Multiple Sclerosis for Dummies

Being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) doesn’t have to mean your life is over. Everyone’s MS is different and no one can predict exactly what yours will be like.

The fact is, lots of people live their lives with MS without making a full-time job of it.

MS for Dummies gives you easy to access, easy to understand information about what happens with MS—what kinds of symptoms it can cause, how it can affect your life at home and at work, what you can do to feel and function up to snuff, and how you can protect yourself and your family against the long-term unpredictability of the disease. You'll learn:

• Why some people get MS and others don’t
• How to make treatment and lifestyle choices that work for you
• What qualities to look for in a neurologist and in the rest of your healthcare team
• How to manage fatigue, walking problems, and visual changes
• Why the road to diagnosis can be full of twists and turns
• How to understand the pros and cons of alternative medicine
• Why and how to talk to your kids about MS
• How to find stress management strategies that work for you
• Your rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act

Complete with listings of valuable resources such as other books, Web sites, and community agencies and organizations that you can tap for information or assistance, MS for Dummies will tell you everything you need to know in order to make educated choices and comfortable decisions about life with MS.

The authors’ shared commitment to multiple sclerosis (MS) began more than 25 years ago at the MS Care Center at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, under the direction of Labe Scheinberg, MD, who is considered by many to be the father of MS comprehensive care.

Rosalind Kalb, PhD, is Associate Vice President of the Professional Resource Center at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in New York City. After receiving her doctorate in clinical psychology from Fordham University in 1977, Dr. Kalb began her career at the MS Care Center, providing individual, group, and family therapy for people living with MS. Dr. Kalb is the author of the National MS Society’s Knowledge is Power series for individuals newly diagnosed with MS and is an editor of Keep S’myelin, the newsletter for children who have a parent with MS. Dr. Kalb has edited two books on MS — Multiple Sclerosis: The Questions You Have, The Answers You Need, 3rd Edition (Demos Medical Publishing, 2004), and Multiple Sclerosis: A Guide for Families, 3rd Edition (Demos Medical Publishing, 2006). She is also coauthor, along with Nicholas LaRocca, PhD, of the book Multiple Sclerosis: Understanding the Cognitive Challenges (Demos Medical Publishing, 2006).

Nancy Holland, EdD, RN, is Vice President of Clinical Programs at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in New York City. Prior to joining the Society, Dr. Holland served as the MS Care Center’s Clinic Coordinator and Director of Training for 15 years. She is a founding director of the International Organization of MS Nurses. She is also author or editor of more than 60 MSrelated articles, chapters, and books, including Comprehensive Nursing Care in Multiple Sclerosis, 2nd Edition (Demos Medical Publishing, 2002), Multiple Sclerosis: A Self-Care Guide for Wellness, 2nd Edition (Demos Medical Publishing, 2005), and Multiple Sclerosis: A Guide for the Newly Diagnosed, 3rd Edition (Demos Medical Publishing, 2007). Dr. Holland earned a doctorate in higher and adult education from Columbia University, and holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in nursing.

Barbara Giesser, MD, is an Associate Clinical Professor of Neurology and Clinical Director of the MS Program at the University of Los Angeles (UCLA) David Geffen School of Medicine. She also serves as the Medical Director of the UCLA Marilyn Hilton MS Achievement Center.
Dr. Giesser has specialized in the care of persons with MS since 1982, beginning with her training at the MS Care Center. She has been an invited lecturer to speak about MS in regional, national, and international venues, and has published research in the areas of cognition, gender issues, and rehabilitation strategies in persons with MS. Additionally, she has been active in developing educational materials about MS for medical students, residents, healthcare professionals, and people with MS for organizations including the NMSS and the American Academy of Neurology.