The Lupus Encyclopedia: A Comprehensive Guide for Patients and Families

by Donald E. Thomas

People who have lupus need this book to stay as healthy as possible. Systemic lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune disease that can affect any system and organ in the body. For the 1.4 million people in the United States who have lupus, an overactive immune system senses that different parts of the body do not belong, and it attacks these parts. The immune system may strike the cells that line the joints or tendons, for example, causing pain and swelling. An incredibly complex disease, lupus must be properly treated for the optimal health and well-being of the person who has it. The Lupus Encyclopedia is an authoritative compendium that provides detailed explanations of every body system potentially affected by the disease, along with practical advice about coping. People with lupus, their loved ones, caregivers, and medical professionals―all will find here an invaluable resource. Illustrated with photographs, diagrams, and tables, The Lupus Encyclopedia explains symptoms, diagnostic methods, medications and their potential side effects, and when to seek medical attention. Dr. Donald Thomas provides information for women who wish to become pregnant and advises readers about working with a disability, complementary and alternative medicine, infections, cancer, and a host of other topics.

Genres: Medical, Nonfiction, Health

912 pages, Paperback

First published October 4, 2013

About the author

Donald E. Thomas, Jr. was born in St. Marys, Ohio in 1961. He grew up in a hard working blue-collar family, wanting to become a doctor at a young age after witnessing first hand the struggles of illness in his family. Entering the U.S. Army allowed him to be the first person in his immediate family the opportunity to attend college. While in medical school at Baylor College of Medicine and during residency at Brooke Army Medical Center, he was sympathetic and drawn to the struggles of young people battling a mysterious disease called systemic lupus erythematosus. He witnessed their plight first hand and decided that was his calling. He entered the field of rheumatology and now dedicates his life to helping people afflicted with rheumatologic disorders, especially having a special interest in lupus. He has a busy clinical practice (www.arthritispainpg.com) and enjoys teaching patients, medical students, and other doctors about rheumatologic diseases and their treatments. He is active as an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, MD and is currently Chair of the Medical Scientific and Advisory Committee of the Lupus Foundation of America DC/MD/VA chapter. The Lupus Encyclopedia: A Comprehensive Guide for Patients and Families represents his desire to provide patients and their families one source that provides complete guidance in dealing with their illness and triumphing over it. His teaching style has always been to try to make things easy to understand and practical to his students, and this work is the final result of his many years of doing so in the field of lupus. HE INVITES EVERYONE AND ANYONE TO FOLLOW HIM AT http://www.facebook.com/LupusEncyclop... WHERE HE WILL POST REGULAR FACTS/TIPS/INFORMATION ABOUT SLE AND ENCOURAGES ACTIVE COMMENTS, SUGGESTIONS, ADVICE AMONG FACEBOOK FOLLOWERS IN ORDER TO LEARN MORE ABOUT LUPUS AND TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER.

Reviews

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book out there about Lupus! Smart, no-nonsense approach to dealing with the disease, which I really appreciate.

[Evander · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think there's much more information about lupus (other than new developments, of course) that the average lupus patient would want to know that isn't in this book. I have degrees in biomedical sciences so I can't say for sure how approachable it is to the average person but certainly the effort is made and some sections are more detailed than others. Being geared towards patients, it has a level of informality that doesn't detract and probably makes it easier to read for people as it doesn't read like a textbook while giving you plenty of information. For people who do want to read more, there are plenty of recommendations at the end. There are a few personal case stories especially to illustrate salient points etc. The author states that he did not want to put many in, especially of patients not doing well, although there are a couple of those as well. Some of the stats get scary but I've always been someone who feels that forewarned is forearmed and that's different for different people. There are also plenty of reassuring stats in the book!

Some of the information was irrelevant to me as a non-American, especially the chapters on health insurance and applying for disability benefits (which I read out of interest and thanked God I don't have to grapple with the US healthcare system, as imperfect as ours is) but that's not unexpected. Similarly for a lot of the time-dependent information such as drug trials that were upcoming at the time etc. which obviously couldn't be helped.

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who want to learn more about any type of lupus. Not only was it easy to understand, but it covered pretty much everything that you'd want to ask.

Overall, this book is informative and has comprehensive information about lupus. It explains information in a way that it's easy to understand both for a patient or for those who are related to - or know - someone with lupus. It even acknowledges that this disease can vary widely person to person and gives information to help communicate symptoms and concerns with your own rheumatologist.

There are sections that cover what lupus is, how it's diagnosed, other autoimmune diseases, causes of lupus, what tests should be ordered and what the results actually mean (which is super helpful), how lupus affects different body parts/systems, how lupus impacts pregnancy, complications of the disease, how to treat lupus along with information on all those medications (things that pharmacists really see and know, but they are easy to understand in this book), and also how to talk to your own doctors to help get the best treatment for you.

This book was exactly what I was looking for, and I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of non-fluff it had. I didn't believe it when people said that it was the Bible of Lupus, but now I get it. Looking forward to getting my own copy to write in it.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful resource for patients who have lupus. It has helped me figure out the right questions to ask my rheumatologist and to understand what is going on with my health.

[Leeann · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful, in-depth look at all aspects of lupus. Written by a team of MDs, the book also had the seal of approval from the National Lupus Foundation. It is scientifically backed, but also provides some suggestions for those seeking natural and alternative treatments, in conjunction with medical care. This book will answer every question you could possibly have about the illness, tests, treatments, lifestyle changes, and more. Highly recommended for anyone with this disease, or anyone who cares for someone who has lupus.

[Tara Weiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nothing I've read compares to the depth of research and usable content covered in this book.

[Naomi Ayala · Rating 5 out of 5]

So very grateful for this incredibly well-written, well thought out, and reliable resource. A magnificent contribution to make.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned quite a bit just reading the preface! I recommend this book to anyone that has Lupus (or loves someone with Lupus). It covers all types of Lupus (some I didn't even know about) So much of what I've read so far my Dr doesn't know. She is willing to learn so I'm going to suggest this book to her.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thorough and empowering. Dr. Thomas asked me to review his book after Healthline ranked my blog as one of the top lupus blogs of 2014. Read my review at www.lupinelife.com

[Jody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read for me, tons of information, helped me when I got diagnosed with SLE, plus Sjogren's. Written in a language one can understand.