Brain Tumors: Leaving the Garden of Eden. Survival Guide to Diagnosis, Learning the Basics, Getting Organized, Finding Your Medical

by Paul M. Zeltzer

A guidebook for the 150,000+ people/ year and families affected by brain tumors. This book will help you learn the basics about diagnosis, getting organized and finding your medical team. Included are... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0976017105
• ISBN13: 9780976017103
• Release Date: December 2004
• Publisher: 1st Impression Publishing
• Length: 393 Pages
• Weight: 1.50 lbs.

Customer Reviews

An invaluable resource

This book was a perfect guide for me when I needed it most. Being diagnosed with a brain tumor has got to be one of the most daunting things a human can be faced with. On top of the shock, you'll quickly realize that the medical community can be a frustrating and inefficient entity to deal with while you're trying to make the most important decisions of your life. This book tells you how to take the bull by the horns and navigate through the murky waters of bureaucratic red tape. I followed the book's advice on keeping a folder with all my medical records and I took it to every appointment. While I was laying on a gurney waiting for an angiogram, a potentially dangerous procedure, I asked why it was taking so long to get started. The doctor said the hospital had misplaced my MRIs. I said that I had a copy on CD in my bag (something Dr. Zeltzer says everyone should do). His eyes popped open wide and he actually used my CD for the procedure. The nurse later told me that no one had ever done that. The book put me in control at a time when decisions like choosing the right doctors were literally a mater of life or death. My benign tumor has been removed for two and a half years and my life is very normal. I will never forget what this book meant to me.

A book of hope

This is volume 1 of a two-volume set. Buy them both. Just like the second volume, it is an essential "navigation" guide for patients with one of the deadliest cancers. The book is logically organized, gives all the necessary information and almost nothing is missing. I am brain cancer patient and I recommend this book. This book and a book by Ben Williams, Surviving "Terminal" Cancer should be on the bookshelf of every GBM patient. This book gave me hope and the strength to endure. Mine arrived with Dr. Zeltzer's dedication, "Knowledge is power". How true!

Brain Tumors - a complex diagnoses made simple

This is a good book for anyone who needs to understand the complexity and diagnosis of a brain tumor. It will give you the facts to help you or a family member make intelligent decisions when faced with this medical diagnosis. My identical twin brother was diagnosed with a rapid growing tumor that was affecting his vision. We are both software engineers not doctors. We need facts with absolutes. Not probabilities. He was admitted to the University of New Mexico Hospital, Department of Neurosurgery. His wife and 1 year old daughter were at his side waiting for the operation. I found this book at the medical school bookstore. I thumbed through it and could not put it down. The book carefully explained in detail exactly what the medical staff was saying. It was not a solution for the emotions we were going through but at least I understood the complexity of the brain and impact of tumors. He had two major operations, including a craniotomy. Thankfully, he pulled through. That was a year ago. He will be on medicine from the tumor operation for the rest of his life. But he is alive. There are other books I might suggest for the emotional impact on a family, but this review is just for the understanding of the medical diagnosis. If you or a family member has been diagnosed with a brain tumor I suggest this book.

Absolutely essential

If you or a loved one are newly diagnosed with a brain tumor, this is the book you must read immediately and use as a reference throughout the process of dealing with the disease. I wish that it had been available when our daughter was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme early last year. With a disease of this complexity, you and your family will ultimately be responsible for coordinating treatment options, anticipating and managing side effects of medications, etc. To be an effective advocate you need to learn as much as you can as quickly as you can, and this book is the place to start. The medical care that our daughter has received has been uniformly excellent, but a vigilent and informed caregiving team is a vital component in managing her disease. "Surviving Terminal Cancer" by Ben Williams is also excellent -- both books are required reading. The quality of the information available and the dedication of the people who provide it is truly amazing. Dr Musella's website, www.virtualtrials.com, is another essential resource, particularly for information about the many new developments in brain tumor research and treatment. I believe that there is much reason for optimism, and that an empowered and informed community will play an important role in conquering this terrible disease.

A must-read for anyone dealing with a brain tumor

This book helps guide you through the turmoil that comes with the diagnosis of a brain tumor. Unlike most diseases where you go to your doctor and let him / her make all of the decisions, dealing with a brain tumor is very different. You will be dealing with up to 20 different types of health professionals. You will be given choices that your doctor doesn't even want to make for you. Decisions that you make can greatly affect your chances of being a long term survivor. You need all of the help you can get. This book was written by one of the best neuro-oncologists in the world, drawing not only on his professional experiences dealing with his own patients at some of the most prestigious brain tumor centers in the USA, but also on his many years of participating in online support groups and answering questions from my website, Clinical Trials And Noteworthy Treatments For Brain Tumors. Al Musella, DPM President Musella Foundation For Brain Tumor Research & Information, Inc Virtualtrials.com