A Johns Hopkins Press Health Book – serie

A leading expert answers your questions about how to live to your fullest with COPD.Significant lung damage from smoking, exposure in some jobs, or even diseases such as AIDS and tuberculosis can lead to COPD. Having chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can leave you feeling short of breath, sometimes reluctant to go shopping or for a walk because you are afraid of more difficulties. You may have wheezing, tightness in the chest, or frequent coughing. Although you see a doctor for your COPD, you often have questions and need answers. In this concise and practical guide, leading medical expert Donald A. Mahler answers some of the most pressing questions that he has been asked over 30 years of seeing patients with COPD, including• Why am I short of breath?• What medications can treat my COPD?• Can surgery improve COPD?• What are flare-ups—and how can I prevent them?• How can I stop smoking?• What should I do if my breathing isn't getting better?• Can exercise help? If so, which exercises are the most beneficial?• What's the best way to prevent lung infections?• How does COVID-19 affect COPD?• How can I travel with oxygen?• Can I be sexually active with COPD?and much more. Each chapter includes a patient vignette and key points. Tables and boxes offering helpful tips are included throughout. Providing up-to-date, evidence-based content that covers more than just medications, COPD gives you the tools you need to keep active—and thrive.

Keeping Control is a compassionate, medically reliable, and thoroughly informative resource for anyone who wants to understand the possible causes of fecal incontinence, learn about important advances in management and treatment, and do something about the problem. Written by a noted Johns Hopkins physician and an experienced medical writer and editor, Keeping Control explains the mechanics of normal bowel function and describes the latest medical findings about what can cause incontinence, from pre-existing conditions and diseases to accidents and childbirth injuries. It thoroughly explains the wide range of treatment options, including remarkable successes with biofeedback and habit training. It includes special advice for managing incontinence in children and older people. And it offers important advice on how to work with your physician to take control of the problem. Keeping Control also includes a glossary of terms and valuable information about contacting support groups and using additional resources.An epilogue by Nancy Norton, founder of the International Foundation for Bowel Dysfunction, describes the personal challenge of living with fecal incontinence and explains how she and many others have found the courage to cope with the problem and live life to the fullest.

Throughout the world, the incidence of malignant melanoma is increasing at an alarming rate. This dramatic rise is largely due to more frequent and prolonged exposure to intense sun, the result of major changes in clothing styles, recreation, and lifestyle (including widespread access to midwinter resort vacations). Significantly, recent scientific studies have shown an increased number of moles on, and a higher rate of melanoma in, people with the greatest sunscreen use, pointing out the mistaken belief that using sunscreen means getting a "safe" tan. The truth is that most sunscreen provides protection from UVB rays-the rays that cause the sunburn you see and feel-but not from UVA rays-the cancer-causing rays that penetrate deeper into the skin. In this book, physicians Jill R. Schofield and William A. Robinson team up to provide comprehensive information about melanoma for patients and family members as well as those who are concerned about getting the disease. They provide the latest information on prevention, diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, and follow-up, and answer a host of questions, such as: * I use a number 15 sunscreen. Is that enough?* I have been under a lot of stress lately. Did that make me get melanoma? * If the melanoma comes back, when will it happen? * Is there a blood test to tell if the melanoma has spread? * Is a mole more likely to turn into melanoma if it's in a place where my clothes rub? In addition, the authors describe who is at risk and tell readers how to determine their level of risk; describe skin warning signs and unusual forms of melanoma; talk about melanoma in children, pregnant women, and people whose immune systems are compromised; and take a look at what's on the horizon in diagnosis and treatment. The book is fully illustrated with color photographs and line drawings and includes a glossary and a guide to resources-support and advocacy organizations, and web sites-for people with melanoma.

Nearly everyone has experienced heartburn, the sensation of burning discomfort in the chest, often brought on by eating a large meal. In fact, heartburn is the most common gastroesophageal disorder in the United States-more than seven in ten adult Americans suffer from heartburn each month. Few people, however, realize that heartburn is really just one symptom of the disorder known as acid reflux disease or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a condition in which stomach acid repeatedly washes up into the esophagus, or remains in the esophagus too long. Most people experience GERD as a cluster of simple symptoms-belching, chest pain, and indigestion. Others suffer painful or difficult swallowing, asthma, chronic cough, and hoarseness, symptoms that can indicate a more serious disorder or lead to such complications as bleeding, esophageal stricture, and esophageal cancer. Some people, however, experience no symptoms-and they run an especially high risk of developing complications.Healing Heartburn seeks to educate people about GERD's symptoms and the range of available treatments and also to help people take charge of their lives by doing something about their own acid reflux disease. Authors Dr. Lawrence J. Cheskin and Dr. Brian E. Lacy cover diagnostic tests, a step-by-step approach to treatment, the effectiveness of medications, complications and how to avoid them, and special considerations for pregnant women and for children. Illustrations, questionnaires, patient vignettes, answers to commonly asked questions, and a list of additional resources round out this comprehensive patient guide.

One in four babies born in the United States and Europe comes into the world via Cesarean section. Yet this procedure has been described by critics as an unnecessary and potentially dangerous medical intervention. Consequently, expectant mothers often fear this option, and women who have had C-sections can feel a sense of failure. In Cesarean Section: Understanding and Celebrating Your Baby's Birth, Drs. Michele Moore and Caroline de Costa emphasize the joy of delivering a healthy baby, however that is best achieved. They explain why Cesarean births are sometimes preferable to vaginal delivery for both mother and baby, and they help women understand the issues behind the decision to perform the procedure. From anesthesia, surgery, and recovery through at-home care of mother and child, the authors offer reassurance and practical information for all mothers and mothers-to-be. They also discuss the latest findings on postpartum depression and planning for future births, including the possibility of vaginal birth after a Cesarean section.For every woman who has a planned-or unplanned-Cesarean section, this book provides the information they need to alleviate their fears and come to value this delivery option. "Because up to a quarter of all births are Cesarean births, prenatal preparation should include information about Cesarean sections for every woman. And that is why we have written this guide...We believe strongly that it is time to speak out and say that Cesarean section is a normal birth method and that women who have a Cesarean section should not be made to feel that they have failed...We hope you find the information in this book useful and helpful in thinking about C-section, whether you have already had a Cesarean and want to understand the experience better, you wish to plan for another C-section birth, or you are expecting a baby and want to be informed about all the possibilities ahead, including this other normal way of bringing a baby into the world."-from the Introduction

If you or someone you love has had a stroke, you understand that after a stroke, a person has many questions: "What is a stroke, and why did I have one?" "How can I best recover from my stroke?" "How can I make sure this never happens to me again?" Every 45 seconds someone in this country has a stroke; this means that about five million stroke survivors in the United States are facing these questions and a host of emotional and physical and practical challenges. As medical specialists treating and caring for stroke survivors, Drs. Stein, Silver, and Frates understand these challenges; they wrote this book to help people recover as fully as possible after having a stroke and to explain all of the different things a person can do to prevent a stroke or a recurrent stroke. They explain what a stroke is, how it occurs, and what kinds of injuries it can cause--and they explain all about stroke recovery. They carefully focus on how stroke survivors can work with their doctor to lower their risk of a future stroke, including taking medications and altering their lifestyle.They look at stroke research that will provide better treatment options in the future, and they offer a relatively simple plan for taking control in preventing stroke or recurrent stroke. This book, then, is for anyone whose genetics, physiology, or lifestyle make them susceptible to stroke--in other words, every one of us. It will be especially helpful to people who have already had a stroke and who understand the importance of taking steps to avoid another one. From the Foreword, by Robert J. Wityk MD, Department of Neurology, The Johns Hopkins Hospital: "This book may help you navigate the sometimes confusing corridors of medicine to empower you to take control of your health or that of your loved one. Read it and learn, and then discuss it with your physician. Between your involved interest, what you discover here and your doctor's expertise, your or your loved one's recovery lies in very good hands, indeed."

Depression is a mood disorder that affects one in ten Americans in any given year. At one time too stigmatized to be mentioned in polite conversation, depression is now discussed frankly in the media, and advertisements for drug therapy appear everywhere. The third edition of this widely acclaimed book reflects changes in how mood disorders are thought about, and how they are treated. Dr. Francis Mark Mondimore, author of the best-selling book Bipolar Disorder: A Guide for Patients and Families, here explains depression-its causes and symptoms, and its treatment. He discusses depression in all age groups and in both sexes, as well as bipolar disorder, seasonal affective disorders, and depression that accompanies illness. This edition encompasses more than a decade of new research, advances in pharmacology, and changes in public perception. The past ten years have seen the release of new forms of the major antidepressants as well as other promising new avenues in pharmaceutical treatments. For example "atypical" or "second generation" antidepressants, such as venlafaxine and duloxetine, provide different ways of manipulating the chemical systems in the brain concerned with mood.And there have been significant advances in the use of MAO inhibitors, now available in patch form. Dr. Mondimore reviews these and other pharmacological therapies as part of a comprehensive approach to treatment that includes psychotherapy, family and community support, and lifestyle changes. Full of information compassionately presented, this guide provides hope and help to patients and their families.

The Guide to Living with HIV Infection is the most complete source of medical, emotional, social, and practical advice available for those infected with HIV and their loved ones. Developed at the Johns Hopkins AIDS Clinic, the guide provides essential information for making decisions about treatment and testing in a world transformed by new research and pharmacotherapy. In this thoroughly updated sixth edition, Dr. John Bartlett and Ann K. Finkbeiner address the latest information about risks of transmission, viral mutations that confer drug resistance, and new, rapid, HIV testing. They offer guidelines for Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART), a therapy protocol that has dramatically increased life expectancy for HIV-positive people. They describe how to follow HAART and when to change drug regimens, the symptoms of and treatments for HAART side effects, and the costs of and insurance coverage for HAART. They also outline the possibilities for a diagnosis of "no detectable virus." Accompanied by updated references and resources, the sixth edition of The Guide to Living with HIV Infection offers new hope for people living with a virus that once left no hope at all.

It won't happen to me. I'm too busy to worry about a living will. My family will know what to do. No one wants to plan for death or incapacitating illness. But, as the emotional legal battle in the Terri Schiavo case made all too clear, people of all ages need to document and communicate clear decisions about the final details of their lives while they are healthy and have time to fully consider their own values and preferences. Here, Drs. David Doukas and William Reichel help individuals make decisions and communicate their wishes to health care providers and family members and other loved ones. Drs. Doukas and Reichel use a question-and-answer format to guide readers through the process-emphasizing the crucial connection between values and treatment preferences. They explain advance directives and the health care decision-making process, including the values history, family covenants, proxies, and proxy negation. The appendix includes resources and Web links for learning about advance directive requirements and obtaining legal forms in all fifty states.This practical guide helps people navigate the important but often intimidating process of thinking about, and planning for, an uncertain future.

You've called in sick today. Your back and legs hurt. Your abdomen is bloated and more than a little uncomfortable. You are having your period, and the bleeding is so heavy you can't even think about leaving the house. You have uterine fibroids. One in every four women see their lives affected by uterine fibroids, which can cause heavy bleeding, abdominal bloating, pain, and infertility. The symptoms can be mildly annoying or life altering in severity. Until recently, hysterectomy was the only way to cure fibroids, and each year more than 200,000 hysterectomies are performed in the United States to treat these noncancerous growths. But hysterectomy isn't always the best solution. The procedure can be devastating for women who were planning to get pregnant, and it is a significant surgery for anyone. In this comprehensive and compassionate guide, Dr. Elizabeth A. Stewart helps women understand the treatment options now available. An internationally recognized expert on fibroids, Dr. Stewart describes all the available medical and surgical treatments as well as alternative and complementary therapies.In addition to hysterectomy, she explains uterine artery embolization (UAE), noninvasive focused ultrasound (FUS), and innovative hormone treatments. Simple diagrams and photographs illustrate the condition-and its treatment. Dr. Stewart encourages women with fibroids to learn as much as they can before choosing a treatment plan. Providing the most reliable and up-to-date information on this very common and difficult disorder, she helps women understand uterine fibroids and make the best possible choices about their care.

If you have neck pain and you are like most people, you want to know how to relieve the pain without having surgery. Dr. Martin Taylor's comprehensive, user-friendly guide to treating neck pain will help you become a partner with your health care team in charting an effective nonsurgical plan for treatment. With two out of every three adults experiencing severe neck pain at least once in their lives, and one in ten enduring chronic neck pain, medical science has developed an array of treatment options. Which of the many options is right for you? Dr. Taylor identifies the various causes of pain and details the range of medical treatments and physical and alternative therapies available. He explains the least invasive treatments as well as more invasive and less common interventions. My Neck Hurts! includes information on the following topics, illustrated with photographs and drawings: * physical therapy, from exercises and aquatherapy to ultrasound and traction * electrical stimulation methods such as transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and percutaneous neuromodulation therapy (PNT) * manual therapies: massage, osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT), and chiropractic treatment* medications, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), muscle relaxants, and topical medications * botulinum toxin therapy, occipital nerve blocks, and other forms of injection therapy* alternative and complementary therapies such as acupuncture, biofeedback, yoga, and Pilates This truly readable resource includes patient stories, diagrams, and color illustrations as well as tips on how to effectively communicate with your physician, and an appendix of Web sites and other resources.

If you have neck pain and you are like most people, you want to know how to relieve the pain without having surgery. Dr. Martin Taylor's comprehensive, user-friendly guide to treating neck pain will help you become a partner with your health care team in charting an effective nonsurgical plan for treatment. With two out of every three adults experiencing severe neck pain at least once in their lives, and one in ten enduring chronic neck pain, medical science has developed an array of treatment options. Which of the many options is right for you? Dr. Taylor identifies the various causes of pain and details the range of medical treatments and physical and alternative therapies available. He explains the least invasive treatments as well as more invasive and less common interventions. My Neck Hurts! includes information on the following topics, illustrated with photographs and drawings: * physical therapy, from exercises and aquatherapy to ultrasound and traction * electrical stimulation methods such as transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and percutaneous neuromodulation therapy (PNT) * manual therapies: massage, osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT), and chiropractic treatment* medications, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), muscle relaxants, and topical medications * botulinum toxin therapy, occipital nerve blocks, and other forms of injection therapy* alternative and complementary therapies such as acupuncture, biofeedback, yoga, and Pilates This truly readable resource includes patient stories, diagrams, and color illustrations as well as tips on how to effectively communicate with your physician, and an appendix of Web sites and other resources.

A stroke can alter two people's lives in an instant. For the person who has had a stroke, simple tasks suddenly become difficult or impossible. For that person's partner, life seems to revolve mostly around the stroke survivor's needs. Such a drastic change naturally requires making many, sometimes taxing, adjustments. In this book, two experts in stroke recovery help couples deal with the impact of stroke on their lives and their relationship. Drs. Sara and Jeffrey Palmer explain how to overcome three major challenges: * providing quality care for your partner* maintaining or rebuilding your relationship* caring for yourself as an individual The book invites you into the lives of real couples who are themselves coping with these challenges. Their experiences model how you can improve essential aspects of your relationship, including communication, roles and responsibilities, and sexuality. A list of practical tips summarizes each chapter, providing a handy reference guide to meeting each day's challenges.More than just a discussion of the medical and practical aspects of stroke and stroke recovery, this book focuses on the emotional, psychological, and social consequences of stroke and the deeply personal side of caregiving. When Your Spouse Has a Stroke will relieve your burden and strengthen your partnership.

Michael J. Lippe was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2007. This is his story, and the story of pancreatic cancer, narrated by Lippe and Dr. Dung T. Le, the physician who is treating him. In telling these stories, Lippe and Le alternate chapters. Lippe writes about the early signs that something was wrong; Le continues with a description of pancreatic cancer, its symptoms, and its treatments. Lippe talks about his prognosis, contemplates the prospect of death, and describes how he began to cope; Le explains the importance, for both doctor and patient, of balancing hope and truth. Lippe speaks frankly about the toll the disease takes on his marriage and family; Le offers a general picture of what most patients can expect with their illness. The book concludes with Lippe and Le's reflections on their partnership in treating cancer, lessons they have learned, and their thoughts about the positive things that sometimes emerge from illness. Pancreatic Cancer offers clear explanations of what the disease is, describes what people with the disease will feel physically and mentally, and discusses current treatments and future directions of research.The authors hope that their honest yet hopeful perspective will help all people with cancer and those who care about them.

Michael J. Lippe was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2007. This is his story, and the story of pancreatic cancer, narrated by Lippe and Dr. Dung T. Le, the physician who is treating him. In telling these stories, Lippe and Le alternate chapters. Lippe writes about the early signs that something was wrong; Le continues with a description of pancreatic cancer, its symptoms, and its treatments. Lippe talks about his prognosis, contemplates the prospect of death, and describes how he began to cope; Le explains the importance, for both doctor and patient, of balancing hope and truth. Lippe speaks frankly about the toll the disease takes on his marriage and family; Le offers a general picture of what most patients can expect with their illness. The book concludes with Lippe and Le's reflections on their partnership in treating cancer, lessons they have learned, and their thoughts about the positive things that sometimes emerge from illness. Pancreatic Cancer offers clear explanations of what the disease is, describes what people with the disease will feel physically and mentally, and discusses current treatments and future directions of research.The authors hope that their honest yet hopeful perspective will help all people with cancer and those who care about them.

Aching or painful feet make it hard to stand or walk-not to mention dance, play sports, and take part in other activities. To keep you on your feet, this book offers a rich resource for understanding what can go wrong and how disorders, diseases, and injuries to the foot are diagnosed and treated. In this readable guide to common conditions that affect the foot and ankle, podiatrists Jonathan D. Rose and Vincent J. Martorana outline the professional and self-care treatment options available. What works for one person's foot pain does not necessarily work for someone else's, so Doctors Rose and Martorana discuss proper foot care practices in a way that helps readers make good decisions about which treatment option will work best for them. Often called a marvel of biomedical engineering, the human foot is a complex and astonishingly versatile part of our anatomy. This book addresses the entire foot, inside and out, describing in plain English its special design characteristics and biomechanical operations. Everything is covered-from corns and calluses to cancer and skin and nail problems, including special sections on children's feet, sports injuries, footwear, and orthotics.The Foot Book is an all-inclusive resource for everyone suffering from foot and ankle disorders, as well as physicians and other medical personnel who care for them.

The world is full of germs, and the news is full of stories about infectious diseases and antibiotic-resistant superbugs. What can parents do to protect their children? Keeping Your Child Healthy in a Germ-Filled World gives parents the information they need to shield their kids from infections and keep their family healthy. Infections are harmful, but not all germs are bad. Dr. Athena P. Kourtis, a pediatrician and infectious disease specialist-and mother-teaches parents how to protect their kids without going overboard. She helps parents sort through the latest information about antibiotics, vaccines, hygiene, health foods, and home remedies, and she identifies which rules to follow-and which ones to ignore.She says: * No to overprotecting your children from germs* No to antimicrobial soaps and cleaning products at home* No to over-prescribed antibiotics* Yes to strategic hand washing* Yes to being conscious of germs and the pathways they use* Yes to vaccines She offers tips for protecting your children wherever they are-at home or school, on the playground, while traveling-and whatever they are doing-playing sports, camping, visiting the beach-and answers questions that commonly worry parents. How many times should you wash prewashed spinach? (At least twice.) Does getting enough sleep help fight infection? (Yes.) Are pre-sliced foods more likely to spread infection? (They are.) Reading this comprehensive, illustrated guide is the first step to keeping your family healthy. Up-to-date, accurate information and a clear understanding of how germs and our bodies work will help you and your child stay afloat in the microbial sea.

The world is full of germs, and the news is full of stories about infectious diseases and antibiotic-resistant superbugs. What can parents do to protect their children? Keeping Your Child Healthy in a Germ-Filled World gives parents the information they need to shield their kids from infections and keep their family healthy. Infections are harmful, but not all germs are bad. Dr. Athena P. Kourtis, a pediatrician and infectious disease specialist-and mother-teaches parents how to protect their kids without going overboard. She helps parents sort through the latest information about antibiotics, vaccines, hygiene, health foods, and home remedies, and she identifies which rules to follow-and which ones to ignore.She says: * No to overprotecting your children from germs* No to antimicrobial soaps and cleaning products at home* No to over-prescribed antibiotics* Yes to strategic hand washing* Yes to being conscious of germs and the pathways they use* Yes to vaccines She offers tips for protecting your children wherever they are-at home or school, on the playground, while traveling-and whatever they are doing-playing sports, camping, visiting the beach-and answers questions that commonly worry parents. How many times should you wash prewashed spinach? (At least twice.) Does getting enough sleep help fight infection? (Yes.) Are pre-sliced foods more likely to spread infection? (They are.) Reading this comprehensive, illustrated guide is the first step to keeping your family healthy. Up-to-date, accurate information and a clear understanding of how germs and our bodies work will help you and your child stay afloat in the microbial sea.

Most people choose their surgeon with care, but very few think about the anesthesiologist, even though that physician's skills and approach can significantly influence surgical outcomes. Here Dr. Steven L. Orebaugh recommends steps we all can take to secure safe and effective anesthesia. What type of anesthesia is used-and how it is applied-directly affects postoperative comfort as well as mental clarity and rehabilitation. This book describes the various options for anesthesia and how they can be used together for the best possible outcome and optimal pain management. Dr. Orebaugh offers a brief history of the subject and a clear and careful overview of the types of anesthesia and their associated complications and risks. Dr. Orebaugh focuses especially on the benefits of regional anesthesia. When appropriately applied-whether alone or with other methods-spinal and peripheral nerve blocks often lead to better recovery and reduced pain. Studies show that as many as half of all surgical patients experience poorly controlled postoperative pain.Regional anesthetic nerve blocks can help significantly in managing this pain while reducing the side effects of general anesthetics and pain medications. A better understanding of anesthesia will reassure people contemplating surgery and equip them to take the necessary steps toward healthy recovery. Knowing their options, they can have informed conversations with their doctor and indicate a preference for a specific anesthetic treatment. Written by a compassionate and experienced anesthesiologist and backed by scientifically accurate information and the latest research, this book will help patients do just that.

The last thing a world traveler wants is to get sick. To stay healthy, travelers need to protect themselves from viruses, bacteria, and parasites, including many they have seldom, if ever, encountered. With precise, simple explanations, this indispensable guide helps international travelers avoid common-and uncommon-infections wherever they go. Relating important medical findings, Dr. Charles E. Davis provides the latest recommendations for healthy travel planning. He describes the precautions travelers can take to prevent infection, including, pre-trip travel clinic visits; essential immunizations and medications; travel insurance and medical kits; safe food and water practices; personal protection measures; and post-trip checkups. The "International Traveler's Guide to Avoiding Infections" is organized by disease, with highly accessible discussions and detailed illustrations of all the major travelers' infections. Maps make it easy to see where infections are commonly acquired, and specific prevention strategies for each destination enhance travel planning.Tourists and professionals such as military personnel, journalists, aid workers, and businesspeople need the tools provided here to stay healthy during their trip and after they return home.

The last thing a world traveler wants is to get sick. To stay healthy, travelers need to protect themselves from viruses, bacteria, and parasites, including many they have seldom, if ever, encountered. With precise, simple explanations, this indispensable guide helps international travelers avoid common-and uncommon-infections wherever they go. Relating important medical findings, Dr. Charles E. Davis provides the latest recommendations for healthy travel planning. He describes the precautions travelers can take to prevent infection, including, pre-trip travel clinic visits; essential immunizations and medications; travel insurance and medical kits; safe food and water practices; personal protection measures; and post-trip checkups. The "International Traveler's Guide to Avoiding Infections" is organized by disease, with highly accessible discussions and detailed illustrations of all the major travelers' infections. Maps make it easy to see where infections are commonly acquired, and specific prevention strategies for each destination enhance travel planning.Tourists and professionals such as military personnel, journalists, aid workers, and businesspeople need the tools provided here to stay healthy during their trip and after they return home.

"Be informed. Be empowered. Be well". If you are concerned that the cancer in your family is hereditary, you face difficult choices. Should you have a blood test that may reveal whether you have a high likelihood of disease? Do you preemptively treat a disease that may never develop? How do you make decisions now that will affect the rest of your life? This helpful, informative guide answers your questions as you confront hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. Developed by Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered (FORCE), the nation's only nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting families affected by hereditary breast and ovarian cancer, this book stands alone among breast and ovarian cancer resources. Equal parts health guide and memoir, it defines complex issues facing previvors and survivors and provides solutions with a fresh, authoritative voice. Written by three passionate advocates for the hereditary cancer community who are themselves breast cancer survivors, "Confronting Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer" dispels myths and misinformation and presents practical risk-reducing alternatives and decision-making tools.Including information about genetic counseling and testing, preventive surgery, and fertility and family planning, as well as explanations of health insurance coverage and laws protecting genetic privacy, this resource tackles head-on the challenges of living in a high-risk body. Confronting hereditary cancer is a complex, confusing, and highly individual journey. With its unique combination of the latest research, expert advice, and compelling personal stories, this book gives previvors, survivors, and their family members the guidance they need to face the unique challenges of hereditary cancer.

Compassionately written by an experienced team of professionals, this book offers parents and families essential information about the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of disorders of sex development, or DSD. DSD refers to medical conditions, usually discovered at birth, in which there is disagreement between a person's genetic sex (i.e., chromosomes) and the appearance of the person's external or internal reproductive structures. After their child is diagnosed with DSD, parents need answers to a host of questions, including: What is DSD, why does it occur, how is it identified, and how is it treated? Did we do something to cause our child's DSD? Is my baby a boy or a girl? Will my child grow up to be normal and healthy? Does my child need surgery? This concise book answers parents' questions in a reassuring and forthright way, giving affected individuals, their families, and their health care providers a current and evidence-based picture of DSD. It offers clear explanations of how newborns with DSD are evaluated, diagnosed, and treated; describes the different kinds of DSD; and pays close attention to both psychosocial and medical aspects of DSD.This guide also includes information about the importance of support groups and education for affected individuals and their families. In their daily work, the authors treat, support, and educate people with DSD and their families. This resource gives parents and families access to the authors' expertise so they can reach a meaningful understanding of their child's DSD and make informed decisions about their child's health.

Written by three experts with extensive experience helping people with HIV/AIDS, this trusted resource is the complete guide to better physical and emotional health for women living with HIV or AIDS. It covers the full range of health and emotional issues faced by people with HIV while also addressing topics of special interest to women, including gynecologic disorders, reproductive choices, contraception, and pregnancy. The world of HIV/AIDS diagnosis and therapy is changing dramatically. At-home testing is now available, people exposed to the virus may be able to get immediate treatment, and the number of dominant classes of HIV treatment has increased from four to six. This new edition of "A Woman's Guide to Living with HIV Infection" includes the latest information on diagnosis and treatments as well as recent findings about pregnancy and HIV, starting treatments when you have HIV-related complications, liver health and hepatitis, and sexual health.

Written by three experts with extensive experience helping people with HIV/AIDS, this trusted resource is the complete guide to better physical and emotional health for women living with HIV or AIDS. It covers the full range of health and emotional issues faced by people with HIV while also addressing topics of special interest to women, including gynecologic disorders, reproductive choices, contraception, and pregnancy. The world of HIV/AIDS diagnosis and therapy is changing dramatically. At-home testing is now available, people exposed to the virus may be able to get immediate treatment, and the number of dominant classes of HIV treatment has increased from four to six. This new edition of "A Woman's Guide to Living with HIV Infection" includes the latest information on diagnosis and treatments as well as recent findings about pregnancy and HIV, starting treatments when you have HIV-related complications, liver health and hepatitis, and sexual health.

Physical problems and emotional stresses, such as bereavement, health conditions, pain, concerns about the future, side effects of medications, and the accumulated effects of lifestyle choices, may lead to depression or anxiety in older people. However, as Drs. Mark D. Miller and Charles F. Reynolds III know, these mental disorders are not a natural or an inevitable part of aging. In "Depression and Anxiety in Later Life", these psychiatrists show how depression and anxiety can be avoided or minimized by adapting to changing circumstances while controlling risk factors and getting help when it's needed. This reassuring book balances discussions of the causes, symptoms, and treatments of mental illness with descriptions of successful adaptive aging. Case studies illustrate the less obvious depression symptoms of irritability, disorganization, and social withdrawal. Readers will find information about memory loss, pain, sleep, nutrition, and end-of-life issues particularly helpful. Aging can be challenging, but it doesn't always lead to depression or anxiety."Depression and Anxiety in Later Life" will help older people, their family members, and caregivers make positive changes to take control of their own individual situations.

Physical problems and emotional stresses, such as bereavement, health conditions, pain, concerns about the future, side effects of medications, and the accumulated effects of lifestyle choices, may lead to depression or anxiety in older people. However, as Drs. Mark D. Miller and Charles F. Reynolds III know, these mental disorders are not a natural or an inevitable part of aging. In "Depression and Anxiety in Later Life", these psychiatrists show how depression and anxiety can be avoided or minimized by adapting to changing circumstances while controlling risk factors and getting help when it's needed. This reassuring book balances discussions of the causes, symptoms, and treatments of mental illness with descriptions of successful adaptive aging. Case studies illustrate the less obvious depression symptoms of irritability, disorganization, and social withdrawal. Readers will find information about memory loss, pain, sleep, nutrition, and end-of-life issues particularly helpful. Aging can be challenging, but it doesn't always lead to depression or anxiety."Depression and Anxiety in Later Life" will help older people, their family members, and caregivers make positive changes to take control of their own individual situations.

If you have a child with a physical disability, how can you plan your family's life in a way that is inclusive for everyone? What can you do to create a family where every member pulls his or her own weight (in appropriate measure), meets challenges, and has moments in the spotlight along the way? Most parents of a child who has a physical disability want their child to have fun, be responsible, make friends, and take acceptable risks-in short, to feel like "just one of the kids"-and they want to make sure that the needs of the whole family are met, too. Just One of the Kids is designed to help parents focus not on what could have been but instead on what can be, so that they, their children, and the grandparents thrive as individuals and as a family. The advice from psychologists Kay Harris Kriegsman and Sara Palmer is valuable for any family with children who have a physical disability, from any cause. Their warm and encouraging book is full of family stories, tips, and tools. Parents of children with physical disabilities can help them develop the skills needed to meet life's challenges and launch into independence.Parents, building on that foundation and acknowledging each person's contributions, interests, and aspirations, create an inclusive and resilient family.

Global impairment of the central nervous system, whether stable or progressive, is often called severe neurological impairment (SNI). A child who has SNI will be cared for both by specialist clinicians and by parents at home. A parent is a child's best expert and advocate, and many parents become highly skilled in managing their child's care. This guide provides information to help parents increase their knowledge and improve their caregiving skills. In Caring for Children Who Have Severe Neurological Impairment, Dr. Julie M. Hauer advocates shared decision making between family caregivers and healthcare providers. She details aspects of medical care such as pain, sleep, feeding, and respiratory problems that will be particularly useful to parents. Tables and key points summarize discussions for clear, quick reference, while case studies and stories illustrate how different families approach decision making, communication, care plans, and informed consent.Parents and other caregivers will find this book to be indispensable-as will bioethicists and clinicians in pediatrics, neurology, physical and rehabilitative medicine, palliative care, and others who care for children with neurological and neuromuscular disorders. Dr. Hauer offers hope and practical coping strategies in equal measure.