Wednesday

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Friday

What it must be like to have MS! | Jordan Independent: "I 'read' a book on tape last week called 'Blindsided' by William Cohen. It's about the life, struggles, triumphs, heart, and mindset of a person with multiple sclerosis.
He calls it a 'reluctant' biography. But it's important.
The book is important to me, because my mother-in-law has MS. It's not a fun disease. I chose the book because I don't always understand what she, her husband, and my darling wife are going through. I feel sorry for them (Cohen says not to feel sorry for him), but I'm proud of the way my family deals with an amazing difficulty in life. We are a happy family made up of members who love each other very much. Life is not perfect, we're not perfect, but we're perfect for each other.

MS keeps people from driving. Some people with MS have difficulty writing. Many are bedridden. Others live like I do, appearing to be free from injury but also, unlike me, knowing that they are slowly more and more affected by their ailment.

There's another part of the book that made MS more real to me: Cohen is a journalist, too. He was on the fast track to TV journalism immortality when he was diagnosed. Diseases can wreck everything that we have, they impede on all areas of our lives, they change (and sometimes ruin) family dynamics."

Nancy Davis: 'Lean on Me: 10 Powerful Steps to Moving Beyond Your Diagnosis and Taking Back Your Life' ($22.95, Fireside)

MS: two letters that spell "perseverance" for Nancy Davis:
"...Nancy Davis .... reclaimed her life after being diagnosed with MS following a ski accident in Aspen 14 years ago, when she was 33. ... Davis responded to the shocking news by vowing that she wouldn't let MS get the better of her. She would send it packing.

She established a star-studded annual Hollywood fundraiser, the Race to Erase MS, and a national research collaborative, the Center Without Walls. She explored alternative treatments, remarried and had twin girls, earned a black belt in karate, started a jewelry design business and wrote a book.

LEAN ON ME
10 Powerful Steps to Moving Beyond Your Diagnosis
and Taking Back Your Life
by Nancy Davis

'Lean on Me: 10 Powerful Steps to Moving Beyond Your Diagnosis and Taking Back Your Life' ($22.95, Fireside) hit bookstores late last month, and is being hailed as a valuable resource for others facing health challenges of their own."

"Her grit and resolve can be traced to her childhood. The daughter of the late billionaire Marvin Davis was no stranger to chronic, incurable diseases. Her little sister, Dana, has diabetes and was the inspiration behind her parents' effort to establish the world-class research and treatment facility, the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes, in Denver. Nancy worked hand-in-hand with her mom on the center's fabled fundraiser, the Carousel Ball, which was renamed Carousel of Hope following the Davis family's move to Los Angeles in the 1980s...."

"For those who accept responsibility for protecting, nurturing, and enhancing their own health, this book has much to offer."
– Sidney Poitier

Nancy’s book should be required reading for all medical students and health care professionals everywhere.”
– Steven Hauser, MD, professor and Robert A. Fishman Distinguished Chair, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco

Nancy Davis was a healthy thirty-three-year-old wife and mother when she was on a ski vacation about to take her last run of the day and of her trip in Aspen. She took that run and during it, had a horrible fall, tearing her right ACL (anterior cruciate ligament). That fall ended up being the catalyst to Nancy’s diagnosis of a degenerative and life-threatening disease.

Fourteen years ago, Nancy Davis was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and was told by her doctor “There is nothing you can do. Go home and go to bed…forever.” Nancy could not live down to that prognosis and was determined to learn everything possible so she could live a full life and defy the odds. In LEAN ON ME: 10 Powerful Steps to Moving Beyond Your Diagnosis and Taking Back Your Life (Fireside/Simon & Schuster, Inc; March 28, 2006; $22.95), Nancy shows why this book is essential if you find yourself, a friend or a loved-one in a life-altering situation and are desperate to gain back the most precious gift in the world – your life.

LEAN ON ME is the story for anyone diagnosed with any chronic illness, from cancer to heart disease to Lupus to Parkinsons to AIDS. Nancy discusses what everyone has to do if this happens to them and understand all the secrets that lay behind our very complicated and twisted healthcare system that isn’t user friendly.

In the 10 steps, she imparts her hard-earned wisdom and experience to teach people to learn and empower themselves to make good choices.

Step One: Embrace Change
Step Two: Fear Less
Step Three: Never Take No for an Answer
Step Four: Find Your Dr. Right
Step Five: Build Your Health Team
Step Six: You Are What You Ingest
Step Seven: Let’s Get Physical
Step Eight: Explore Alternative Therapies
Step Nine: Tame the Health Care Monster
Step Ten: Give Back

About the author:
Since her diagnosis, Nancy has created a new, happy and healthy life. She is the mother of five (she had twin daughters a year and a half ago), a black-belt in karate, a skier and a tennis player. Nancy founded the Center Without Walls, a national medical research foundation, a noted spokesperson on MS, and the director of the RACE to Erase MS, now in its fourteenth year, which has raised $22 million for MS research. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Ken, and children Brandon, Alexander, Jason, Mariella and Isabella. Nancy is the daughter of (the late) Marvin and Barbara Davis. Her family is the reason she was so determined to fight to regain her health and stay healthy in the future.

LEAN ON ME
10 Powerful Steps to Moving Beyond Your Diagnosis and Taking Back Your Life
by Nancy Davis
Fireside/Simon and Schuster
Publication Date: March 28, 2006 / $22.95 / Cloth / 0-7432-7640-X

Saturday

PERSEVERANCE=Real Heros:
Author Alan Labonte is celebrating the release of his new book, "A Million Reasons." Labonte was diagnosed with MS in 1991 and subsequently fired from his job [CLICK FOR MORE]:
NEW BOOK....

"Alan Labonte lives a good life. He has a nice home on Border Street, a loving wife, Lora, and a good job as a member of the faculty at Boston University. But there was a time not too long ago when Labonte found it a struggle to keep a positive outlook on life. After relocating his family to Cohasset from the western part of the state to take on a new job at the law firm of Hutchins & Wheeler, doctors informed him he had contracted multiple sclerosis. He was fired from his job just six months later.

While it took years to come to a resolution, in the end Labonte, now a Scituate resident, says it was worth it, as his case set a new legal precedent, protecting the rights of Americans with disabilities. Today, he is happy to be able to share his story with others, through his newly released book, 'A Million Reasons,' published by Cohasset-based publishers Hot House Press.

Labonte is able to share his story with others for one reason: he turned down a $3 million settlement offered by Hutchins & Wheeler. By accepting, he would have also been agreeing to a non-disclosure clause, which would have prevented him from telling his story. Instead, he chose to take a risk and follow his case through the legal system. 'I%u2019m sure they couldn%u2019t believe it,' said Labonte about turning down the money....."

Friday

Fall Down Laughing: How Squiggy Caught Multiple Sclerosis and Didn't Tell Nobody.": "Squiggy" and His Battle With MS:
"Actor David L. Lander, best known for playing 'Squiggy' on television's 'Laverne & Shirley,'" was diagnosed with MS in 1984, but hid his disease from the public for 15 years. In an effort to raise awareness about the importance of early and sustained treatment, David speaks with groups of people with MS as he 'plays the role' of Ambassador to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS).....David has also written a book chronicling his life with MS titled Fall Down Laughing: How Squiggy Caught Multiple Sclerosis and Didn't Tell Nobody."

SBWire > View Release > New Book "Picking Up the Pieces" Rising above A Loss Again & Again - Don't Give Up:
Author Janice L. Foster shares her personal story of strength and resilience as she deals with MS.

08/17/2006 -- Dealing with a multiple sclerosis diagnosis is a daunting and difficult reality to face. Author Janice L. Foster shares her personal story of strength and resilience as she deals with MS and other setbacks in life in her book, Picking up the Pieces: Rising Above a Loss Again & Again – Don’t Give Up (now available through AuthorHouse).

Picking up the Pieces begins when Foster was diagnosed with MS at the age of 31. From there she shares her experiences with relapsing/remitting MS including her setbacks and triumphs. Forced to retire from her high-paying job at the age of 37, Foster tells of the drastic financial changes she faced as a result of her illness. She also talks about the changes in her lifestyle.

“I talk about the way my life was prior to diagnosis, life after diagnosis and things you can no longer do but you can change the way things may have been done. It helps a lot and it worked for me,” she says.

As Foster coped with the changes in her life due to her illness, she also faced the death of her father. In Picking up the Pieces she details the experience of her father’s cancer diagnosis and the grueling 18 months of his illness before his death.

Picking up the Pieces is a guide for people living with relapsing/remitting MS as well as anyone who wishes to turn tragedy and defeat into triumph. Foster hopes she can inspire readers to adopt the same positive attitude that she has maintained throughout these difficulties.

“I got to the point that I may have to do things differently, but I just will not stop, will never stop and never stop believing in myself,” she says. “I refused to stop, and I kept going with some limitations. Believing and believing in yourself is such a key influence in keeping your life going.”

She says her lessons can be applied to any tragedy in life. “I do not have ‘answers.’ Who does? But if you read, hopefully you can apply situations and how they were handled to your life and help yourself through different hurdles of the loss of your health, job, a loved one and enable yourself to let life go on,” she says.

After her diagnosis and the loss of her father, Foster finds comfort and inspiration “in her father’s teachings and Cher’s music, because, in Foster’s words, “Cher is Cher” and Foster respects and admires Cher for that. Foster also respects Cher (Yes the DIVA Cher) for the Inspiration and Encouragement Cher has given Foster to keep her head held high, to keep pushing for what you want and to do all she can.

Always Remember: Today is here, yesterday is gone and who knows what tomorrow will bring. Live for the day."

Tuesday

NEW BOOK: "Challenging the Dragon: The Heartwarming Story of a Man Who Lives in the Shadow of Two Valleys"
" Meet Jim Haverlock, a man who lives in the shadow of 2 valleys – one a literal valley (Methow Valley, Washington state) and the other a metaphorical one, but no less real (The Valley of the Shadow of Death). For the past twelve years Jim has struggled with progressive multiple sclerosis. “Challenging the Dragon” is his story. It is a timeless one with lessons and insights that will encourage and empower readers young and old.

At the heart of Jim’s story is that fundamental human quality: The desire to seek out or tool together ways to survive and yes, thrive in the face of a merciless adversary. Jim’s nemesis is a dragon called multiple sclerosis; an insidious disease that grabs and tears at him on a daily basis. Jim’s battles and skirmishes are documented in “Challenging the Dragon”. It is a struggle rich in lessons and insights that apply to each of us, for surely we all wrestle with our own individual demons and dragons, as well as a host of issues related to our vulnerabilities and mortality. “Challenging the Dragon” is a manual of trench warfare replete with real life, “get down and do it” tactics and methods. Among these: Forays into novel treatments being done in Germany, leading edge umbilical cord stem cell therapy in Mexico, and some wondrous techniques for shoring up broken bodies and souls here in the United States.

“Challenging the Dragon” is available through Amazon, Borders, BookSurge, Alibris and the “Flyin-Blind” web site http://14ushop.com/flyin-blind/"

Wednesday

The I-Can't-Chew Cookbook: Delicious Soft Diet Recipes for People with Chewing, Swallowing, and Dry Mouth Disorders (Paperback)

Summary
At first sight the title of the I-Can't-Chew-Cookbook is misleading for folk with MS whose problem is more likely to be swallowing rather than chewing. However on the cover it does state that the book is for "People with Chewing, Swallowing and Dry-Mouth Disorders" - this book is written with a range of diseases in mind, not just MS. 'This cookbook is not aimed at people with MS, but it covers useful territory where few cookbooks have gone before. It discusses how your nutritional needs might be different if you have chewing difficulties, and how you can maximise your enjoyment and best deal with problems.

Evaluation
Nutrition is of minor importance in many cookbooks but this book has nutrition chapters and every recipe has full Nutritional Analysis.

The 5 groups of recipes - Beverages, Soups, Entrees, Vegetables and Desserts are wide ranging in taste and style. All seem to be of excellent taste, easy to prepare and easy to swallow.

There is an index but sadly it lacks pictures of the recipes. In this American book the recipes talk of pounds and ounces but the nutritional analysis keeps to the metric measurements.

This book meets a real need and is well written, clear and precise.

Tuesday

Mountain, Get Out of My Way: Life Lessons and Learned Truths [click on "Best Price" to buy for $7.97

REVIEW:TV talk-show host Williams grew up in a Baltimore family in which both parents worked multiple jobs and demanded his adherence to conventional values. Unable to afford college, he enlisted in the Marines and won an appointment to Annapolis. On graduation, Williams became an intelligence officer but had his greatest success as an inspirational speaker to young-adult audiences, even attracting the attention of the White House. It was a short step to television, where his program is syndicated nationally. In his book, written with freelancer Paisner, Williams cautions minority group members: never forget that you will face discrimination, but battle to overcome it. After a disappointing first chapter, in which he argues that putting prayer into our schools will solve many of the nation's problems, the rest of the book is absorbing.

THIS BOOK WAS RECOMMENDED TO US BY HEATHER JOHNSON

Saturday

We are adding more books for you...every week

Purchase each book at the lowest price by simply clicking on: "Best Price"

Thursday

The Encyclopedia Of Multiple Sclerosis (Facts on File Library of Health and Living) (Hardcover)click on "Best Price" to buy for $72.25

Ms. Doesn't Stand for Multiple Sclerosis (Paperback)click on "Best Price" to buy for $14.64

A Funny, sweet and moving account of a single parent with MS. Her life, her loves, her family and how she lives with her disease. It’s an emotional journey to her acceptance of herself as a woman with MS.

Managing Your Multiple Sclerosis (Paperback) - click on "Best Price" to buy for $22.75

Coping With Multiple Sclerosis (Paperback) - click on "Best Price" to buy for $12.00

Nursing Practice in Multiple Sclerosis: A Core Curriculum (Spiral-bound) - click on "Best Price" to buy for $23.88

A good resource for nurses preparing for the nurse's certification examination and other heathcare professionals...Univ. of Maryland, Baltimore. Pocket outline summarizes the basic concepts of MS and MS nursing. Companion to Halper's texts, Comprehensive Nursing Care in Multiple Sclerosis, 2nd ed., and Advanced Concepts in Multiple Sclerosis Nursing Care. Covers history of the disease, current therapies, and more. Wire-spiral binding

Multiple Sclerosis As A Neuronal Disease (Hardcover) - click on "Best Price" to buy for $156.40

This book examines the role of neurons in multiple sclerosis (MS) and the changes that occur in neurons as a result of MS. It places MS in a new and important perspective that not only explains the basis for symptom production, remission, and progress in MS, but also promises to open up new therapeutic possibilities.

• Brings together the latest information from clinical, pathological, imaging, molecular, and pharmacological realms to explore the neurobiology of Multiple Sclerosis
• Places MS in a new and important perspective that promises to open up new therapeutic avenues
• Superbly illustrated and referenced

Fatigue in Multiple Sclerosis (Paperback) - click on "Best Price" to buy for $12.49

"...will eclipse [others books] by virtue of its economy of style, focused approach, and user-friendly structure... **** "

100 Q&A About Multiple Sclerosis (Paperback) - click on "Best Price" to buy for $11.53

This volume answers your questions about treatment options, coping strategies--for both patient and care-giver.

As For Tomorrow, I Cannot Say: 33 Years with Multiple Sclerosis (Paperback) - click on "Best Price" to buy for $10.60

REVIEW: This book inspired me to the core, truly encapsulating the power of the the human spirit and the choice of survival. It is beautifully and lucidly written, with huge amounts of humor and wit and courage. I would recommend this book to anyone, especially those that have had life changing obstacles to grasp and the choice to move graciously forward. I am truly grateful to her insights into a life of severe disability. It help me understand my own mothers' disability just a little better. Thank You, Diana!

Meeting the Challenge of Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (Paperback) - click on "Best Price" to buy for $11.30

REVIEW: This book is well researched, and organized. It is helpful, and supportive in coming to terms with a devastating diagnosis.I am buying a copy for a friend because, I have no intention of loaning mine out.

The Creative Will: An Exhibition of Works by Thirty-One Artists With MS (Project Rembrandt X) (Paperback) - click on "Best Price" to buy for $2.50

One Particular Harbor: The Outrageous True Adventures of One Women With MS Living in the Alaskan Wilderness (Paperback) buy for only $12.00

Review From Publishers Weekly

First-time author James offers the story of her life, a life spent struggling with multiple sclerosis, in clear and startling detail. Fresh out of college, she enjoys a plush existence as a copywriter for an ad agency until she begins to feel, among other things, a numbness in her leg. After ignoring the symptoms as long as possible, James undergoes a battery of tests, which she describes in unflinching and often painful terms, and this leads to her diagnosis with multiple sclerosis or MS--an incurable degenerative nerve disease. A course of steroids sends James into remission and back to her life, where she pretends nothing has happened. Even though the statistical odds that she will end up in a wheelchair are slim, they are enough to convince her to live life to the fullest from that point on. James moves to Alaska, a place she's always dreamed about, where she serves stints as a DJ, a waitress and a cook while running sled dogs, climbing glaciers, living in one room cabins with no electric or running water, sailing schooners, dating lots of men and hanging out in bars. But within a few years, the pattern of attacks and remissions that occur annually are not as easily assuaged by steroids and so begins a steady decline. In the end she must return to her parents' home where she reminds herself "that not a minute of my time had been wasted. " Disingenuous comments like these detract from a powerful story which tends to be more compelling than the writing.

Heal from the Heart: Odyssey through Nature, Soul and Recovery from Multiple Sclerosis (Paperback) - click on "Best Price" to buy for $7.14

REVIEW: "I LOVED every word of your book. The book is unique and elegant--not a wasted word. Beautiful! Inspiring--deeply!"

Coffee in the Cereal: The First Year with Multiple Sclerosis (Paperback) - click on "Best Price" to buy for $9.70

"This is Moorhead's first book and hopefully not her last. Her smart-aleck humor is a pleasure to read."

In the quirky, sassy voice that has made her popular on health Web sites and with the women of MS MOMS, Lorna Moorhead recounts the experience of her first year with multiple sclerosis with a vitality unique in the often gloomy world of personal medical histories.

My Story: A Photographic Essay on Life with Multiple Sclerosis (Paperback) - click on "Best Price" to buy for $11.85

REVIEW: Ameila Davis is a documentary photographer, diagnosed with MS in 1998.

Though titled "My Story", this book is really "their stories". In this book, she uses her trained eye to illustrate 32 essays personally portraying the lives of men and women with Multiple Sclerosis.

They range from 17 to 70, across a spectrum of ethnicities, genders, occupations, socio-economic backgrounds and family circumstances.

Through her book, Amelia captures the unique approach each person has used to frame their chronic disease with, not only a positive attitude, but with a positive approach to life.

She also includes the caregivers ... those frequently forgotten in the struggle with MS and all chronic disease.

Her essays help others to see, through the stories of real people, the different possible treatments and therapies and the techniques for coping (such as exercise, yoga, creative activities and competitive sports).

Her photographs capture the people behind these essays, putting a real face, a personal face, on what is often discussed in impersonal, clinical terms. You don't just read their story; you are drawn into a human connection with them.

This is a book to buy and read. And it is also a book to buy and display, a coffee table book.

Discussing MS with friends and family can be difficult. Chronic disease can create a "distance", a separation. This book can help to bridge that gap.

As someone picks up this book to browse and becomes captured by the photographs, it can crack the door to an open conversation about MS, about what it means and about how lives continue after diagnosis.

Occupational Therapy Practice and Research With Persons With Multiple Sclerosis (Hardcover) - click on "Best Price" to buy for $19.95

REVIEW: An important resource for students, clinicians, and researchers who work with and/or study persons with MS.

Who Said So?: A Woman's Fascinating Journey of Self Discovery and Triumph over Multiple Sclerosis (Paperback) - click on "Best Price" to buy for $5.37

REVIEW: When Rachelle Breslow was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in the 1960s, it was long before a growing dissatisfaction with standard medical practices would lead women to experiment with alternative healers and self-healing. She was told that she had an incurable disease, which would cripple, then kill her. She was told that there was no treatment, cautioned to avoid quacks and diet fads, and sent home. Not surprisingly, Rachelle's condition deteriorated rapidly, until the day when she stopped to ask: Who said so? With this seemingly simple question, she began a journey which would take her not only from acupuncture to yoga, but within her self to discover how her beliefs and feelings impacted her health and wellness. This is a passionate and powerful book about personal transformation, written by a woman who overcame her own illness by listening to her intuitive self, and who would advise you to do the same.

Multiple Sclerosis: A Self-Care Guide To Wellness (Paperback) - click on "Best Price" to buy for $13.16

Review

Fresh ideas on how to cope with the ever-changing challenges of multiple sclerosis. Multiple Sclerosis: A Self-Care Guide to Wellness concentrates on wellness -- unlike most books about multiple sclerosis that are medically oriented and related to disease and dysfunction. It is particularly appropriate in these times of managed care and the trend for health-care consumers to be well informed. This chronic, often progressive disease of the brain and spinal cord follows a variable course, requiring patients to make significant changes in activities of daily living on a variety of levels - physical, emotional, social, vocational, financial, and spiritual. This book offers practical tips on self-care for maximum independence, well-being, and productivity.

MS and Having a Baby: Everything You Need to Know about Conception, Pregnancy, and Parenthood (Paperback) - click on "Best Price" to buy for $1.73

Review
"This is a comprehensive and useful reference guide offering professional and practical advice on everything you need to know about conception, pregnancy and parenthood in relation to multiple sclerosis. It is useful for health professionals and couples and builds on earlier texts by the same author."

Multiple Sclerosis: Your Legal Rights (Paperback) - click on "Best Price" to buy for $7.98

Presents basic information about legal problems that often affect people with MS and possible solutions to those problems. Discusses insurance, debt, taxes, working with doctors and lawyers, rights and responsibilities, family law, job discrimination, property, and personal choice.

Multiple Sclerosis: Everything You Need To Know ( (Paperback) - click on "Best Price" to buy for $9.25

Reviews
Praise for the first edition: "Well-conceived and written volume.... Great sensitivity to the realities of dealing with MS and gives straightforward information about outcomes and expectations" -- Science Books and Films
Multiple sclerosis strikes one in a thousand North Americans, usually in early adulthood, just as they are building careers and starting families. Because the disease involves the central nervous system, the effects are wide-ranging and difficult to predict.

Multiple Sclerosis is a fact-filled comprehensive guide to living with MS, supported by diagrams, case histories, a drug table and an extensive list of helpful books and organizations.

This updated edition features new drugs and therapies. Topics include: - What MS is, and who suffers from it - How MS is diagnosed as possible, probable or definite - Why the disease affects different people in different ways - Differences between relapsing-remitting MS and progressive MS - Adapting homes, careers and lifestyles to cope with the disease - Treatments currently available.

Combining current and authoritative medical advice and practical hands-on tips, Multiple Sclerosis is an invaluable guide for anyone affected by this complex disease.

Living Beyond Multiple Sclerosis: A Woman's Guide (Paperback) - click on "Best Price" to buy for $6.49

Review From Library Journal
A follow-up to Women Living with Multiple Sclerosis (LJ 4/1/99), this edited collection of e-mail "conversations" provides anecdotal and personal information contributed by women with multiple sclerosis. The "MS Sisters" discuss how they deal with their disability and their reactions to a variety of situations and challenges. One woman writes, "Never give up. Having MS isn't any fun, that's for sure. But it's not terminal and not always horrible. Keep a positive attitude." Another says about her diagnosis: "In many respects it was a relief to know that there was a physical cause and that I wasn't just 'cracking up.' " Although this book is not designed to provide medical information, the insights provided can be a source of affirmation and consolation to other readers with MS. Recommended for all general health collections, caregivers, and physicians of MS patients.

Multiple Sclerosis: The History of a Disease (Paperback)- click on "Best Price" to buy for $19.75

REVIEW:
Plenty of facts appear in a great many medical guides to multiple sclerosis; but Dr. T. Jock Murray's Multiple Sclerosis: The History Of A Disease is one of the few to provide an accurate and accessible history of the disease. This is a survey of individuals who suffered with MS centuries before it had a name, of the discoveries and management techniques which eventually led to its diagnosis and treatment, and of the medical science which contributed a better understanding of MS. A 'must' for any serious health collection.

300 Tips for Making Life with Multiple Sclerosis Easier (Paperback) - click on "Best Price" to buy for $6.70

Book Description
Essential for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and their families, this book is filled with tips, techniques and shortcuts learned from personal experience. The author offers guidelines and labor-saving tips that sufferers need to know, including how to conserve energy, how to do more of the things you want, and how to work smarter and achieve independence. Empowering, honest and down-to-earth, this book helps people with MS live life to the fullest.

Book Info
Author writes the nationally syndicated column 'Making Life Easier.' Text of tips, techniques, and shortcuts the author learned from personal experience, to help the person suffering with multiple sclerosis. For consumers. Softcover.

Walk on: Life, Loss, Trust, and Other Realities (Paperback) - click on "Best Price" to buy for $7.93

Publishers Weekly Review
Goldingay, a professor at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena and for 27 years a principal at St. John's Theological Seminary in Nottingham, England, offers this book on the foundational questions all Christians ask in their spiritual journeys. It could easily be compared to the later works of C.S. Lewis when his faith had been tempered by suffering. Goldingay's view of the Christian life is tempered by the prism of his wife Ann's long fight with multiple sclerosis. It would be easy to feel sorry for this couple, but Goldingay does not allow pity. Instead, his touching story reaches out to readers with a mature joy, demonstrating that it is not only possible to survive pain and tragedy, but to triumph in the midst of excruciating circumstances. "Following Christ is a hard road," he writes, "but little by little you will see the light in the darkness and drink the water that springs from a dry land." Goldingay notes that through the years, friends, students and colleagues have become the wellspring of living water poured out to him and his wife, and, in turn, they continue to pour out God's joy to others. This theologically and biblically sound book is not linear, just as life never takes a straight path. Rather, the topics are arranged alphabetically so that the reader can dip in anywhere for refreshment. References to contemporary music and Ann's story are intertwined with sophisticated, engrossing and thought-provoking answers to spiritual questions.

Women Living With Multiple Sclerosis (Paperback) - click on "Best Price" to buy for $4.50

From Library Journal
The author, herself a victim of multiple sclerosis (MS) for over 30 years, uses a compilation of E-mail chats to relate 23 women's experiences with MS. The use of various electronic media has provided these women, who sometimes suffer isolation as a result of their disability, "a way to `leave' [their] everyday surroundings and seek out a safe place where [they] can talk about [their] ups and downs with others who are going through the same experiences." The author states that very little medical information is given and that "all the experiences are shared in a conversational context, and are not intended to be medical advice." Although trite at times, this approach to a discussion of life with MS is more open and appealing and less frightening than Ellen MacFarlane's Legwork: An Inspiring Journey Through Chronic Illness (LJ 9/15/94). Recommended for all general collections and caregivers and physicians involved with MS patients.

Me and My Shadow: Learning to Live With Multiple Sclerosis (Hardcover) - click on "Best Price" to buy for $3.00

REVIEW From Publishers Weekly
As a 22-year-old flight attendant for British Airways, Mackie got her dream assignment: a flight and 10 days in Rio. But after a day of sunbathing on Copacabana Beach, a disquieting numbness crept through her body; after a collapse, she ended up in a Rio hospital, becoming more debilitated by the hour and, unable to speak Portuguese, utterly terrified. Three months and many painful tests later, she received her grim diagnosis: multiple sclerosis (MS), a degenerative disease of the brain and central nervous system. In this down-to-earth memoir, she details her struggle to come to terms with MS, regain control over her life and raise consciousness about an incurable and severely disabling disease that afflicts millions. In this somewhat overwritten account, she comes across as a highly engaging yet very ordinary girl next-door. Brutally frank about the toll MS takes and her feelings of isolation, Mackie gives vent to her anger, frustration and her need to heal. She loses her live-in boyfriend of four years (though some readers may find him an insensitive lout she's well rid of); copes with the constant stress of informing family, friends and co-workers about her disease; battles to keep her job and stay solvent; and faces a series of painful and frightening relapses as well as the knowledge that more will come. Though "grieving the loss of her health," Mackie investigates alternative treatments, becomes a spokesperson for the disease and organizes fund-raising benefits. Her memoir is a good introduction to the subject for the newly diagnosed, their families and friends.

FORWARD BY RONNIE WOOD OF THE ROLLING STONES

When the Road Turns: Inspirational Stories About People with MS (Paperback) - click on "Best Price" to buy for $4.55

Book Description
"A book that reminds us to hold tight to our dreams, When The Road Turns is an inspiring collection of stories written by people living with multiple sclerosis. When you walk through the front door of these writer's lives, you won't leave without a renewed sense of hope and a new definition of courage." -Montel Williams
Each week in the United States 200 people are diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, adding exponentially to the 350,000 people nationwide and the 2.5 million people worldwide with MS. This book is the first of its kind to share the real-life struggles and triumphs of those facing MS in one inspiring collection. In their own compelling words, seventeen people with MS take readers on a journey sharing their dreams, their emotional and physical battles, their struggle to accept the illness and their courage to create new lives. People like Israeli artist Inbal Tsur, who discovers a new way to paint after losing the use of her arms; renowned oceanographer Richard Radtke, who becomes the first disabled man to reach the South Pole; a pilot who battles the FAA to keep her pilot's license; and a woman who is now enjoying life as a mother to a new baby despite doctors' advice not to further risk her health by becoming pregnant.

When the Road Turns will be an encouragement for anyone with MS or other chronic illness, as well as those who want to better understand the disease, which may be affecting someone they love.

Multiple Sclerosis: A Self-Help Guide to Its Management (Paperback) - click on "Best Price" to buy for $2.37

Average Customer Review: *****
Review
"Judy Graham's book should be essential reading for all with MS and for the families and friends of those suffering. It is up-beat without being facile and it surveys the field simply and intelligently. The clear way in which Ms. Graham tackles the contentious issue of diet is extremely welcome."

Heal from the Heart: Odyssey through Nature, Soul and Recovery from Multiple Sclerosis (Paperback) - click on "Best Price" to buy for $7.14

From the Author...
This is my story of recovery from multiple sclerosis. However, the narrative is about so much more -- the search for my inner voice, unfoldment as a human being, my desired, but long forgotten, relationship with the spirit of nature. Multiple sclerosis was a gift from my body -- a wake up call, an ultimatum. My physical nature demanded I listen or I would pay serious consequences.

The conveniences of life, needs of others and demands of work had overwhelmed me. I went through the conditioned motions of life as expected by the outer world. In my rush to live and to achieve, I became indifferent to the earth -- the origin of my air, water, food and shelter. I no longer related to the lay of the land, or my relationship to it. I stubbornly ignored my aching body, while focusing on other agendas until my inmost fibers screamed with symptoms of illness.

Disconnected from the basic needs of my own existence, I became alienated from my deepest truths and longings. Then I became deadened even to the demands of the outer world as my body turned numb. What I so desperately searched for was a lost and unacknowledged part of myself, my inner nature that resonates with the Creator. The secrets to my salvation always, unknowingly, existed within me and without in nature. Discovery required me to leave my ordinary and familiar life to met an extraordinary challenge. I had to walk an unknown path -- the path of the heart.

Waist-High in the World: A Life Among the Nondisabled (Hardcover) buy for $0.99: click on "Best Price"

REVIEW From Publishers Weekly
Mairs is a writer of heightened sensibility not entirely attributable to the years she has spent wheelchair-bound because of advancing multiple sclerosis. From her viewpoint, approximately at the level of other people's navels, she constructs here "a Baedeker for a country to which no one travels willingly," the story of a life shaped by severe physical disability. In this collection of ruminative, exploratory essays, there is also earthy humor as Mairs addresses issues that range from physical intimacy and a spouse's health problems to concerns with public facilities and her advocacy achievements. The author, a vibrant, well-traveled poet, teacher and mother, takes readers inside a world that at times seem not to want her. Although Mairs disavows the inspirational thrust of her essays, they are perforce filled with insights that will be helpful to a large population, especially women

Click on "Best Price" to buy this book for 99 cents plus postage

Blindsided : Lifting a Life Above Illness: A Reluctant Memoir (Hardcover)


REVIEW:From Publishers Weekly
In 1972, when he was 25, Cohen, an up-and-coming television journalist, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a disease for which there is no cure. In this wrenching memoir, he tells how he has for the past 30 years succeeded in his determination to "cope and to hope." For a long time, he hid his condition from friends and co-workers, taking on dangerous assignments for CBS in Poland, Lebanon and El Salvador even though his mobility and vision were impaired. He became a senior producer at CBS, and although he eventually quit the station in 1987 because he felt it was pandering to commercial and political pressures, he worked as a producer for PBS, CNN and Fox until he left TV in the late 1990s to become a writer and teacher. In spite of his illness, he also married and had three children. He nearly lost his courage in 1999 when he learned that he had colon cancer, but after two operations and the realization that despair and anger would drive his family away, he come to grips with this, too. In painful detail, he chronicles the progress of multiple sclerosis - the increasing numbness in his hands and legs and the resultant falls, loss of vision to the point where he is now legally blind and, lately, mental confusion. Nevertheless, he writes: "These pages are not about suffering.... This book is about surviving and flourishing, rising above fear and self-doubt and, of course, anger." His wife, Meredith Vieira, a well-known television personality, has been portrayed in popular magazines as a martyr who bears a terrible burden. Cohen proves that nothing could be further from the truth. First serial rights to People magazine.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Friday

Best Price $2.69

"Fall Down, Laughing: How Squiggy Caught Multiple Sclerosis and Didn't Tell Nobody" (Hardcover)




Book Description
In the summer of 1999, David Lander revealed publicly that he suffers from multiple sclerosis-a secret he'd kept for fifteen years even while living and working in Hollywood's celebrity fishbowl. Diagnosed with the illness after filming the last episode of Laverne and Shirley, Lander continued to develop his film and television career while hiding his illness. His success was an astonishing testament to his physical and emotional strength and his determination to prove that those with M.S. can still enjoy fulfilling and challenging lives.

Fall Down, Laughing is the humorous and poignant story of Lander's courageous struggle with multiple sclerosis. Over the years, Lander tried everything to improve his condition: exercise programs, alternative medicine, support groups, the latest crop of designer drugs. Weaving his experiences against a backdrop of entertaining celebrity anecdotes, Lander offers a message of affirmation that will provide information and hope to millions of M.S. sufferers, their friends and caregivers.

About the Author
Best known for his portrayal of the character "Squiggy" on the sitcom Laverne and Shirley (1976-1983), David Lander has appeared in feature films including Who Framed Roger Rabbit, A League of Their Own, and A Bug's Life. He has guest-starred on more than thirty television shows, including Mad About You, Twin Peaks, and Pacific Blue. A lifelong baseball fan, he is a scout for the Anaheim Angels and part owner of the Portland Beavers, a Minor League ballclub. In addition to his active film and television career, Lander is the Goodwill Ambassador for the National M.S. Society.

PURCHASE MONTIEL'S BOOK BY CLICKING ON THE "Best Price: $0.01" BUTTON BELOW:

"Climbing Higher" Monteil Williams
(Hardcover)



Book Description
Television icon, New York Times bestselling author-and powerful example of the strength to overcome obstacles-Montel Williams reveals his true story of struggle and triumph in this compelling memoir that proves not only a fascinating read, but an inspiration.

In 1999, after almost twenty years of mysterious symptoms that he tried to ignore, Montel Williams, a decorated former Naval intelligence officer and Emmy(r) Award-winning talk show host, was finally diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Like others suffering from the devastating and often disabling disease, which attacks the central nervous system, Montel was first struck with denial, fear, depression, and anger. Next came the emotional trial of informing friends and family, and finally going public with the news. What followed was a fierce determination not to be beaten down by MS, and to live the most vital and productive life possible while becoming a dedicated spokesperson and fundraiser for the disease.

Montel Williams's Climbing Higher is a penetrating and insightful look at a remarkable man, his extraordinary career, and the illuminating life that graced him with strong values, courage, and wisdom. Now he shares that wisdom in this uplifting book on the divergent roads a life can take, and recounts his own resourceful approach to the challenges he has faced. Deeply personal, Climbing Higher is as straight-forward, honest, inspiring, and motivating as its author.

About the Author
Montel Williams has established himself as a top player in the competitive daytime talk show arena since his debut in 1991. He is also a decorated former Naval intelligence officer and a renowned motivational speaker, author, actor, and philanthropist. He is the creator of The Montel Williams MS Foundation.

Best Price $6.70

"Living Beyond Multiple Sclerosis"



Book Description:

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 an estimated 350,000 nationwide. From the first moment of her diagnosis, author 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 illustrative charts and tables, crucial information about the nature of the disease, treatment options, diet, exercise, social concerns, emotional issues, networking with others, and much more. The First Year—Multiple Sclerosis will be an invaluable guide for everyone learning to live with a MS diagnosis.

Best Price $4.81

"Multiple Sclerosis Q&A: Reassuring Answers to Frequently Asked Questions"



Editorial Reviews:
Neil Cavuto, vice president, anchor, and managing editor of business news, Fox News Channel
Delightfully nonclinical and refreshingly real.

David L. Lander, author of Fall Down Laughing: How Squiggy Caught Multiple Sclerosis and Didn't Tell Nobody
This book has everything I wanted to know about MS (when I was diagnosed) but was afraid to ask.

Kurt A. Johnson
My wife's diagnosis with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) set me out to learn about this dread condition, and in my search I found this book. Author Beth Ann Hill began suffering the symptoms of MS in 1995, but it wasn't until 10 doctors and four years later that she received her definitive diagnosis. After that, she also did her research on this dread condition, and this book is the fruit of her work.
As MS is a very individualized condition, Ms. Hall begins by sharing her story of her symptoms and adventures with the medical establishment. After that, she presents all of her information in the form of a series of questions and answers. The Q&As are divided into seven chapters: 1) Defining Multiple Sclerosis, 2) History and Statistics, 3) Symptoms, 4) Diagnosis and Medical Tests, 5) Treatment, 6) Family Issues, and 7) Lifestyle Changes.

But, that's not it. The final section of the book is entitled Suggestions, and has articles on What To Do If You Think You Have MS But Haven't Yet Been Diagnosed, Twenty Things To Do if You Have MS, Suggestions For Friends of MS Patients, and Suggestions For the Spouse Or Significant Other Of An MS Patient. And finally there is a list of MS Clinical Facilities that are affiliated with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (organized by state), and a glossary of term.

So, if you have reason to believe that you have MS, or have a loved one that you believe has MS, then this is an excellent book for you to get. It has all of its information organized in a friendly, easy-to-read manner that makes it very nice to read. I highly recommend this book to you.

Best Price $7.28

"The First Year-Multiple Sclerosis: An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed" (The First Year Series) (Paperback)



Book Description:

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 an estimated 350,000 nationwide. From the first moment of her diagnosis, author 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 illustrative charts and tables, crucial information about the nature of the disease, treatment options, diet, exercise, social concerns, emotional issues, networking with others, and much more. The First Year—Multiple Sclerosis will be an invaluable guide for everyone learning to live with a MS diagnosis.

Paperback: 320 pages

Thursday

Multiple Sclerosis: The Questions You Have-The Answers You Need [$14.95]

"This is the definitive guide for everyone concerned with multiple sclerosis - those who have the disease, those who share their lives with someone who has it, and all health care professionals involved with its management. It covers a wide range of topics in a format that is familiar, accessible, and easily understood. Its question and answer format reflects the collaborative relationship between people with MS and their health care professionals. The authors of each chapter answer the questions that they have been asked repeatedly in the course of their work with MS. The book was developed under the auspices of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers, and the contributors are leading authorities in all areas of multiple sclerosis management. The questions relevant to each topic were assembled from a variety of sources, including the computerized index of all questions telephoned into the National MS Society, the questions most frequently asked of the health care professionals participating in the preparation of the book, and questions suggested by a task force of patients and family members. Each chapter contains a list of references and recommended reading for readers interested in pursuing more detailed information on a particular topic. The guide also contains a comprehensive glossary of all terms commonly used in MS management, a comprehensive list of relevant resources, and a guide to commonly used medications."

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Multiple Sclerosis: New Hope and Practical Advice for People with MS and Their Families (from $2.95!)

Authors Rosner and Ross offer a positive approach to understanding and coping with MS in a book that provides up-to-date information in clear, nontechnical language. The book covers diagnosing the disease, its varying symptoms and courses, and dealing with the emotional problems that accompany MS.

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Multiple Sclerosis: A Self-Help Guide to Its Management..$3.95

For people diagnosed as having MS, and for their caregivers, from an author who has been coping with the disease for more than twenty years. Includes information on promising natural treatments, diet, exercise, and more.

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