100 Questions & Answers About Chronic Illness

Title......Page 4
Copyright......Page 5
Contents......Page 6
Preface......Page 10
Foreword......Page 12
Acknowledgments......Page 14
Part One: The Basics......Page 16
2. Who gets chronic illness?......Page 17
3. What causes chronic illness?......Page 19
4. Why are so many chronic illnesses difficult to diagnose?......Page 20
5. How is the treatment of chronic illness different from the treatment of acute illness?......Page 21
6. How does the doctor-patient relationship in chronic illness differ from the doctor-patient relationship in cases of acute illness?......Page 23
Part Two: Stages of Grieving......Page 26
8. Did I cause my disease?......Page 27
9. Does my disease cause all my problems or do other things come into play?......Page 29
10. Is denial a bad thing?......Page 30
11. Why am I so angry all the time?......Page 31
12. What can I do to manage my anger?......Page 32
13. If I’m never going to get better, why should I bother trying?......Page 33
14. What are the symptoms of depression?......Page 34
15. How can I manage depression?......Page 36
17. Why am I having trouble thinking and remembering?......Page 37
18. Why don’t my prayers work?......Page 38
Part Three: Impact of Chronic Illness on Social Relationships......Page 40
19. Why do I feel so isolated?......Page 41
20. What can I do about isolation?......Page 43
21. Why do I feel like a stranger to myself and others?......Page 44
22. How can I make other people understand what I am going through?......Page 45
23. How does chronic illness affect intimacy?......Page 47
24. Should I tell people about my condition?......Page 48
Part Four: Chronic Illness and the Law......Page 52
25. What rights do I have under the Americans with Disabilities Act?......Page 53
26. What is the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and how does it affect me?......Page 54
27. What do I have to do in order to get Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) payments?......Page 56
28. What is HIPAA?......Page 58
29. How can I be sure that my wishes will be honored if I am unable to make medical decisions for myself?......Page 59
30. What should I know about my medical records?......Page 60
Part Five: Medical Providers and Medical Organizations......Page 62
31. How can I get my doctor to listen to me and take me seriously?......Page 63
32.How can I get my doctors to talk with oneanother about my medical care?......Page 65
33. How can I get past the staff at the front desk and make my concerns known to my doctor?......Page 66
35. Why do I have to see doctors so often?......Page 68
36. How can I find a good doctor?......Page 70
37. Can I fire my doctor? Can my doctor fire me?......Page 71
38. How can I challenge decisions made by my insurance company?......Page 72
Part Six: Medication......Page 74
39. Why should I keep taking these medications, especially when they have such dreadful side effects?......Page 75
40. What is the difference between an allergic reaction to medication and a side effect?......Page 76
41. Why don’t I notice any changes when I take my medications?......Page 77
42. Why does my doctor keep changing my medications and treatment plan? Is my doctor experimenting on me?......Page 78
43. How can I change the way I feel about taking medication?......Page 79
44. How can I find help to pay for my medication and other medical expenses?......Page 81
Part Seven: Taking an Active Role in Your Own Care......Page 84
46. Are there “natural” approaches that I can use to cure myself?......Page 85
47. What is a professional patient?......Page 87
48. What can I do to manage fatigue?......Page 88
49. What can I do to manage pain?......Page 90
50. What is the role of humor in managing chronic illness?......Page 92
51. What is the role of positive thinking in chronic illness?......Page 94
53. What is good nutrition?......Page 95
54. Is exercise helpful in managing chronic illness?......Page 96
55. What kind of exercise should I do?......Page 97
56. How can I get started with an exercise program?......Page 98
57. How can my mind help manage my chronic illness?......Page 100
58. What can I do to get a good night’s sleep?......Page 101
59. How can I find trustworthy information about my condition?......Page 104
Part Eight: Stress......Page 108
61. How can I reduce stress in my life?......Page 109
62. How can I manage stress that cannot be avoided?......Page 111
63. How can meditation be used to reduce stress and manage chronic illness?......Page 112
64. How can I learn to meditate?......Page 113
Part Nine: Clinical Trials......Page 116
65. What are clinical trials?......Page 117
66. What are the risks and benefits of clinical trials?......Page 118
67. How can I find clinical trials?......Page 119
Part Ten: Special Considerations for Common Chronic Illnesses......Page 120
68. What is invisible chronic illness?......Page 121
69. What is autoimmunity?......Page 123
70. How are autoimmune diseases managed?......Page 124
71. What is my diabetes risk?......Page 125
72. Is there an online tool to check for diabetes?......Page 126
74. What is osteoporosis?......Page 127
76. What can I do to manage osteoporosis?......Page 128
78. What can I do to manage a substance abuse problem?......Page 129
79. What is COPD?......Page 130
80. What can I do to manage COPD?......Page 131
81. How can I stop smoking?......Page 132
82. What is my cardiovascular risk?......Page 134
83. What can I do to manage cholesterol?......Page 135
84. What can I do about high blood pressure?......Page 136
85. What is obesity?......Page 138
86. Does obesity increase my risk of chronic disease or worsen existing chronic disease?......Page 139
87. What can I do if I am obese?......Page 140
88. What is osteoarthritis?......Page 141
89. How can I manage osteoarthritis?......Page 142
91.How can I reduce my risk of developing a chronic disease?......Page 143
Part Eleven: Looking Ahead......Page 146
92. Where can I find a support network?......Page 147
93. Where can I find a good support group?......Page 148
94. How can I find purpose and meaning in life again?......Page 149
95. How is journaling an effective tool in managing chronic illness?......Page 151
96. How do I get started journaling?......Page 152
97. How can I stop myself from worrying about the future?......Page 153
98. What is an attitude of gratitude, and what difference will it make in my life?......Page 154
99. What is mindfulness?......Page 156
100. What is the difference between cure and healing?......Page 157
Resources......Page 160
Appendix......Page 176
Glossary......Page 180
Index......Page 182