This book is a joy - thoughtful and funny, practical and realistic. It takes the whole potentially terrifying process of medical investigation and treatment and breaks it down into manageable pieces, with well-researched tactics and tips to help at every stage. Designed to help both patients and carers, it avoids jargon and highlights the all-important psychological issues which are so often underestimated. Having a long-term illness brings many challenges, emotionally as well as physically. With this book comes the promise of feeling just a little less overwhelmed * Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and medical broadcaster *
It is extraordinary that no one has written a book like this until now. It is designed to help you take off where the medical profession left off. Inventive, practical and authoritative, this book will help with the obvious and unexpected challenges of recovery after illness * Dr Suzy Cleator BM BCh MRCP FRCR PhD, Consultant Clinical Oncologist and Honorary Senior Lecturer, St Mary's and Charing Cross Hospitals, Imperial Healthcare NHS Trust, London *
Every patient - and every patient's supporters, be they relative, partner or friend - will find help from this book. From the start of a phase of medical intervention, right through to the struggle to get out of it and back on with life, Frances and Lucy have broken the entire process into understandable sections, and demystified the process. By giving a structure to feelings that you might otherwise only be dimly aware of, or not at all until too late, it informs and guides the reader through the complex geography of appointments, illness, treatment and recovery. Copies of chapter one should be appended to every appointment letter to ensure the episode is exploited fully, and the whole experience starts off on the right track. It should also be made compulsory reading for all the staff who come into contact with patients. As a succinct guide to the journey through illness, it has the makings of a classic. I warmly commend Frances and Lucy on a sympathetic and above all practical guide * Professor Justin P Cobb, Chair, Section of Orthopaedic, Imperial College London *
This is a really timely book. It puts together much if what I have gleaned over the years and try to tell my patients in a rush in 8 minutes! The advice is sensible and manageable, and phrased in a way that doesn't make you want to give up before you have started. A great resource to dip in and out of as you come across different hurdles in convalescence * Rosie Haining, Edinburgh GP *
This book is a great companion for people living with long-term conditions and their families. It gives simple, practical advice for those faced with the challenges of illness, such as dispelling their worries and giving coping strategies for managing stress. I like the examples from people who have experienced illness and these will be inspirational to others. I would recommend this book to anybody with a long-term condition and their families, as it shows it is possible to put quality back into life after a diagnosis * Dr Barbara Conway, British Heart Foundation Cardiovascular Specialist Nurse, Doctor of Nursing, County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust *
For doctor and patient alike, those familiar with serious illness recognise that the associated mental struggle, stress and uncertainty are at least as great a challenge as the physical illness and its aftermath.
How to Feel Better is a detailed, practical guide that understands these problems and provides practical evidence-based solutions. The insight and experience of Dr Goodhart are easily apparent through the many thoughtful tips and strategies, whilst the key themes and ideas are related by the authors in a style that is accessible, without being patronising. The authors draw on many patient vignettes that resonate with my own clinical practice. Indeed, the handbook is as helpful to the thoughtful doctor as to his or her patient. This is an important, well-balanced and serious contribution that will provide the interested patient, carer and professional with new perspectives, tips and insights * Robin P Choudhury DM FRCP, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Oxford & Consultant Cardiologist, Oxford Heart Centre *
As families who have experienced a health crisis know, it can be very traumatic and when the body is put back together, sometimes it's not the end of the story. This is one of the first books I have seen that tackles the tough issues confronting people who have undergone serious illness, and offers practical advice for them and their carers. In the aftermath of a health crisis or traumatic event it can be hard to know where to start. As patients, their families and carers start to navigate the road to recovery events can appear overwhelming. The authors well-structured approach can help patients and their families set realistic goals and will offer real hope to everyone on that journey.
This pragmatic, step-by-step approach is applicable to a wide range of different medical problems and offers patients, carers and families sensible advice on everything from fatigue to rebuilding self-confidence. The text includes real stories that are easy to relate to and will offer hope to readers at a time when events can appear overwhelming
* Dr Liza Keating, Consultant, Emergency and Intensive Care Medicine, Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, UK *
