Book Reviews

Reviews of books about fibromyalgia and related health conditions.

Saturday, April 07, 2007

Fibromyalgia Network

Yes, I’m alive!

I’m writing this rare post to give kudos to the Fibromyalgia Network.  I finally joined the organization a ccouple of weeks ago, and I’m thrilled with their newsletter.  I actually bought a combo package of a membership plus 18 back issues of their newsletter (Membership + 18 issue back pack), and I’ve really enjoyed reading all the information in each issue.  There are no ads, just articles, and almost all of them have proven to be relevent to my condition.  The articles feature cutting-edge information about new drug trials and medications, rather than slipping into namby-pamby stuff like “fibro-hugs”.  While the occasional “fibro-hug” sent through cyberspace might be a mood-lifter, it’s not going to take my pain away like a prescription medication can.  There’s also information on alternative treatments, like yoga, but the majority of space is devoted to news from the world of medicine.

Another great thing about joining the Fibromyalgia Network is that they send you a list of approved doctors in your area who treat fibromyalgia.  My own doctor was listed, as were three or four others who I wasn’t aware of.  I think this is an excellent resource, and highly encourage you to at least buy one sample issue if you’re still not sure about joining.  I feel like I’m well-informed about FMS treatments, but these newsletters took my awareness up another notch.

On a personal note, I’m hanging in there, although I still feel as if my FMS is getting worse.  I’m holding down two great jobs, and I’m sure that I push myself a bit too hard.  At least the medications I’m on have given me the ability to push myself as much as I do.  I’d still like to find the “perfect” pain medication, but also want to explore some “treat the cause” therapies, like HGH.  I wish GHB was legal… from what I’ve read, the drug Xyrem (the prescription version of GHB) can work miracles for FMS patients.  Those of us who obey the law always end up being screwed by people who don’t.

Posted by Leigh-Ann on 04/07 at 07:13 PM
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Saturday, August 12, 2006

Living with Fibromyalgia

I was pretty excited to see the book, Living With Fibromyalgia at Amazon.com, because it’s written by a Las Vegas doctor, Dean Mondell.  My endocrinologist gave me a referral to see Dr. Mondell a few years ago, but I wasn’t able to afford the appointment at that time and never followed up.  I thought this book would be a good, inexpensive way for me to find out a bit about Dr. Mondell’s attitude towards FMS, so I’d know if going to see him now would be worthwhile.  I don’t want to waste another $600+ dollars like I did at the nearby “pain specialist”, only to be told that I should take vitamins.

The quick version of my review is that Dr. Mondell isn’t a disappointment, but the book sort of was.  It’s a book about attitudes towards fibromyalgia, and is aimed at people who have unsympathetic family, employers, etc.  It’s also aimed at people (like me, ahem), who try to fight off the FMS and who avoid admitting that they aren’t as strong or as healthy as they once were.  I guess you could say that the book tells friends and family, “Hey, this person has a real illness!  Be sympathetic!”, and it tells people like me, “Hey, have a nap!” It’s an excellent book to have on hand if you worry that people around you don’t take your illness seriously, and it gives tips on how to explain your limitations to others.  It also has advice for friends and family on how to help and be supportive.  Most of all, it tells stressed out people like me that if I let the FMS frustrate me, I’ll just make the FMS worse.  I reluctantly concede that’s probably true.

As a potential patient of Dr. Mondell’s, I would have liked the book to have talked more about treatment options, but in fairness, that wasn’t the book’s intention.  Treatment options might have dated the book, too, so as it now stands it’s a pretty timeless and helpful tool for dealing with chronic illness.  It did skim over some treatment protocols, but nothing in depth.

After reading this book, I know that seeing Dr. Mondell is definitely worth a shot.  It will have to wait a couple of weeks because of other priorities, but I’ll definitely call his office on Monday to schedule an appointment for September.

Posted by Leigh-Ann on 08/12 at 09:35 PM
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