Fibromyalgia: Up Close & Personal

To say that Dr. Mark Pellegrino has done it again is quite the understatement. At first glance, you may be a bit overwhelmed but don't let the size of Up Close and Personal intimidate you. While it's not a weekend read-I tried that for my review - the 400 plus pages are worth their weight in gold even if you risk a fibro-flare carrying it home from the bookstore! It's a reference book that mixes a blend of fibromyalgia history, diagnosis, therapy, research and legalese with a twist of Dr. Pellegrino's unique sense of humor. Dr. Pellegrino puts it best in his own words, "My approach has been to help all patients deal with their symptoms, first by helping them understand fibromyalgia, and second to encourage them to use successful strategies to become a fibromyalgia survivor". Author of several other fibromyalgia books and a physician with a clinical practice experience of more than 15,000 patients, he's more than qualified to share his opinion. Still, you may be asking why you would need another fibromyalgia book. After all, is there really anything new to write about? For the newly diagnosed, this book is an easy to understand reference. For the seasoned, it's updated to include the latest in fibromyalgia research including chiari malformation, nutrition and the legal aspects of post-traumatic fibromyalgia, updates gleaned in the three years since his last book, Inside Fibromyalgia. While 400 pages may seem daunting, the book is divided into six sections, with 6-8 chapters in each section, which helps the reader break down and absorb the well-presented information. In addition, exclamation points on certain pages draw your attention to helpful bite-sized facts. For those wanting more, at the end of each chapter is a resource list "If You Want to Know More" that satisfies their appetite. Illustrations help the reader get a visual focus on what is being explained verbally and the only stick figures you'll find are the ones getting tastefully into "comfortable positions" in the chapter on Sex & Intimacy. Even the title Up Close and Personal, Dr. Pellegrino explains, was chosen because "I see it up close in my patients, and I deal with it on a personal basis every day. I understand fibromyalgia". Throughout the book, he profiles several of these patients in Up Close Patient Snapshot like "The Rodeo Roper's Rotator Woe", as well as himself in Personal Profile. One of my favorite glimpses of Dr. Pellegrino that he shares is how his deafness helped him later in dealing with fibromyalgia. Nobody likes to think they are different. But with his great sense of style, you almost want fibromyalgia so you can be "just like Mark". Not to be left out of the updates are familiar favorites from previous books -- such as FMS Greeting Cards, Famous Last Words Before a Flare (FLAWS) and Fibronyms. Dr. Pellegrino also includes what he calls his "diversionary writings" which lighten up the complex task of explaining fibromyalgia, although he doesn't need much

Dr. Pellegrino does it again! He has provided us with another great book about Fibromyalgia and living with this chronic illness. "Up Close And Personal" not only encompasses the areas we face in daily life but also gives us the latest education and techniques to improve its quality, thus bringing encouragement and hope many times to the hopeless. I can go to this one book for a fast answer or study it in detail to make life changes to help me regain control. We at Fibromyalgia Training Services (FTS) recommend "Up Close & Personal" in our courses to the participants and their support person and we are excited to be able to do so.

I think you will find that there is valuable information for all types of fibromyalgia patients in Dr. Pellegrino's latest work, "Fibromyalgia: Up Close and Personal." It is a comprehensive and expanded version of his earlier book, "Inside Fibromyalgia." The update information should be helpful to a range of patients and in particular those that are newly diagnosed. For the newly diagnosed patient, validation of this diagnosis, from a physician that has fibromyalgia himself, is so important. For the long term patients with more resistant forms of fibromyalgia, like myself, it is comforting to encounter a physician that can state (p. 231)"There are no easy answers." "I try to emphasize that their pain is not their fault or caused by something they are doing wrong." In my interactions with physicans, it is rare that fibromyalgia veteran leaves the doctor's office without being blamed for their condition. I think Dr. Pellegrno shows a perspective rarely considered by most physicians and it is the biggest strength of the book. I think this book can help you, help yourself.

As with all of Dr. Pelligrino's books one knows he knows what he speaks of. Both as a DR. who treats people with this and other allied conditions and as a person with Fibromyalgia. He is up to date with research and writes clearly and informatively. I have and will continue to recomend this book to the many people with FMS I speak to.