Insightful, well-written, balanced, clear, and easy to read. Every patient with IBD should own this lovely book. --Lawrence Brandt, MD, AGAF, Professor of Medicine and of Surgery, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and Chief, Division of Gastroenterology, Montefiore Medical Center
Dr. Kane's book is a wonderful source of useful information and support to IBD patients and an outstanding contribution to the clinical literature for IBD physicians. --Joseph B. Kirsner, MD, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Medicine, The Joseph B. Kirsner Center for the Study of Digestive Diseases, University of Chicago Medical Center
Well organized and easy to read it will prove to be very useful for all patients suffering from IBD. I look forward to giving it to my liver patients who have IBD. --Melissa Palmer, MD, Clinical Professor of Medicine and Director of Hepatology, New York University Gastroenterology Associates, and author of
Dr. Melissa Palmer s Guide to Hepatitis and Liver Disease
Owner Reviews, Ratings, Comments and Criticism
I have had moderate to severe ulcerative colitis through the entire length of my colon for four years now. Recently, I decided to get more active in my management of the disease and this was the first book I picked up. I also began a blog recording what it is like to live with the disease. Check it out at nowucme.wordpress.com. I'm reposting my review of the book to help others find out all they can about their disease:
Couple nights ago I finished reading "IBD self-management." Overall, a great overview of many of the topics, covering Crohn's, U.C., and IBD in the other forms it comes in. Chapters are dedicated to the most important questions: what is it, what treatments are available, when is surgery an option, how should you change your diet, and how should you adapt your lifestyle.
As good a job as the book does at covering all of that in an informative, accessible way, it was too brief on a lot of the topics I really wanted to know more about. For example, although the chapter on diet has good information about the importance of fiber and its various forms, there isn't much useful advice on forming a diet around your disease, or specific foods that most people have trouble with. Likewise with the lifestyle chapter. Although I understand that everyone experiences IBD differently, more guidelines and information would have made the book significantly more useful.
One other omission is what IBD does to you as a person. Dr. Kane includes anecdotes about her patients and mentions that depression and other behavioral problems are associated with IBD, but neither of these conveys are addresses this side of the disease. This was not the purpose of the book, so I don't fault her for being light on this area, but I do see this as a huge part living and managing your IBD and one that needs attention.
Of course, that's why I began this blog in the first place.
Like I began with, this book is a great overview, especially if you have just been diagnosed with some form of IBD. It will help you understand what is happening and how to deal with it, and it is well worth a read for anyone who is affected by IBD in any way at all. Just don't expect to gain much Insight into the non-medical effects of the disease.
