Navigating Life With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Navigating Life with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis provides accessible, comprehensive, and up-to-date information about the challenges patients, family members, and caregivers face when confronted by ALS, a disease that affects approximately 5,600 Americans every year, with as many as 30,000 people managing the disease at any given time. ALS is a difficult disease for the patient and is also challenging for the caregiver and family as there are many questions, issues relating to care, and problems to manage. This guide covers all aspects of managing ALS, from the onset of symptoms, diagnosis, treatments, and coping strategies, to the use of home health care or hospice, and new research in the field. The book also sheds lights on difficult topics, such as end-of-life care and managing legal affairs. Navigating Life with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is unique because it covers two perspectives: one author is a neurologist with 30 years of experience treating ALS patients, and the other author experienced first-hand the issues in providing care for a parent with ALS. Formatted in a question-and-answer style, peppered throughout with patient stories, and with sections devoted to family members and caregivers, this compassionate resource provides guidance to those seeking to understand how to live with this disease.

Navigating Life with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis provides accessible, comprehensive, and up-to-date information about the challenges patients, family members, and caregivers face when confronted by ALS, a disease that affects approximately 5,600 Americans every year, with as many as 30,000 people managing the disease at any given time. ALS is a difficult disease for the patient and is also challenging for the caregiver and family as there are many questions, issues relating to care, and problems to manage. This guide covers all aspects of managing ALS, from the onset of symptoms, diagnosis, treatments, and coping strategies, to the use of home health care or hospice, and new research in the field. The book also sheds lights on difficult topics, such as end-of-life care and managing legal affairs. Navigating Life with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is unique because it covers two perspectives: one author is a neurologist with 30 years of experience treating ALS patients, and the other author experienced first-hand the issues in providing care for a parent with ALS. Formatted in a question-and-answer style, peppered throughout with patient stories, and with sections devoted to family members and caregivers, this compassionate resource provides guidance to those seeking to understand how to live with this disease.

The author, Robert Rymore, had a good friend who was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig Disease. He wanted to be able to help her and decided to buy some books about the disease. To his disappointment there was a lack of good informative books available on the subject. He decided to investigate the subject thoroughly and write a book about it to be able to help others. He decided he would start talking to professionals - doctors, physical therapists, speech therapists and occupational therapists - to learn more. He quickly realized the information he was getting would be extremely valuable for other people with ALS and their loved ones. This book has been a labor of love, one born of necessity and certainly one that aims to help those with ALS, their families, and their friends. ALS symptoms, signs, stages, types, diagnosis, treatment, caregiver tips, aids and what to expect is all covered. Including chapters about financial considerations, famous people with Lou Gehrig Disease and resources. The book is written in an easy to read and understandable style and contains tips for caregivers.

This volume provides comprehensive background for understanding amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and a critical review of research. It points out the distinguishing characteristics of the disease and testing procedures for reliable diagnosis.

Caregiving for a loved one with Alzheimer's disease or dementia is hard but with this book, you and your family will successfully face the challenges that these diseases present. Dementia is a very common neurological disease of aging affecting millions of people in complex ways. There are multiple forms of the dementia, including Alzheimer's Disease, Lewy Body Dementia, Frontotemporal Dementia, and vascular dementia, among others, and many share features of slowly progressive and profound changes affecting memory, thinking, behavior, and personality. The disease often introduces personal and even financial strains, which can be at times hard to understand. Unfortunately, most forms of dementia have no definitive treatments to prevent, slow, or stop the progression, but there is a concerted effort in the scientific community to change this. There is a consistent hope that there will soon be a new era of scientific breakthroughs impacting dementia. Now, and in the future, patients with dementia, their friends, and their families need resources to successfully face the challenges introduced by the disease. Navigating Life with Dementia is designed as a handbook including tools to manage both day-to-day issues and to anticipate the long-term impact of the disease for dementia patients as well as their friends and families. This volume will help families in all stages of dementia care, beginning with the earliest hints of cognitive problems through advanced stages. In easily understood language, the book thoroughly covers the complexities of the dementias, the establishment of a diagnosis, what to expect throughout the stages of disease, and how to best anticipate and manage common problems.

Kevin and Jodi O'Donnell, were a young New Jersey couple busy raising a toddler and making plans for their future when they received life-altering news in 1995 that changed everything as they knew it. Kevin was only 30 years old when he was told that his health problems were the result of a rare, terminal disease called ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), or Lou Gehrig's disease. Kevin and Jodi had not heard of ALS until then and had no idea how those three letters would challenge everything they thought to be certain. After more than 20 years of working with ALS families, Jodi realized that more information and better resources could be available to help families who are coming to grips with the challenges of the disease and the caregiving responsibilities that are involved. In the Introduction to "Someone I Love Has ALS: A Family Caregiver's Guide," Jodi recounts the journey she took as a caregiver, advocate and writer and embraces and shares the lessons learned throughout the pages of this wonderful guide, "This guide was created by a variety of caregivers and professionals who have years of experience with various aspects of ALS. It was written by volunteers and experts who care about ALS and your journey. It is the resource that I wish we had received along with the shocking diagnosis." Although Kevin died of ALS in 2001 at the age 35, the disease never won the battle. ALS only strengthened Kevin and Jodi's love for God and each other and it created an even bigger purpose and plan: the creation of Hope Loves Company(r), the only non-profit whose mission is to support the children and grandchildren caregivers of PALS (people with ALS).

Navigating Life with Parkinson's Disease is a guide for anyone affected by Parkinson's, providing useful information to those with Parkinson's and their caregivers, family, and friends. This extensively revised second edition contains up-to-date information on recent research and the latest adaptive equipment available to those living with Parkinson's disease. Discussing available treatments and providing practical advice, this book emphasizes lifestyle adjustments that provide a better quality of life for patients and their loved ones. The material is organized so that chapters can be read sequentially or individually, and the index and glossary facilitate the use of the book as a quick reference. Q&A sections, thoughts from people living with Parkinson's and Ask the Experts boxes address often-overlooked topics in physician-directed disease management, such as how to talk to family and friends about one's life with Parkinson's. Promoting a patient-centered approach, Navigating Life with Parkinson Disease empowers patients and their families to manage their health care.

Navigating Life with Chronic Pain provides accessible, comprehensive, and up-to-date information about the challenges patients, family, and caregivers face when confronted by chronic pain. No two pain experiences are the same, so your chronic pain depends on where you have pain, how long you have experienced pain, and how the pain symptoms developed. Everyone needs a customized approach because pain symptoms, other medical conditions, past pain experiences, beliefs about pain, environment, ability to cope with the pain, and financial and social support (like family, friends, and caregivers) are different for every person. This book aims to provide clear and reliable information about chronic pain, including "what" (definition), "how" (pathophysiology), and "why" (etiology). The authors expertly guide the reader through current approaches to diagnoses, including a review of diagnostic tests, as well as a comprehensive, integrated approach to chronic pain treatment. They demystify the pain evaluation and explain why pain professionals might ask you for detailed and seemingly personal information. Through the use of patient stories, you get real-world experiences and advice on navigating the day-to-day challenges of chronic pain. You will learn how to take control of your chronic pain using a variety of tools, like behavioral, exercise and nutritional approaches, medications, alternative treatments (yoga and tai chi), and injections or surgery.