Multiple Sclerosis: A Guide for the Newly Diagnosed (2nd Edition)

Rating:
Summary: Quick, informative read for those who need to know...
Review: I am still undergoing the trauma of being diagnosed. I am in the situation I am sure many of those with MS all go through, some doctors positive I have MS, some not so sure, going through all the testing for it and have some come back positive and some come back negative (for now at least). It's a very frustrating position to be in, not just for the person directly involved, but for the family to be in.

As I spent 4 years in med school for Neuroscience, you would think I would know everything, but not so. The area is so large now, that they just barely touch on MS, and then more on the advanced stages and dementia possibilities in it (don't jump to conclusions...I am not positive MS causes dementia, just they speculate with no absolute proof). So when this possibility hit me within the last year of agonizing pins-and-needles sensations first in feet and then going up to my hands, I was desperate for information.

This is a pretty good book. The authors know what they are talking about. They don't talk 'down' to the readers, they try to meet their needs for specific information on specific problems, give answers or places to go for answers. One thing I needed was to be able to show my husband some of this information that coincided with what I was telling him. MS is not a very visible disease at it's onset unless it is acute. It's hard to show your family you are in pain when there is nothing to see. Now when I start falling in front of them for no reason...then they start paying attention.

Sometimes people have to go to books and Internet to get answers because their blasted physicians aren't forthcoming and too often they are so busy shuttling patients in and out that door in order to make money, they forget the patient as an individual. One thing to stress, this book doesn't have all the answers, and everyone who undergoes MS has different symptomologies so they cannot possibly cover everything. But this book is a good place to start.

Karen Sadler,
Science Education,
University of Pittsburgh

Rating:
Summary: Not worth it. Too little info
Review: I bought this book after reading the awesome reviews here. But it has disappointed me. Did not find anything new. Info is all too basic and you can find this by visiting couple of good web sites like WebMD.

I recommend "Multiple Sclerosis - The questions you have and the Answeres you need" instead of this. It has very exhaustive info of all different areas that a person interested in MS should know about.

Rating:
Summary: Chapters spotlight new advances in clinical management
Review: Now available in a newly revised and updated second edition, Multiple Sclerosis: A Guide For The Newly Diagnosed is a book collaboratively written by National Multiple Sclerosis Society vice presidents Dr. Nancy J. Holland (Clinical Programs), Dr. Stephen C. Reingold (Research Programs), and Dr. T. Jock Murray (head of the MS Clinic, Dalhousie University, Halifax) and specifically designed for those who have just learned that they have MS, -- as well as their family and friends. Chapters spotlight new advances in clinical management that help people with MS lead better and more productive lives than ever before. Chapters also give a plain overview in layman's language of the cause of multiple sclerosis, coping with the disease's effects, employment issues and much more. Multiple Sclerosis is a most thoughtful presented, usefully formatted, and informatively recommended guide for the non-specialist general reader.

Rating:
Summary: good overview for newly diagnosed, answers many questions
Review: The book is very good in providing the first questions a patient would have. I have read three books on the MS subject and this book I found was very good in answering the initial questions. This book was also the book I used to refer back when I had questions.

Rating:
Summary: Up-to-date and in-depth
Review: With my wife's recent diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis (MS), I found myself scrambling around, looking for resources. This book is an excellent resource, one that is well worth consulting first! This second edition was published in 2002, and written by three prominent physicians specializing in MS, which means that it is up-to-date and in-depth.

There are nine chapters in this book. Chapter one explains what MS is and how it is diagnosed. Chapter two looks at the potential causes of MS. Chapter three is an excellent look at the treatments currently available. Chapter four contains practical advice on living with MS, while chapter five gives advice on coping with the disease, and chapter six discuses employment issues. Chapter seven is a hope-bringing chapter on current research into MS, while chapter eight discuses clinical trials. And finally, chapter nine is a short discussion on what your Multiple Sclerosis Society can do for you.

As a person caught up in the life of a Multiple Sclerosis sufferer, I must say that I found this book to be an excellent resource. I highly recommend this to those newly diagnosed, and to their loved ones.