalgia -- by reading medical and scientific books and journals, talking with doctors, and networking with other people who have the condition. Now, as a "patient-expert," she shares her unrivaled experience and knowledge, walking those newly diagnosed step-by-step through their first year with fibromyalgia. By providing reliable, useful, empathetic, and up-to-date information you need to know when you most need to know it, The First Year -- Fibromyalgia is an indispensable resource for everyone learning to cope with this condition. Book jacket.

Author Biography

Claudia Craig Marek, M.A., is a medical assistant who has counseled fibromyalgia patients for more than a dozen years. She lives in Los Angeles

Table of Contents

FOREWORD BY R. PAUL BT. AMANDA M.D	xiii
INTRODUCTION	xvii
DAY 1
Living: Getting the Right Doctor to Diagnose You	1	(5)
Learning: Relaying Your symptoms to Your Doctor	6	(4)
DAY 2
Living: What Fibromyalgia Is-And Isn't	10	(3)
Learning: Coming to Terms with a Complex Illness	13	(7)
DAY 3
Living: Musculoskeletal Symptoms: Mapping Your Pain	20	(6)
Learning: Taking a Closer Look at Your Pain	26	(7)
DAY 4
Living: Some of it Is in Your Head: The Central Nervous system	33	(11)
Learning: Coping Strategies for CNS Symptoms	44	(13)
DAY 5
Living: Understanding IBS and How It Affects Your Life	57	(10)
Learning: Strategies for Living with IBS	67	(6)
DAY 6
Living: The Pain and Shame of Genitourinary Syndrome	73	(8)
Learning: Coping Strategies for Your Genitourinary symptoms	81	(8)
DAY 7
Living: Dealing with All the Unanswered Questions and Symptoms of Fibromyalgia	89	(13)
Learning: Frequently Asked Questions about Fibromyalgia	102	(5)
FIRST-WEEK MILESTONE	107	(2)
WEEK 2
Living: Keeping Your Relationships Alive Even When You Don't Feel Well	109	(9)
Learning: Introducing Fibromyalgia to Your World	118	(4)
WEEK 3
Living: The Impact of stress	122	(4)
Learning: Managing and Reducing Your Stress	126	(12)
WEEK 4
Living: Exercise Can Heal You	138	(9)
Learning: Planning Your Exercise Regimen	147	(10)
FIRST-MONTH MILESTONE	157	(2)
MONTH 2
Living: Working with Your Doctor	159	(6)
Learning: Follow-up Appointments with Your Doctor	165	(4)
MONTH 3
Living: Hypoglycemia and Fibromyalgia Can Go Hand-in-Hand	169	(7)
Learning: What You Need to Know about the Hypoglycemic Diet	176	(9)
MONTH 4
Living: Medications and Fibromyalgia: A Double-Edged Sword	185	(13)
Learning: The Guaifenesin Protocol: A Possible Treatment Option	198	(4)
MONTH 5
Living: Alternative Therapies	202	(11)
Learning: Physical Therapies That Might Help You	213	(7)
MONTH 6
Living: Putting Your Health House in Order	220	(13)
Learning: Taking Charge of Your Overall Health	233	(6)
HALF-YEAR MILESTONE	239	(2)
MONTH 7
Living: Fibromyalgia and the Workplace	241	(15)
Learning: Housework Is Real Work, Too	256	(4)
MONTH 8
Living: Juggling Fibromyalgia and Your Personal Life	260	(8)
Learning: Tips for Guys	268	(5)
MONTH 9
Living: Take a Vacation	273	(6)
Learning: Practical Travel Advice	279	(14)
MONTH 10
Living: Finding a Support Group 28)
Learning: Starting a Group That Works for You	293	(7)
MONTH 11
Living: Discovering Fibromyalgia in Other Family Members	300	(8)
Learning: Should You Worry about Your Children?	308	(9)
MONTH 12
Living: Staying Up to Date with New Resources	317	(5)
Learning: Searching the Internet for Resources, by Malcolm Potter	322	(7)
APPENDIX 1: MEDICATIONS	329	(11)
APPENDIX 2: SUPPLEMENTS	340	(5)
NOTES	345	(2)
GLOSSARY	347	(10)
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION	357	(6)
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS	363	(2)
INDEX	365