Question: Good Books & Web Sites

[Guest guest]

I have been trying to cope with this on my own for the past 5 years and have

gotten worse so that now my symptoms consume every waking moment. I need help to

cope and would appreciate any good books on coping with pain or chronic illness,

other web sites and support groups.

Thanks for reading

Rix

[Guest guest]

--- Rix wrote:

>

> I have been trying to cope with this on my own for the past 5 years and have

gotten worse so that now my symptoms consume every waking moment. I need help to

cope and would appreciate any good books on coping with pain or chronic illness,

other web sites and support groups.

>

>

Hello Rix:

A book that absolutely changed my life was " Getting off the Pain Roller Coaster "

by Barry and Lillie Weiss. It's no longer in print, but you can find used

copies on amazon.com for reasonable prices. It's small, short, and quick to

read, but really opened my eyes to how I could manage my pain more effectively.

If you're looking for a more challenging read, I'm currently obsessed with " The

Pain Chronicles " by Thernstrom. It's NOT a self-help book - it's more

like a " natural history " of pain and pain treatments. It's been a real

eye-opener to how pain has been viewed and treated across centuries and

cultures. Very well researched and written.

There are many other good pain management books out there that can provide help

with techniques for managing chronic pain. Among the ones I like are the

following:

" Living Well with a Hidden Disability " by - not about pain

specifically, but about dealing with the stigma and challenges of any type of

disease that leaves other people saying " but you don't LOOK sick. "

" Managing Pain before it Manages You, " by Margaret Caudill.

" Chronically Happy: Joyful Living in Spite of Chronic Illness " by Lori Hartwell

- again, not about pain specifically, but touches on how to live all aspects of

your life when illness gets in the way.

" Sick and Tired of Feeling Sick and Tired: Living with Invisible Chronic

Illness, " by Donoghue and Siegel.

There are many others out there. Some are specific to chronic pain, others that

are just as useful are more generally about chronic illness or invisible chronic

illness specifically.

As for websites, again there are many:

If you want information on drugs, the very best site out there is the

Physician's Desk Reference (PDR) online for consumers, at www.pdrhealth.com

You can search by drug, including otc and herbals, look for drug interactions,

find drug trials, find info on diseases and conditions, find info you need to

know if considering surgery (*including the patient's bill of rights!) and lots

of other information there.

WebMD is a great general source of reputable health information. www.webmd.com

For info and support on chronic pain specifically, I highly recommend teh

American Pain Foundation at www.painfoundation.org They do a lot of education

and lobbying of the US government on pain issues and access to healthcare and

appropriate pain treatment, but they also provide a great source of reputable

information on all sorts of pain conditions and treatments, and offer links to

find doctors who specialize in specific conditions as well as providing tons of

links to other resources.

That should be more than enough to get you started. Good luck! I'm a HUGE

believer that knowledge is power. When you start to feel like you're taking

control of your life back from your pain by taking the action to learn more

about your condition and how to manage it, you're going to find that life

becomes more hopeful. And you're going to have a better chance of locating the

resources you need when you know what to look for and what to demand!

Cheryl in AZ

Moderator