Caring for the M.E. Patient

ISBN: 144529639X

Author: Jodi Bassett

Condition: New

Essential information on the neurological disease M.E. sourced from the world's leading M.E. experts. Suitable for M.E. patients, their friends and family, partners, carers or doctors. The book includes a Foreword by the world's most experienced and knowledgeable M.E. expert Dr Byron Hyde.Dr Hyde writes:"There is so much false information that is picked up and disseminated it is near impossible to hold one's head above the water and sift through this morass of misinformation. Any attempt to seek the truth is always a major difficulty. Somehow, Jodi Bassett and Hummingbird have managed to plow through this field of weeds.""This is a book that deserves being read, not only by patients and physicians with an interest in M.E. but the bureaucrats in the USA Centers for Disease Control who have done so much damage to the understanding of M.E. I recommend her book to all and wish it every best success."From the cover:For friends, family and partners: Your friend or family member may be just as ill and disabled as someone with M.S., yet have almost no appropriate social support at all. They may also be dealing with serious medical neglect or even overt abuse. This happens due to the deliberate, financially and politically motivated confusion between the distinct and measurable neurological disease M.E. and the vague fatigue-based wastebasket diagnosis of 'CFS'. These are two entirely different entities. Find out what is really going on and why.Learning the facts is not time-consuming or complicated, and may improve both the patient's quality of life, and your relationship with them. You can help the person in your life that has M.E. Supporting your ill friend or family member more fully by being aware of the basic facts of M.E. could make all the difference in the world to them. This book shows you how.For medical professionals: Patients with M.E. have some care needs which are common to a variety of other diseases, and others that are unique and with which hospital staff, doctors or carers may be wholly unfamiliar. If you are providing care for someone with M.E., you will find knowledge of some of the basic M.E. facts vital in order to avoid additional unnecessary suffering and disability.Taking a small amount of time to learn the facts about the disease can make an enormous difference to the M.E. patient's quality of life and prognosis. It could even be life-saving. Providing appropriate care and support for the M.E. patient could make all the difference in the world to them. This book shows you how.Jodi Bassett is the founder of the international M.E. charity, HFME. Jodi contracted M.E. in 1995 when she was just 19. HFME contributors also aim to advocate for those non-M.E. patients who have been given the always meaningless 'CFS' diagnosis, and subsequently denied correct diagnosis and treatment."Myalgic Encephalomyelitis is primarily a neurological illness. It is classified as such under the WHO international classification of diseases, although non-neurological complications affecting the liver, cardiac and skeletal muscle, endocrine and lymphoid tissues are also recognised." Dr Elizabeth Dowsett"I have some M.E. patients with a circulating red blood cell volume less than 50% of expected and a very large number with the range of 60% to 70%. The brain, muscles and peripheral circulation are placed in physiological difficulty." Dr Byron Hyde"M.E. has a UNIQUE neuro-hormonal profile. Prompt recognition and advice to avoid overexertion is mandatory." Dr Elizabeth Dowsett & Dr Melvin Ramsay"M.E. is a clearly defined disease process. M.E. is a serious (acute-onset) diffuse brain injury and appears to be in the same family of diseases as polio and MS. This relationship is the reason that Gilliam, in his analysis of the L.A. M.E. epidemic in 1934, called M.E. 'atypical poliomyelitis.'" Dr Byron Hyde