When the Diagnosis Is Multiple Sclerosis: Help, Hope, and Insights from an Affected Physician
Kym Orsetti Furney M.D. | 2007-12-30 00:00:00 | Praeger | 144 | Memoirs
Kym Orsetti Furney was a 34-year-old physician, specializing in Internal Medicine, busy with her exciting job and enjoying life with her husband and young daughter in 2000, when she suddenly began to experience dizziness repeatedly, which rapidly led to a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis. Her world was rocked for a time, but Furney has recovered from the shock and - empowered by information, acceptance and support - continues working as a doctor, teaching and taking care of her family, despite the challenges of MS. For all people dealing with a personal or family diagnosis now, she offers help, hope and insights by explaining all the medical perspectives, but also reflecting on her own personal experiences after diagnosis. Never forgetting the fear and hopelessness she felt at the time she learned of her own MS, she discusses the many challenges, from depression and overcoming fear of injection medications, to how and when to tell others about having MS and understanding the impact MS may have on one's career. Readers will find a strong connection with this talented physician and the thoughts and emotions that she has had facing MS.
Furney's well-researched and compassionate writing will not only empower people newly diagnosed with MS, but will give family members insight into the physical and emotional challenges for their loved one, challenges that she or he may not immediately be able to voice. This work also offers invaluable insights for healthcare professionals, psychologists, psychiatrists, physical and occupational therapists.
Reviews
This is a very helpful-and very human- discussion of MS and the havoc it can introduce into one's life.
As a first-hand book, written by someone who has traveled down that road, it can be enormously valuable to those diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.
There are many books out there that help one deal with this subject. There are books on Nutrition, Diet, Exercise, Ayurvedic Medicine, Yoga, Herbals, wholistics, etc. Most often, these are written by health care workers, rather than by patients themselves. Do a quick search on Amazon & you'll come up with a lot of titles. Where to start?
This book is a helpful discussion of the traditional medical approaches to MS.
It has clearly been documented that people taking the A,B,C, R of traditional MS therapy have positively impacted their illness. (Avonex, Beta Seron, Copaxone, Rebif). However, as MS does not behave uniformly in everyone, a multi-disciplinary approach encompassing both traditional and alternative will hopefully be of benefit. Number One- Do No Harm!
The author of this book, Dr. Kym Orsetti Furney MD, offers a traditional and valuable perspective on this subject. Dr. Furney has a very pleasant and readable writing style.
This book is possibly most helpful to those newly diagnosed -once they are ready to read about MS.
Other helpful ways to approach this chronic new lifestyle can be through some other very good avenues:
Books:
A great place to start:
*Symptom Management in Multiple Sclerosis (Paperback)
~ Randall T. Schapiro
Written a while ago, & updated. Still extremely relevant. Answeers those troubling questions right from the start.
Not yet released (2010)
*Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis: An Evidence-Based Guide to Recovery (Paperback)
~ George Jelinek
Looking forward to this one!
*Complementary and Alternative Medicine and Multiple Sclerosis by Allen C. Bowling (Paperback - Nov. 13, 2006)
Alternative Medicine and Multiple Sclerosis (Paperback)
Allen C. Bowling
The definitive word on complementary approaches in MS is by Dr. Bowling.
*Yoga and Multiple Sclerosis: A Journey to Health and Healing by M.D. Loren Martin Fishman, B. Phil, and Eric Small (Paperback - May 28, 2007)
*The Multiple Sclerosis Diet Book by Roy Laver Swank and Barbara Brewer Dugan (Hardcover - Mar. 24, 1987)
The definitive dietary voice!
*The MS Recovery Diet (Paperback)
Ann Sawyer (Author), Judith Bachrach (Author) \
Nicely written
*Cooking Well: Multiple Sclerosis: Over 75 Easy and Delicious Recipes for Nutritional Healing
by Marie Courtier and Vincent F. Macaluso MD (Paperback - June 30, 2009)
Very nice & enjoyable recipes. Well written.
*Multiple Sclerosis: The Questions You Have, the Answers You Need by Ph.D. Rosalind C. Kalb (Paperback - Oct. 28, 2007)
* In My Shoes: A Journey to Living Well with Multiple Sclerosis by Mary Monaghan Sypawka (Paperback - Oct. 4, 2007)
There are some very helpful teleconferences (pick up your phone & dial in-hear a nice 30 minute talk & then it's questions & answers!):
National MS Society: go to their website & sign up.
Shared Solutions: (Call & ask about their monthly teleconferences) or go to their website & sign up.
MS Lifelines: go to their website & sign up.
Good luck to all!
Reviews
When the Diagnosis is Multiple Sclerosis: Help, Hope and Insights from an Affected Physician comes from a 34-year-old physician enjoying an exciting career and life when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Information, treatment and support offered her the ability to continue her work and life despite the challenges of MS, and her book offers hope to others coping with such a diagnosis. Any general lending library or health collection needs her insights.
Reviews
If I had to pick one word to describe the book, I would say it is balanced. It is written by a patient who also happens to be a doctor, and so you receive comfort, optimism, realism, and information all in one excellent package. In fact, I cannot remember the last time I read a book that I found to be this perfect. So, while it can be frightening to open a book for fearing more ways in which life may be permanently altered, no such concern here. This book helps keep the reader grounded, and in optimism.
Everything is logically covered, starting with the moment of diagnosis. The first struggle for many may be the psychological response to a heavy diagnosis. Here the author gives her own personal experience, and hope from that personal experience which can be very encouraging indeed.
Next, out of psychological decisions the reader makes, comes the necessity of responsible self care to help ensure a good outcome. This section covers in detail the psychological and the practical aspects of self-injections and a heavy emphasis on taking the medications. There are reasons people don't want to, and there is a lot of help here in overcoming a potentially harmful decision.
Lots of good info here on informing others of the MS diagnosis, their responses, pros and cons, and of course help in determining whether to tell coworkers (also when and how) and making decisions about whether or not to work, have children, etc. These sections are packed with info from personal experience, medical facts, dealing with others, all from the standpoints of practical, psychological, emotional, etc. Really well-covered.
Then come the lifestyle choices of general self-care beyond medication, including diet and exercise, dealing with depression and fatigue, etc.
The book also helps with the process of becoming a patient and joining your doctor in the process of helping you with your disease.
As one might expect, the topic of potential disability will weigh heavily on the reader's mind, and lots of information is available here as well.
Doctor Kym Orsetti Furney ends the work with discussions about community involvement and the need for balance, something so carefully and expertly woven throughout the book. You get a list of resources, symptoms, medical info, etc.
This really is a fabulous book. For someone suffering from a new diagnosis, it can help with the grieving and response processes and guides the reader into making healthy choices that can greatly influence the outcome for the patient. Actually, come to think of it, this is a great read even for people who have medical issues not related to MS, because of the general theme of grounded optimism, hope, the necessity of self-care, and expert knowledge from a wonderfully caring person who has been there, both as a patient and a doctor. This would be good for anyone to read who is suffering from illness, and I will definitely recommend it.
For people who are not sick but want to help someone who is, it can be really useful to know what that person is going through, understand the challenges to be faced, and to be able to give greater help and hope based on understanding from both a medical and psychological standpoint.
That said, I do strongly support a holistic approach to illness and getting rid of the cause more than covering the symptoms. Dr. Orsetti Furney discusses a certain amount of this by way of diet and exercise in chapter 8.
Great read. Easily one of my favorites. Five stars.
Reviews
Reading this book is like sitting down with a good friend who will tell you the truth about a difficult subject. I cannot speak for people who have MS, but I found it very helpful in understanding the issues, the disease itself, treatment, people's reactions, and many of the decisions that some who is diagnosed with MS must face. This includes subjects such as when and how to inform others about the disease, including your children. The author, having MS herself, is not prescription but instead frankly discusses the issues around disclosure. Very readable and informative.
Reviews
A great resource for those diagnosed with MS or for those with a family member diagnosed with MS. It is not often a doctor with a medical condition writes a book to help guide others along the journey with a chronic illness. Well written, no nonsense, straight forward, sound advice, and resource list to help others navigate their way.
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