Understanding Crohn Disease and Ulcerative Colitis

Rating:
Summary: A good IBD overview for the newly diagnosed
Review: This is a short yet informative overview of inflammatory bowel disease. The possible causes, research developments, available treatments and surgical options are discussed. It is by no means a definitive text. However, it is a good place to start if you or a loved one have just been diagnosed with IBD. It explains IBD's vocabulary in easy-to-understand terms. It discusses the different forms of IBD and the various courses these diseases can take. I definitely needed this book to supplement the information I gleaned from my doctors. I had a much clearer idea of what to expect after reading it. This book also focuses on coping skills, alternative medicine and dietary advice. An appendix contains recommended titles for more detailed reading and provides contact information for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation.

Rating:
Summary: A good IBD overview for the newly diagnosed
Review: This is a short yet informative overview of inflammatory bowel disease. The possible causes, research developments, available treatments and surgical options are discussed. It is by no means a definitive text. However, it is a good place to start if you or a loved one have just been diagnosed with IBD. It explains IBD's vocabulary in easy-to-understand terms. It discusses the different forms of IBD and the various courses these diseases can take. I definitely needed this book to supplement the information I gleaned from my doctors. I had a much clearer idea of what to expect after reading it. This book also focuses on coping skills, alternative medicine and dietary advice. An appendix contains recommended titles for more detailed reading and provides contact information for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation.

Rating:
Summary: Good Thing in a Small Package
Review: This slim volume by co-authors Zonderman (a writer with Crohns Disease) and his gastroenterologist Vender packs a lot of punch in a brief amount of time. Very up to date in terms of medication information and surgery, the authors also do an excellent job of describing the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease and WHY you are feeling this way (something I've yet to come across in any other book on IBD). I was disappointed in the primitive line drawings used to illustrate the book and in the negative attitude toward some alternative medical treatments discussed in the "mind/body" chapter (although I was pleased to see its inclusion). The authors should be commended for approaching the emotional aspects of IBD in a forthright manner and the book would be an appropriate addition to any IBD library.

Rating:
Summary: Good Thing in a Small Package
Review: This slim volume by co-authors Zonderman (a writer with Crohns Disease) and his gastroenterologist Vender packs a lot of punch in a brief amount of time. Very up to date in terms of medication information and surgery, the authors also do an excellent job of describing the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease and WHY you are feeling this way (something I've yet to come across in any other book on IBD). I was disappointed in the primitive line drawings used to illustrate the book and in the negative attitude toward some alternative medical treatments discussed in the "mind/body" chapter (although I was pleased to see its inclusion). The authors should be commended for approaching the emotional aspects of IBD in a forthright manner and the book would be an appropriate addition to any IBD library.