SO, YOU'RE LIVING WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE?

While science searches for a cure, modern therapy has helped remove much of the gloom and doom frequently associated with Parkinson's Disease. However, varying symptoms, responses to treatment, and progression of the disease continue to generate a plethora of questions from all the key players - patients, care-givers and health professionals.

Increasing demands on physicians' time have left them hard-pressed to answer the many questions patients have about Parkinson's Disease. Three years ago Age Net created an "Ask the Doctor" internet column for Dr. Cram to address the public need for information. This has proven to be a popular, effective vehicle for responding to the wide array of Parkinson's Disease questions, often not answered by busy practitioners. This valuable reservoir of questions and answers, previously unpublished, is the foundation for his new book.

Answers . . . , Dr. Cram's second book on Parkinson's Disease, takes a fresh look at tough challenges. He discusses in detail many less common symptoms of the disease, such as freezing and orthostatic hypotension. A physician who has lived with Parkinson's Disease for twelve years, Dr. Cram is in a unique position to cast light on the health implications of Parkinson's Disease - adding credibility, professionalism and personal compassion to his answers. With wisdom and warmth, his “voice of experience” offers knowledge, confidence, and hope - so critical to Parkinson's Disease patients and families seeking ways to better cope with this distressing disease, while maximizing quality of life.

The organization and substantive content of Answers . . . . translate into an easy-to-read resource about Parkinson's Disease - essential to every family affected and valuable to any healthcare professional who deals with Parkinson's Disease.

BOOK	AUTHOR	CONTENTS	ORDER
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AUTHOR

Fulfilling a lifelong dream, in 1959 Dr. David Cram received his medical degree with honors from the University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison, Wisconsin. From 1963 to 1966, he trained for his dermatology specialty at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, where he earned a Master of Science in Dermatology.

Upon completion of his medical training, Dr. Cram was assigned to the United States Air Force Base Hospital in Lakenheath, England, where he became Chief of the Department of Medicine. During those formative years of what was to become a prestigious medical career, he received the Air Force Commendation Medal and rose to the rank of Lt. Colonel.

In 1971, Dr. Cram joined the staff of the University of California, San Francisco, where he became Chief of the Dermatology Clinic. There he served as teacher, lecturer, and research scientist. Dr. Cram wrote more than seventy-five scientific papers on a wide variety of subjects with a special interest in psoriasis. He is known for establishing the first Psoriasis Day Care Treatment Center in the United States and was considered an internationally recognized expert in this disease.

Dr. Cram left his academic career and opened a private practice in dermatology in 1986. To his dismay, in 1989 he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. Given the physical implications of the disease, he retired prematurely in 1991 from the medical practice he loved. With growing resolve, he took on the personal challenges of Parkinson’s Disease. Bringing his years of scholarship and medical experience to bear, he began an extensive search of the literature to learn all he could about Parkinson's Disease.

A disease known for its limitations and isolating effects led Dr. Cram to widen his outreach to Parkinson's Disease patients and their families through his web page at Age Net, where he maintains an “Ask the Doctor” column. In addition, he has become a prolific author, having in the past five years published four books, including two on Parkinson’s Disease: this newest book, Answers to Frequently Asked Questions in Parkinson’s Disease (Acorn Publishing, 2002) and Understanding Parkinson’s Disease: A Self-Help Guide (Addicus Books, 1999). His other two books are The Healing Touch: Keeping the Doctor-Patient Relationship Alive Under Managed Care (Addicus Books, 1997) and Coping with Psoriasis: A Patient’s Guide to Treatment (Addicus Books, 2000).

Dr. Cram’s many awards include an appointment as Clinical Professor Emeritus by the University of California in 1991. More recently, in 2001 tribute was paid by colleagues and supporters through establishment of The David L. Cram, M.D. Fund for Parkinson’s Disease Research at the University of California Medical School, San Francisco.

BOOK	AUTHOR	CONTENTS	ORDER
Orders to UK are sent by Air Mail (Usual arrival within 7 days)

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Foreword

Introduction

1. Financial Considerations

Where to turn for help
Staying in the work force

2. Diagnosing Early Disease and Tremor

Early stages of Parkinson’s Disease
Young-Onset Parkinson’s Disease
Essential Tremor

3. Parkinson’s Disease and Heredity

What have we learned so far?
Twin study
Families with Parkinson’s Disease
Genetics and the environment

4. Medications in Parkinson’s Disease

Tips on taking medications
Drug-related Parkinsonism
Drugs that may interfere with Parkinson’s Disease
Drugs that can interact with Parkinson’s Disease medications
Drugs that can produce Parkinson’s disease-like symptoms

5. Stress and Exercise

The role of stress in Parkinson’s Disease
Good and bad stress
The effects of stress
Does stress cause Parkinson’s Disease?
Stress and your partner
Coping with fear
Managing stress
The importance of exercise
Use it or lose it
Facts about exercise in Parkinson’s Disease
The benefits of exercise
A word about expectations

6. Preparing for Hospital

The importance of an advocate

7. Problems with Vision, Sleep, and Restless Legs

Visual complaints in Parkinson’s Disease
The role of drugs
The importance of eye movements
Contrast sensitivity
Double vision
Dopamine in the retina
Sleep Disorders in Parkinson’s Disease
Restless Legs Syndrome

8. Fear of Falling, Freezing, and Low Blood Pressure

Can falls be prevented in Parkinson’s Disease?
What are the causes of falls?
Postural imbalance
What can be done to reduce falls?
Common sense
Trained dogs
Freezing in Parkinson’s Disease
What is freezing and what can be done about it?
What causes freezing?
Treatments for freezing
Tricks and other suggestions to break the freeze
Do surgical procedures help?
Other methods tried for freezing
Orthostatic Hypotension in Parkinson’s Disease
The autonomic nervous system
The symptoms of orthostatic hypotension
What are the recognized causes of orthostatic hypotension?
How is orthostatic hypotension treated?

9. Undesirable Side Effects

Hallucinations
Dementia
Dyskinesias and Dystonia
Lost hope in Parkinson’s Disease

10. Surgery in Parkinson’s Disease

Deep brain stimulation

11. New Discoveries

Looking for the cure
Neuroimmunophilins-Ligands
Neurotrophic factors
Neural tissue transplants
Stem cell transplants
Gene engineering and therapy
So, you have just been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease

Glossary

Glossary of Terms is provided

Resources

Beside the book itself, many useful resources are included.

Index

A full index is provided for ease of reference

 

BOOK	AUTHOR	CONTENTS	ORDER
Orders to UK are sent by Air Mail (Usual arrival within 7 days)

Price $19.95 Introductory Price $16.95

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