Why Does Mommy Hurt?


Book Description

The children of people with chronic illness and pain suffer quietly. "Why Does Mommy Hurt?" is a joyful, yet honest, portrayal of family life burdened with chronic illness. This is a delightful story told by a young boy learning to understand and cope with his mother's illness. The story creates natural opportunities for families to talk about both the symptoms of chronic illness, and how they affect family life. Even more importantly, the story puts power into the hands of the children. It also offers a helpful "Tips and Resources" section for parents! This book is appropriate for a wide-variety of illnesses associated with chronic pain, such as: Lupus, Lyme Disease, ME, CFS, Fibromyalgia, Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, Autoimmune Disease, and many others.




Ravyn's Doll


Book Description

Ravyn's Doll How do you explain Fibromyalgia to Your Child? All the kids in class made paper dolls to show someone they love who is hurt or sick. When it's Ravyn's turn to share, she shows a paper doll of her mom - and it looks like there is nothing wrong! Ravyn teaches the class that even though her mom looks healthy, she's not! Ravyn's mom suffers from fibromyalgia and its evil sidekicks. Ravyn's Doll is a simple and effective way to explain fibromyalgia to your child. In a way that is understandable to children. it shows that not all illnesses are visible and explains how living with an invisible illness affects families' daily lives. Ravyn's Doll describes and illustrates why mom or dad can't do the things they used to do - things that other moms, dads or other family members can do. Other Resources Contained within the book are internet sites and books to read to learn more about Fibromyalgia and other Invisible illnesses, such as Lupus, Lyme Disease, ME, CFS, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, chronic migraine, and others. A portion of the sale of each book will be donated to the National Fibromyalgia & Chronic Pain Association.




Guide to Healing Chronic Pain


Book Description

Are you trying to get relief from chronic pain without drugs or surgery? Have you been diagnosed with a so-called incurable pain condition such as herniated discs, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, migraine, nerve damage, or fibromyalgia? This unique natural pain relief guide integrates mind, body, and spirit in the healing process, and can help you discover multiple natural pain relief strategies you can use to heal your pain - with or without your doctor's consent; use cutting-edge energy tools to quickly reduce or eliminate pain symptoms within minutes; reduce and reverse the inflammation in your body caused by stress, toxins and trauma; rewire your brain and nervous system in order to reactivate your body's innate healing potential; harness the power of the mind to remove obstacles to healing; and reconnect with your Spirit and Higher Self so that you can experience healing as a joyful journey. "Guide to Healing Chronic Pain is an absolute must-read not only for anyone suffering from chronic pain, but also for anyone wanting to stay perfectly healthy for the rest of his or her life. In the book, Dr. Karen Kan has set a new precedent of health care for Western physicians to follow in the twenty-first century and beyond. Taking the reader on a thorough exploration of drug-free, innovative, and alternative medicine modalities such as infrared nanotechnology patches (acupuncture without needles), grounding, energy healing, nutritional therapy, Qi and nervous system balancing, detoxification, and EMF pollution shielding, Dr. Kan synthesizes ancient Eastern healing techniques with cutting-edge science. Dr. Kan's balanced 'Spirit-Mind-Body' approach to healing chronic pain is not only revolutionary but is exactly what is needed now in Western medicine. Dr. Karen Kan is indeed a role model for the Next Human physician." -Jason Lincoln Jeffers, spiritual teacher and author of The Next Human




Anatomy of an Epidemic


Book Description

Updated with bonus material, including a new foreword and afterword with new research, this New York Times bestseller is essential reading for a time when mental health is constantly in the news. In this astonishing and startling book, award-winning science and history writer Robert Whitaker investigates a medical mystery: Why has the number of disabled mentally ill in the United States tripled over the past two decades? Interwoven with Whitaker’s groundbreaking analysis of the merits of psychiatric medications are the personal stories of children and adults swept up in this epidemic. As Anatomy of an Epidemic reveals, other societies have begun to alter their use of psychiatric medications and are now reporting much improved outcomes . . . so why can’t such change happen here in the United States? Why have the results from these long-term studies—all of which point to the same startling conclusion—been kept from the public? Our nation has been hit by an epidemic of disabling mental illness, and yet, as Anatomy of an Epidemic reveals, the medical blueprints for curbing that epidemic have already been drawn up. Praise for Anatomy of an Epidemic “The timing of Robert Whitaker’s Anatomy of an Epidemic, a comprehensive and highly readable history of psychiatry in the United States, couldn’t be better.”—Salon “Anatomy of an Epidemic offers some answers, charting controversial ground with mystery-novel pacing.”—TIME “Lucid, pointed and important, Anatomy of an Epidemic should be required reading for anyone considering extended use of psychiatric medicine. Whitaker is at the height of his powers.” —Greg Critser, author of Generation Rx




I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die


Book Description

A compassionate, shame-free guide for your darkest days “A one-of-a-kind book . . . to read for yourself or give to a struggling friend or loved one without the fear that depression and suicidal thoughts will be minimized, medicalized or over-spiritualized.”—Kay Warren, cofounder of Saddleback Church What happens when loving Jesus doesn’t cure you of depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts? You might be crushed by shame over your mental illness, only to be told by well-meaning Christians to “choose joy” and “pray more.” So you beg God to take away the pain, but nothing eases the ache inside. As darkness lingers and color drains from your world, you’re left wondering if God has abandoned you. You just want a way out. But there’s hope. In I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die, Sarah J. Robinson offers a healthy, practical, and shame-free guide for Christians struggling with mental illness. With unflinching honesty, Sarah shares her story of battling depression and fighting to stay alive despite toxic theology that made her afraid to seek help outside the church. Pairing her own story with scriptural insights, mental health research, and simple practices, Sarah helps you reconnect with the God who is present in our deepest anguish and discover that you are worth everything it takes to get better. Beautifully written and full of hard-won wisdom, I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die offers a path toward a rich, hope-filled life in Christ, even when healing doesn’t look like what you expect.




Fight Like a Mother


Book Description

FIGHT LIKE A MOTHER is a survival guide, offering personal stories, practical advice, tips, and resources on how to be a mom with a chronic illness. Full of the kind of candid advice you would expect from your BFF, this book gives parents with chronic illness hope, help, and a good laugh. "This is a first. A useful guide for chronically ill parents, written with intense honesty and best-girlfriend humor. FIGHT LIKE A MOTHER is the what we've all been thinking but were afraid to say, with plenty of tips from one-who-has-gone-before. This book should be handed out upon diagnosis." -Alicia King, author of "Healing: The Essential Guide to Helping Others Overcome Grief & Loss", Fighter of SOD "Thank you for putting all of the practical tips that all Chronically Awesome patients need in one place, and in a voice we all can access without falling asleep! I will be recommending this to friends and members of my foundation. Joslyne Decker is truly a Chronically Awesome Super She-ro!" - Julianna Shapiro, Founder and Executive Director of the Chronically Awesome Foundation, Fighter of Bipolar, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Lupus, Osteoarthritis "I really wish I had this book 28 yrs. ago when I was first diagnosed with Lupus. I was just handed photo copies of all the things that could and probably would happen and then told to stay out of the sun. I had 3 small children and thought my life was over. FIGHT LIKE A MOTHER is full of practical, doable ideas and suggestions that will not only be useful to you but will also make you smile and laugh out loud. I believe every Dr. office that deals with chronically ill patients needs to have this book!" -Janet, mother of 3, grandmother of 3, Fighter of Lupus "FIGHT LIKE A MOTHER is at once funny, practical, helpful and hopeful. It fills the gap of information out there about the reality of experiencing chronic illness, and the ways to cope... and even have a good life. Anyone who has chronic illness or knows someone who has it will love this book. It is full of the right kind of information to help yourself and/or your loved ones." -Kate, mother of 2, Fighter of depression




Made to Crave


Book Description

What would happen if you started listening to your cravings instead of trying to silence them? If you’re tired of the same old messages of eat less and move more, this book is what you’ve been missing. You know “how to” get healthy… but now there’s finally a book to help you find your “want to”- the lasting emotional and spiritual motivation to meet your goals and stay healthy. The reality is we were made to crave. Craving isn’t a bad thing. But we must realize God created us to crave more of him. Many of us have misplaced that craving by overindulging in physical pleasures instead of lasting spiritual satisfaction. New York Times bestselling author of It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way, Uninvited, and The Best Yes, Lysa TerKeurst, invites you to find the missing link between a woman’s desire to be healthy and the spiritual empowerment necessary to make that happen. In this book, Lysa will help you: Break the cycle of “I’ll start again Monday” and feel good about yourself today. Stop agonizing over numbers on the scale and make peace with your body. Replace rationalizations that lead to failure with wisdom that leads to victory. Reach your healthy goals and grow closer to God through the process. This is not a how-to book. This is not the latest and greatest dieting plan. This book is the necessary companion for you to use alongside whatever healthy lifestyle plan you choose. This is a book and Bible study to help you find the "want to" in making healthy lifestyle choices.




How Many Marbles Do You Have?


Book Description

This is the book weve been waiting fora story for children of parents with Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. In fact, I plan to buy a copy for all my loved ones, so theyll better understand what my life is like. It all depends on how many marbles are in my jar each daythe perfect metaphor for explaining the unpredictability and the ups and downs of Fibromyalgia and CFS. At the end of the book, Malott writes, a heart full of love is better than a jar full of marbles any day. Not only is this book informative and insightful, its a heart full of love in itself. Toni Bernhard, author of How to Be Sick A mom uses a brilliant jar-and-marble analogy to teach her son about her limitations related to chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and fibromyalgia. The book uses marbles, a toy all children are familiar with, as a measure of the mothers limited energy. Using a jar and some marbles, the author conveys difficult concepts in terms that children can understand. These concepts include taking preemptive rests to have more energy later, finding alternate ways to perform tasks that use less energy, and postexertional malaise. The concepts in the book are relevant to someone with one or both illnesses, and it can be applied to other physically limiting conditions as well. The book reminds the reader that although illness may limit a mothers activities, it never diminishes a mothers love for her children. The book is fun and yet realistic and will capture your childs heart.




Yoga for Osteoporosis: The Complete Guide


Book Description

A comprehensive, user-friendly medical yoga program designed for the management and prevention of osteoporosis, with more than four hundred illustrations. Osteoporosis leads to painful fractures due to loss of bone mass; yoga strengthens bones without endangering joints: it stands to reason that yoga is the perfect therapy for osteoporosis. Forty-four million Americans suffer from low bone mass, and osteoporosis is responsible for more than 1.5 million fractures annually. Drugs and surgeries can alleviate pain, but study after study has shown that exercise is the best treatment, specifically low-impact, bone-strengthening exercises—hence, yoga. In this comprehensive and thoroughly illustrated guide, Loren Fishman and Ellen Saltonstall, who between them have seven decades of clinical experience, help readers understand osteoporosis and give a spectrum of exercises for beginners and experts. Classical yoga poses, as well as physiologically sound adapted poses, are presented with easy-to-follow instructions and photographs. The authors welcome readers of all ages and levels of experience into the healing and strengthening practice of yoga.




Hypermobility, Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain


Book Description

This groundbreaking new text explains and documents the scientific basis of chronic pain in Joint Hypermobility Syndrome (JHS) and other heritable disorders of connective tissue from the physiological, epidemiological, genetic and clinical viewpoints. It asks the reader to consider the possibility of JHS, identify it clinically, understand its co-morbidities, including interdependencies with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, while managing the condition appropriately. Hypermobility, Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain takes a multi-specialty and multidisciplinary approach to understanding JHS and its management, drawing together expertise from a broad group of internationally-recognized authors. The book is split into two sections. Section 1 deals with the clinical manifestations of JHS and Fibromyalgia, their epidemiology and pathophysiology. Section 2 covers clinical management. Here the reader will find chapters covering pharmacotherapeutics, psychotherapy and physical therapies that address the needs of patients from childhood to adulthood. It is hoped that Hypermobility, Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain will advance knowledge of therapies and provoke further research while stimulating interest and encouraging debate. - Comprehensively relates practical therapy to the nature of the underlying pathology - Covers in one single text both the scientific and practical management aspect of Joint Hypermobility Syndrome and its allied pathologies - Contributions from over 30 leading international experts - Multidisciplinary approach will support all health professionals working in this field