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Whether you have MS or are handicapped through some other disease, birth defect or an accident, this book will be very beneficial to all as well as care givers, family and friends.
(content is the same in both books)
(click below to enlarge)
(click below to enlarge)

Why should you read one of these books?

Even if multiple sclerosis, or some other disabling disease, is explained to you in medical terminology that you can understand (and this is not always the case), this leaves a wealth of information yet unexplained about both medical and non-medical information of having this disease and caring for someone with this disease.

Most patients and their caregivers enter this crucial, and sometimes long, period of their life totally uneducated, unprepared and unable to deal well with many aspects of multiple sclerosis and other disabling diseases.

Reading these books will:

  1. Educate you in layman's terms to understand multiple sclerosis
  2. Prepare you for what may be coming
  3. Equip you to deal quickly and decisively as the symptoms worsen or you develop new symptoms
  4. Allows you to adapt to new needs and challenges
  5. Get a correct diagnosis more quickly and accurately
  6. Guide you to the right doctor or doctors as necessary
  7. Aid you in getting the right medical equipment the first time
  8. Assist in shortcutting and smoothing out a myriad of tasks whether physical, financial or emotional
  9. Reduce the burden on both the caregiver and the patient
  10. Help keep attitudes positive and the quality of life higher
  11. Eliminate getting this information from dozens of other sources or learning it the hard way (trial and error)

Who is the author?

My name is Dave Kellar and I am the primary caregiver for my wife Rhonda who has multiple sclerosis. Rhonda was first suspected of having multiple sclerosis as early as 1982. She was officially diagnosed in 1988. For Rhonda, this started with a relapsing/remitting type of the disease and graduated to a secondary progressive type over a period of years (more on multiple sclerosis types later).

Today, Rhonda is wheelchair bound, with little to no movement in her arms and legs and requires almost 24/7 care.

Why am I writing these books?

First, let me tell you what not to expect from this book and why...

I am not a doctor and not qualified to provide medical advice. I can only provide opinion or guidance based on years of experience from having a female spouse who has been disabled by multiple sclerosis. Each multiple sclerosis patient is different in manifestation and progression of the disease as well as emotional preparedness, economics and what support systems are available. While there are literally dozens of ways this disease can progress, I can only comment on my experience with my wife's progression.

This is not intended to be a long, detailed book. It is written at a very high level so anyone can understand. It is not edited by a professional and I apologize in advance for any poor use of the English language. The best business book I ever read was well spaced and in large print and it seemed to make it much easier to read and absorb. I hope that is your experience with this book.

Once proficient at this level, it is the caregiver's responsibility to pursue other levels of detail pertinent to the patients' needs.

What you can expect in these books and why…

There are many frustrations with disabling diseases that are not directly related to the disease itself or the individual who has the disease. As a multiple sclerosis caregiver, I have run the total gamut from a healthy, active spouse to her current state and all of the stages in between.

This gives me 23 years of experience in managing this disease whether it is:

  1. Finding the best doctors
  2. Wrestling with medical insurance companies
  3. Dealing with government bureaucracy
  4. Managing a relationship with an individual whose dependency upon me grows daily (despite her demanding independence as long as possible)

I feel qualified to provide information that may help and shortcut things you will need to know and do during your living with a disabling disease. While I am not a doctor, and despite multiple sclerosis patients varying progression, there is much general information contained in this book that will apply and help families deal with a wide realm of issues that may face them during caregiving to a person with any disabling disease. Simply, I want your path to be easier than ours has been.

While the book is written from a caregiver's perspective, individuals with any disabling disease, spouses, companions, friends, family members and others will benefit from reading of this information. Lastly, these chapters are in no logical order and looking at them now, I see no way to put them in any which makes sense. If I refer to something in a chapter you haven't read yet, hang in there...you will find it before the book ends.

Thanks for reading my book and good luck in all endeavors of your life.

TABLE of CONTENTS

  1. SYMPTOMS OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
  2. FINDING A DOCTOR
  3. WHAT IS MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS?
  4. TYPES OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
  5. YOU HAVE BEEN UNOFFICIALLY DIAGNOSED WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS OR IT IS SUSPECTED THAT MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS MIGHT BE ONE OF THE POSSIBILITIES
  6. EDUCATION
  7. MEDICINES
  8. EQUIPMENT FOR PEOPLE WITH A DISABLING DISEASE OR CONDITION AND GETTING PRESCRIPTIONS FOR EQUIPMENT
  9. VEHICLES FOR HANDICAPPED INDIVIDUALS
  10. HOUSE
  11. WHEN YOU ARE A GUEST AT SOMEONE ELSE'S HOUSE
  12. WHEN GUESTS VISIT YOUR HOUSE
  13. TAX BREAKS - EQUIPMENT/VANS/HOUSE/HOUSE TAXES/OTHER ASSISTANCE
  14. DISABLED PERSON WORKING
  15. FRIENDS/RELATIVES/NEIGHBORS
  16. CAREGIVER WHO STILL WORKS FULL TIME
  17. FRIENDS HELPING OUT
  18. FAMILY HELPING OUT
  19. COMMUNICATION SYSTEM
  20. SUPPORT GROUPS
  21. INSURANCE
  22. EMOTIONS OF DISABLED PERSON
  23. EMOTIONS OF CAREGIVER
  24. DECLINE OF PATIENT OVER TIME
  25. BOWELS AND URINARY TRACT ISSUES
  26. EXERCISE/PHYSICAL THERAPY
  27. GETTING OUT OF THE HOUSE DAILY
  28. SHOPPING/MALLS/MOVIES/OTHER EVENTS/RESTAURANTS/GETTING AROUND/PARKING
  29. DRIVING/TAKING AWAY LICENSE/2ND VEHICLE
  30. VACATIONS/TRIPS
  31. HEAT/THIRST (DRY MOUTH)/WEATHER DETERRENT
  32. GETTNG DRESSED/MAKEUP/BRUSHING TEETH
  33. SEX/INTERCOURSE
  34. OPEN DISCUSSION
  35. TELEVISION/MOVING AROUND THE HOUSE/BOOKS ON CD
  36. CELL PHONE/PHONES FOR THE DISABLED
  37. MUSCULAR STRENGTH TO MOVE PATIENT
  38. PETS
  39. ACCEPTANCE/SUICIDE/CRYING
  40. LOSS OF JOB OF PERSON WITH DISABLING DISEASE OR CONDITION
  41. SOCIAL SECURITY/MEDICAL DISABILITY/MEDICARE
  42. HIRING A CAREGIVER
  43. BED SORES

 


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