Facing the Cognitive Challenges of Multiple Sclerosis

by Jeffrey Gingold

Overview

"When attorney Jeffrey N. Gingold misplaced his wife on the living room couch and lost awareness of his children, little did he know that he was experiencing a hidden symptom of multiple sclerosis: cognitive difficulties. How do you handle getting lost, while driving just blocks from your home? Facing the Cognitive Challenges of Multiple Sclerosis is a courageous and compelling personal account of one man's anguishing struggle with this aspect of the disease. It is written for the silent majority of MS patients who are privately dealing with MS cognitive symptoms and potential disabilities.

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society estimates that over 400,000 people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and there are millions more worldwide. Conservatively speaking, half of them will encounter varying degrees of cognitive difficulties. Facing the Cognitive Challenges of Multiple Sclerosis brings this hidden disability into the open. It is an essential resource that will educate individuals coping with multiple sclerosis, and inform their families, caregivers, doctors and therapists.

This new edition has been revised with on-point cognitive strategies and updated MS resources. The book includes a new foreword written by Dr. Dawn Langdon of the UK MS Trust and four completely new chapters that follow Jeffrey's journey since 2006. He openly explores some MS physical symptoms, which may accompany the thinking impediments that strike at his cognitive awareness and functions. Jeffrey carves a path of finding physical and cognitive wellness, as well as weighing the need to accept beneficial MS medical therapies. Not only did he become more active in the movement to cure MS, the progression of his MS led to a more controversial MS treatment, in effort to make his disease manageable. Jeffrey also shares the benefits of introducing a "safety person" into a life with MS and the strength gained from helping others, even while they may be assisting you.

Whether or not a person is dealing with the cognitive issues associated with multiple sclerosis this book deserves to be on the bookshelf of every individual who is dealing with multiple sclerosis."

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781936303205
Publisher:	Springer Publishing Company
Publication date:	06/17/2011
Edition description:	Second Edition, New Edition
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Jeffrey is the internationally acclaimed author of the Award-winning book, "Facing the Cognitive Challenges of Multiple Sclerosis" and an outspoken volunteer advocate on MS and cognitive disability. He has been a guest on The Montel Williams Show, NPR, numerous webcasts and national talk radio shows. In his second book, "Mental Sharpening Stones: Manage the Cognitive Challenges of Multiple Sclerosis, " Jeffrey provides strategies from people who have MS and medical providers, sharing their tactical advice on how to manage the "invisible MS."
He was recently inducted to the 2010 National Multiple Sclerosis Society Hall of Fame for his Advocacy. Jeffrey is a published freelance writer and has authored numerous articles for U.S and international publications. He enjoys spending family time with his wife, Terri, two adorable daughters, Lauren and Meredith, and one cat named Mickey -- named after the baseball player, not the mouse.

Table of Contents

Foreword xi

Preface xiii

Acknowledgments xv

Introduction xvii

Chapter 1 "Hollar," if You Need Me 1

Chapter 2 The Knock at the Door 13

Chapter 3 Music and Mirrors 27

Chapter 4 Unanswered Questions 41

Chapter 5 It's in the House 51

Chapter 6 The Family Mask 67

Chapter 7 Feeling the Edges 85

Chapter 8 Don't Just Stand There … 97

Chapter 9 Taking the Middle Fork 117

Chapter 10 Drifting and Dragging in a Mental Wheelchair 129

Chapter 11 Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are 143

Chapter 12 In the Game 153

Chapter 13 A Team Effort 165

Chapter 14 Gathering New Pieces 181

In Summation … 195

Resources 201

Index 205

Editorial Reviews

"This book (the first edition was published in 2006) details the cognitive challenges he faced--losing his train of thought while making a statement in court, getting lost a few blocks from home, forgetting whether he had dropped his daughters off at school, and not really recognizing his wife sitting next to him on their sofa--and the way he coped with them, from practical aides to courage, humor, and persistence in finding a neurologist who took his smallest mental lapses seriously. Gingold often speaks to groups afflicted with MS and their families and health-care providers, and this is another powerful testimony that interested readers will appreciate. Recommended."--"Library Journal"
"Facing the Cognitive Challenges of Multiple Sclerosis" is a scholarly and powerful read that presents the very face of the disease, how it can be fought, and ultimately finding something of a cure."-Midwest book Review
"As recently as the 1980's, people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis were assured that their thinking skills would be spared when looking at the possible range of symptoms. It was not true then or now. Cognitive issues are bad players because they can significantly affect the lives of those who have them and their families, while remaining largely invisible to most of us. Jeffrey asckowledged his struggles and then moved forward by looking for solutions for himself and than them with others. We can all learn from his journey." -- Patricia Kennedy, RN, CNP, MSCN Nurse Educator, Can Do Multiple Sclerosis and author of the forthcoming "Can Do Multiple Sclerosis Guide to Lifestyle Empowerment"
"Jeffrey Gingold, in this the second edition of his book, has not only provided an intimate look into the personal experiences with which he has had to contend with his MS, he has created a work which is informative, highly personal, incredibly supportive and realistic in its advice. It is a truly outstanding work that I can recommend without reservation to th


"As recently as the 1980's, people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis were assured that their thinking skills would be spared when looking at the possible range of symptoms. It was not true then or now. Cognitive issues are bad players because they can significantly affect the lives of those who have them and their families, while remaining largely invisible to most of us. Jeffrey asckowledged his struggles and then moved forward by looking for solutions for himself and than them with others. We can all learn from his journey." -- Patricia Kennedy, RN, CNP, MSCN Nurse Educator, Can Do Multiple Sclerosis and author of the forthcoming "Can Do Multiple Sclerosis Guide to Lifestyle Empowerment"
"Jeffrey Gingold, in this the second edition of his book, has not only provided an intimate look into the personal experiences with which he has had to contend with his MS, he has created a work which is informative, highly personal, incredibly supportive and realistic in its advice. It is

From the Publisher

Reviewer: Greg Thaera, MD (Mayo Clinic Arizona)
Description: This is a chronicle of one man's journey through the challenges of multiple sclerosis with a particular focus on the underappreciated cognitive manifestations as they intrude on his daily life.
Purpose: The purpose is to increase awareness of cognitive difficulties in patients with multiple sclerosis as well as to provide a means to improve mental functioning in afflicted patients. These are valuable goals given that the cognitive problems are often the most limiting. The author does an excellent job of explaining the specific problems and how he tries to overcome them.
Audience: The book is written for multiple sclerosis patients, families, supporters, and medical providers at all levels. It is easily accessible to all of these groups and does not require any prior medical knowledge. The author has become one of the strongest patient advocates on the cognitive challenges of multiple sclerosis.
Features: Although it particularly focuses on cognitive symptoms, the book also discusses other physical symptoms such as weakness and numbness, as well as treatment options and the author's experience with medications and medical providers. Thus, this book provides a well-rounded view of the life of a person with multiple sclerosis, which is its strongest point. The discussions are objective and based on the best evidence available to date, backed up by ample references and resources.
Assessment: This second edition provides a welcome update, as both the author's experience and the available management options for multiple sclerosis have changed significantly since the first edition.

Doody's Review Service