Graves' Disease In Our Own Words

by Jake George and Nancy Patterson

"Graves' Disease, In Our Own Words" takes the reader on a unique journey through the disease's many complexities. Personal accounts offer insights into both the physical and emotional sides of... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1878398202
• ISBN13: 9781878398208
• Release Date: August 2002
• Publisher: Blue Note Pubns
• Length: 210 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Very helpful and informative!

I have Graves disease. Having said that, I decided to read absolutely everything I could find that has been written about this disease. The other books I read presented the technical and medical information very well. This book presented not only that technical information in a very understandable way, but it also presented information regarding the impact (other than on the body) that this disease can have. This extra information is what sets this book apart. When I told my endocrinologist that someone should write a book solely about Graves disease, he said, "why? It is a very straightforward disease." Wrong! This disease is not straightforward at all! (I am going to send my copy of this book to him!) This book is very very helpful! Thank you!

Graves' Disease In Our Own Words

This is the book I have been waiting for! It is easy to read and understand, informative. Allows the patient to realize they are not alone in this fight. Some books are too technical for the everyday reader, but this spells it all out in a simple form for them. I plan on handing this book out to my doctors.Thank you for writing this book!

It's fairly obvious

That the folks who felt this book was... "inadequate" in addressing all of the issues, opinions, folk-remedies and whatnot regarding Graves' disease share the opinions of the "other" thyroid disease message board. So rather than use this review page as an Us vs. Them battle, I suggest that our fellow reviewers stick to the facts... and perhaps do a little research themselves.For one: "Spontaneous Remission", a phrase long uttered by fans of Elaine Moore and Mary Shomon, is NOT the expected end result of either treated or untreated Graves' disease. Any Graves' disease patient who expects that their condition will suddenly cure itself or run its course, either through the use of ATMs, bogus herbal remedies or beta blockers, is taking a dangerous health gamble. While some patients do go into "remission" (meaning their Graves' antibodies settle down for a bit, but will likely flare up at a later date) through the use of ATMs, the long-term effects of improperly treated GD are marked: coronary involvement, osteoporosis, significant muscle wasting and possible thyroid storm or death. Any person who suggests that GD patients should try herbal remedies and vitamins alone to control this INCURABLE autoimmune disorder is flying in the face of established medical fact and may be placing other patients in serious medical harm.So while I applaud any GD patient who has managed to send their disease into "remission" using one or more of the above methods, unfortunately most of the rest of us aren't in any position to gamble with our already failing health. When my blood pressure spiked to 210/115 and my resting heart rate was at 150 bpm on 50mgs of Atenolol b.i.d., waiting for "remission" was a luxury I just didn't have. And due to the severe immune system involvement of my condition, ATMs were also not an option. So I chose RAI, and while many GD patients will attempt to make me and others like me feel guilty for making this choice (and they did, on the "other" message board), I know that I made the best medical decision for me and will support other GD patients in their treatment choices - regardless of what that choice might be, within the realm of common sense.Which is what 'Graves' Disease In Our Own Words' is all about, and why it is a far superior book to Elaine Moore's (not-so)'Practical Guide'. It offers REAL stories from REAL GD patients who faced tough decisions regarding their treatment. 'In Our Own Words' offers ALL treatment options from an objective point of view, and simply because the authors choose to not denounce RAI as evil spawned from Satan himself does not mean that they are "pushing" that option onto anyone.In addition to addressing the "technical" side of this illness (done in a very matter-of-fact, cut through the B.S. way that I greatly appreciated), I loved how this book tackled the real-life, emotional issues of GD overlooked in so many other books on the topic: family problems, job-related stress, memory loss, and depres

Great, factual information in plain language

These are the people with experience, the people with the disease, and the people who have learned all there is to know about the disease. They are backed by knowledgeable health professionals (the experts in the field) and refuse to perpetuate common myths and misperceptions about various aspects of the disease and its treatment. Every fact has been checked and verified with its medical board of directors and can be completely relied upon. Also written in a conversational style that is easy to read. EXCELLENT book.

I am glad this is available

Books usually focus on the technical aspects of Graves' Disease. This one shares the experiences of many different people with Graves'. It seems to give many individual experiences, doesn't give advice, but helps each of us get an idea of what we might be facing. I had the pleasure of meeting both authors. I hope there will be a follow-up book.