Stories for Courage, Comfort and Strength
December 2, 2009
After facing breast cancer, Debra LaChance founded The Healing Project and initiated her seven-part Voices Of series (Voices of Breast Cancer, Voices of Alzheimer's, etc.) to fulfill the need-her own included-for "personal stories of those who had gone through this ordeal." The latest begins with an overview of multiple sclerosis by medical doctor John Richert, followed by 34 diverse voices of patients, as well as their spouses and children. California academic Jodene Kersten writes about her mother, born in a Japanese-American relocation camp during WWII and diagnosed with MS when she was 18, but who raised two children and pursued a career as a nurse. Gerald Chalmers writes about the physical and emotional obstacles, admitting that he refused a wheelchair for years because "it screamed 'disability,'" only to find it radically improved his life. Addressing all aspects of life with disease-diagnosis, diet, exercise, laughter, stigma, support, family and friends, acceptance, treatment, and the promise of new and better treatment-this is an honest collection that will provide great context and practical advice for patients and their loved ones.
November 1, 2009
This collection of essays compiled by Gore from the Healing Project ("Voices of Autism; Voices of Caregiving") contains inspiring true stories by those affected by multiple sclerosis (MS). Beginning with a medical overview, the book features short essays from patients and patients' loved ones. A wife writes about her husband's diagnosis of MS two months after the birth of their daughter, describing how their love helps get them through the bad days. A patient who lost most of her vision to MS explains how the disease has inspired her to become content with her life. The book concludes with a helpful list of MS organizations and resources. VERDICT Those diagnosed with MS or who have a loved one with MS will find support in this collection of stories, which provides a nice supplement to medical information about the disease as patients can read about others dealing with how MS has impacted their lives.Dana Ladd, Community Health Education Ctr., Virginia Commonwealth Univ. Libs. & Virginia Commonwealth Univ. Health Syst., Richmond
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