Graves' Disease In Our Own Words by Jake George and Nancy Patterson Ph.D

I wish I could write a prescription for this book for every woman, man and child diagnosed with Graves' disease. -- Donnica L. Moore, MD; President, DrDonnica.com

It should be required reading for those spouses, family members and health care providers who truly want to understand. -- Arliss Beardmore, President Thyroid Foundation of Canada (1997-2000) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Owner Reviews, Ratings, Comments and Criticism
That the folks who felt this book was... "inadequate" in addressing all of the issues, opinions, folk-remedies and whatnot regarding Graves' disease share the opinions of the "other" thyroid disease message board. So rather than use this review page as an Us vs. Them battle, I suggest that our fellow reviewers stick to the facts... and perhaps do a little research themselves. For one: "Spontaneous Remission", a phrase long uttered by fans of Elaine Moore and Mary Shomon, is NOT the expected end result of either treated or untreated Graves' disease. Any Graves' disease patient who expects that their condition will suddenly cure itself or run its course, either through the use of ATMs, bogus herbal remedies or beta blockers, is taking a dangerous health gamble. While some patients do go into "remission" (meaning their Graves' antibodies settle down for a bit, but will likely flare up at a later date) through the use of ATMs, the long-term effects of improperly treated GD are marked: coronary involvement, osteoporosis, significant muscle wasting and possible thyroid storm or death. Any person who suggests that GD patients should try herbal remedies and vitamins alone to control this INCURABLE autoimmune disorder is flying in the face of established medical fact and may be placing other patients in serious medical harm. So while I applaud any GD patient who has managed to send their disease into "remission" using one or more of the above methods, unfortunately most of the rest of us aren't in any position to gamble with our already failing health. When my blood pressure spiked to 210/115 and my resting heart rate was at 150 bpm on 50mgs of Atenolol b.i.d., waiting for "remission" was a luxury I just didn't have. And due to the severe immune system involvement of my condition, ATMs were also not an option. So I chose RAI, and while many GD patients will attempt to make me and others like me feel guilty for making this choice (and they did, on the "other" message board), I know that I made the best medical decision for me and will support other GD patients in their treatment choices - regardless of what that choice might be, within the realm of common sense. Which is what 'Graves' Disease In Our Own Words' is all about, and why it is a far superior book to Elaine Moore's (not-so)'Practical Guide'. It offers REAL stories from REAL GD patients who faced tough decisions regarding their treatment. 'In Our Own Words' offers ALL treatment options from an objective point of view, and simply because the authors choose to not denounce RAI as evil spawned from Satan himself does not mean that they are "pushing" that option onto anyone. In addition to addressing the "technical" side of this illness (done in a very matter-of-fact, cut through the B.S. way that I greatly appreciated), I loved how this book tackled the real-life, emotional issues of GD overlooked in so many other books on the topic: family problems, job-related stress, memory loss, and depression and anxiety to name a few. 'Graves' Disease In Our Own Words' may not be the definitive, encyclopedic tome on treating and managing this chronic condition, but if you want down-to-earth, realistic information on this disease from the people who know it best (fellow GD patients), this is the book for you.