The Scleroderma Book: A Guide for Patients and Families

ISBN-13: 9780195169409 / Angielski / Twarda / 2005 / 224 str.

Maureen D. Mayes

Opis

The Scleroderma Book has long been considered the leading source of information for patients suffering with this disease. Now comes the Second Edition of this highly respected volume, extensively revised by Maureen Mayes, M.D., the leading authority in this field. Writing specifically for patients and their families, Dr. Mayes draws on her extensive experience treating scleroderma to provide up-to-date, practical information that will help patients manage their symptoms and improve their quality of life. Dr. Mayes begins with an easily accessible description of the basic facts, distinguishing between the many manifestations of the disease, ranging from localized scleroderma (small patches of hardened skin, most common in children, which tend to clear up over time) to systemic scleroderma, which can attack the lungs, the kidneys, and the blood vessels, and can be life threatening. Equally important, she offers sympathetic and reassuring advice on matters that often concern patients, such as the best course of action for those who want children, what to do if the disease affects your sex life, and what you can do to help your doctor treat your illness more effectively. The book concludes with a good humored, frank discussion about how to cope, day in and day out, with an uncertain future--how to be a "person living with" scleroderma, not a "victim suffering from" it. The new edition has updated chapters on the genetics of scleroderma and on new treatments for complications of this disease. Touching on virtually every aspect of this disorder, The Scleroderma Book provides a reliable source of information and reassurance for patients of any age and no matter how severe their form of the disease.

O autorze

Maureen Mayes, M.D. is Professor of Medicine at the University of Texas Houston Medical School, where she directs the Scleroderma Clinic. Dr Mayes has been active in scleroderma research, clinical trials and patient care for over 20 years. She is the author of multiple papers and book chapters on the subject and is a past president and director of the National Board of Directors for the United Scleroderma Foundation, and serves on its Medical Advisory Board. Her professional career has been devoted to the study and treatment of scleroderma. She is the principle investigator for the National Institutes of Health Scleroderma Registry, which seeks to identify common factors amongst patients that could explain their susceptibility to develop this disease. This book represents many years of experience in explaining this puzzling disease to patients and family members.