Coping with / advice about illness and specific health conditions Books

Book Synopsis Bearing Witness is a collection of stories from women who went through the diagnosis of ovarian cancer, and treatment for it, only to find that the cancer recurred and any hope of recovery was gone. These women represent a spectrum of ages, ethnic backgrounds, marital circumstances, and professional experiences. From their stories we learn how each woman shapes the meaning of her life. Facing a life crisis can make one bitter and angry, but it can also provide the key to a thankful and generous spirit within. Storytelling is an important art form present in many cultures: it is a way of processing life events, of searching for meaning, and of allowing teller and listener to wrestle with the message. It is a form of teaching and learning. For the women in Bearing Witness, stories are tangible legacies for family and friends and a chance to share their thoughts on living with the ""glass half full."" They inspire the reader to reflect on life's struggles and to find within themselves a sense of optimism, perhaps when they least expect to. Kathryn Carter's concluding essay places these stories in the context of contemporary discourses of illness and healing. Trade Review``I have often thought that the reason there is so much breast cancer activism is that there are vast numbers of women who have been diagnosed with cancer-the-killer but who have lived to tell the tale. In contrast, ovarian cancer is silent and deadly, and Carter and Elit have done us a service in bringing these stories to the fore.'' -- Julia A. Ericksen, Temple University -- Signs, Winter 2011, 201012Table of ContentsTable of Contents for Bearing Witness: Living with Ovarian Cancer, edited by Kathryn Carter and Laurie ElitAcknowledgementsIntroduction Dr. Laurie ElitEstherBevLisaMaryBilgayDeniseSarahPatriciaIdaMarthaCherylAfterword: Metastasizing Plots: Telling and Un-Telling the Stories of Cancer Kathryn CarterBibliography

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Book SynopsisA surgical oncologist and his news anchor wife describe the impact of his unexpected development of heart disease in spite of healthy living, outlining recommendations for such topics as working with doctors, adjusting one''s diet and resuming a sex life. Reprint. 35,000 first printing.

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Book SynopsisThis guide to harnessing the power of the brain to resolve chronic pain includes a variety of simple attention exercises and a 65-minute guided audio program For four decades, Dr. Les Fehmi has been a leader in brainwave biofeedback (also called neurofeedback), training individuals how to balance and regulate their brainwave patterns to improve mental, emotional, and physical health.Dissolving Pain is based on the premise that although pain is perceived to exist in a particular part of the body, pain in fact resides in the brain. Drawing on existing scientific research and on decades of clinical experience, Dr. Fehmi offers brain-training exercises that quiet the pain signal in the brain. The exercises involve altering the way we pay attention to pain, cultivating what Fehmi calls Open-Focus Attention: a relaxed form of awareness that changes the neural blood flow and increases alpha brainwave activity (associated with reduced stress and beneficial hormonal changes). These exercises are effective in the treatment of many forms of pain including back, shoulder, neck, and joint pain; headaches; muscle pain and tension; and pain from traumatic injury.Included with the book is a link to a 65-minute downloadable audio program in which Dr. Fehmi guides listeners through the fundamental Dissolving Pain exercises. To learn more, visit openfocus.com.

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Book SynopsisFrom a world-renowned neurologist, the first book to feature a scientifically substantiated program for the only treatment for Alzheimer''s: PREVENTION Alzheimer''s is a devastating and frightening disease, and as baby boomers age it''s on the brink of becoming the great epidemic of the twenty-first century. Fortunately, by making proper lifestyle choices and avoiding certain risk factors, most people can prevent Alzheimer''s, and it can be delayed in those who are genetically predisposed. The Anti- Alzheimer''s Prescription presents a unique four-step program that includes menus, recipes, exercises, stress reduction techniques, and neurobics to lower the risk of Alzheimer''s by as much as 70 percent. Dr. Fortanasce, who witnessed his own father''s painful decline from the disease, is determined to stop Alzheimer''s from becoming pandemic.

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Book SynopsisA complex illness that is often difficult to identify, OCD affects approximately 6 million to 9 million Americans. In Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Demystified , clinical psychologist and OCD specialist Cheryl Carmin offers an enlightening and useful guide for anyone with OCD, their families, and friends. In clear and compassionate language, Dr. Carmin helps those who suffer from the illness understand the true nature of OCD, the factors that complicate its diagnosis, and the benefits of treatment through cognitive behaviour therapy and/or medication. With insight and anecdotes from an OCD patient-advocate, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Demystified makes great strides in dispelling the mystery surrounding this condition, helping readers decide if it's time to seek treatment and providing those with this anxiety disorder the information they need to better manage their lives.Trade ReviewLibrary Journal, Xpress Review, 6/12/09 "Carmin's guide is an excellent introduction to OCD." Birmingham News(AL), 8/20/09 "With clarity and detail, Carmin's book casts a fascinating light on the misunderstood illness." Los Angeles Daily News, 8/7/09 "[A] good starting point for anyone with the disease or friends or loved ones who want to better understand and help." MidWest Book Review, 8/1 "In clear, user-friendly language, the book offers crucial information." Online Reviews, 12/24/10 "Provides a rich wealth of generally instructive information about OCD."

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Book SynopsisAntoinette Martin believed herself to be a healthy and sturdy woman—that is, until she received a Stage 1 breast cancer diagnosis. Cancer is scary enough for the brave, but for a wimp like Martin, it was downright terrifying. Martin had to swallow waves of nausea at the thought of her body being poisoned, and frequently fainted during blood draws and infusions. To add to her terror, cancer suddenly seemed to be all around her. In the months following her diagnosis, a colleague succumbed to cancer, and five of her friends were also diagnosed. Though tempted, Martin knew she could not hide in bed for ten months. She had a devoted husband, daughters, and a tribe of friends and relations. Along with work responsibilities, there were graduations, anniversaries, and roller derby bouts to attend, not to mention a house to sell and a summer of beach-bumming to enjoy. In order to harness support without scaring herself or anyone else, she journaled her experiences and began to e-mail the people who loved her—the people she called My Everyone. She kept them informed and reminded all to 'hug everyone you know' at every opportunity. Reading the responses became her calming strategy. Ultimately, with the help of her community, Martin found the courage within herself to face cancer with perseverance and humor.Trade Review2017 USA Best Book Awards Finalist in Non-Fiction: Narrative 2018 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist in Women's Issues (Non-Fiction) “Hug Everyone You Know is a compelling memoir about the importance of community while navigating a life crisis such as cancer. As an oncology nurse and a cancer survivor myself, I found Martin's writing to be a refreshingly real depiction of life as a cancer patient. Her writing is a testimony to the endurance of the human spirit, the importance of love and community, and the need for hope every day of the journey.” —Story Circle Reviews "This book will show readers the power of human connectivity and how sharing our experience can become an inspiring journey, not only for those who listen to us, but for us who live it. Hug Everyone You Know: A Year of Community, Courage, and Cancer is a painful and empowering journey, a book that will speak to those undergoing any hopeless situation; it?s a gift to receive, use and pass on. This book will give readers the strength and the inspiration to name their suffering and to triumph over it. It?s exciting, informative and, above all, entertaining." —Reader's Favorite "This is a great story: inventive, informative, and irresistibly readable. Quite an accomplishment when the subject is cancer. Brava." —Odette Heideman, Editor, Epiphany Magazine "Hug Everyone You Know captures beautifully the terror and anxiety—as well as the awkwardness and occasional humor—that follow a diagnosis of breast cancer, and the salvation to be found in the love and support of family and friends. Peering deeply into the experience through a detailed assessment of her fears, the bonds she shares with others, and hitherto unknown reserves of courage, Martin shares revelatory insights about her willingness to go to any lengths to fight the disease because of what she has learned about the preciousness of life." —Andrew Botsford, Editor and Visiting Professor, Stony Brook Southampton University "This is a beautifully and honestly written account of the challenges that face women and families confronting a breast cancer diagnosis. It passionately illustrates the ability of women and their 'Everyone's' to find their strength and demonstrate their love." —Karen Schmitt, MA, BSN Director, Cancer Services Program of Manhattan New York Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia Executive Director, CARE Shared Resource Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center "I am inspired by Antoinette's courage and spirit. She is blessed—blessed with her husband and children, blessed with her family and friends, and blessed with her doctors and nurses. Being in the medical field, it's a shot of reality seeing it from the patient's point of view, with the day in and day out struggles of life compounded with the diagnosis. This book brought a face to breast cancer and I feel privileged and honored that she shared it with me. I will hug everyone I know, now and forever." —Barbara M. O?Brien RN, Director of Cancer Services Program of Staten Island Staten Island University Hospital "Filled with fresh air, light, and life, Hug Everyone You Know is an intimate conversation with an intelligent, funny survivor. The voice rings true, and the insights resonate well beyond the cancer moment." —Joni Rodgers, NYT best-selling author of Bald in the Land of Big Hair "Martin has a way of writing that really captured my attention and brought me into her story. I felt like her best friend." —Kathryn Gates-Ferris, MS, MPA, CHT, Avon Project Director CAI Global "I picked up this book on a early Sunday afternoon and did not set it down until I was finished. The writing is like being with a long-time friend. It is honest and you can feel the love that the author exudes and surrounds her. Being an escapist, I was reluctant to read a journey on cancer because it hits too close to home. However, quite the opposite is the effect the book had on me. It is not clinical and if you are going through treatments I would imagine you would find it comforting. I would recommend this book to anyone. It is a very enjoyable read." —Monique Abel, GHT Book Club "Hug Everyone You Know is more than a memoir of combating cancer head on—it is a personal account of the love of family and friends; Antoinette's 'Everyone' who supported her and witnessed her bravery over an arduous year. As Antoinette retells her story, she tries not to give a voice to cancer. Yet, she reveals her innermost thoughts, sharing experiences and fears through the journal she kept during her year of treatment. The author's narrative is carefully woven together with the e-mail exchanges she has with her loved ones. Long after the book is finished, its message continues to linger: life is bigger than itself when fueled by determination and love." —Janice Gatta, MS/CCC-SLP, Babes Against Cancer Fundraising Committee-Southward Ho Country Club

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