BOOK REVIEW: "Living (Well!) with Gastroparesis"

Living (Well!) with Gastroparesis

By Crystal Zaborowski Saltrelli CHC

Copyright 2011

Self-published

Non-fiction

3.5 Bookmarks

So in the ongoing saga that is my health, after a recent visit to the emergency room and five weeks of testing, I was finally diagnosed with a condition called Gastroparesis.  I had never heard of such a thing and had to research to find out what it was, how it was going to impact me, and how I was going to manage it. 

A lot of the information available online was the same: since there is no cure, and very few treatment options, most guidance is really just about how to control the condition through diet.

I found a great website called Living with Gastroparesis and I ordered this book from the author.

The book is organized with different sections addressing the basics of the condition, treatment options, nutrition, lifestyle and coping.  I really liked the way the book was written in a question and answer format, since I have had many of the same questions myself.  The author, who suffers from the condition herself, has spent years researching it and learning how best to cope with the symptoms. She shares her knowledge and experiences in a very sympathetic and informational way.

Another section of the book that I found really useful was the recipe section.  Having some additional options for food choices was great! 

My only real disappointments with the book were that it was a bit simplistic (written at a very easy reading level, which may actually be a positive to some people), and also that it didn't have a "magic pill" for fixing all this (I think most people with chronic conditions are continually searching for such a thing).  For anyone with this condition, "Living (Well!) with Gastroparesis" is a must have.  May also be of interest to dieticians and nutritionists, as most don't know much about the condition.  Probably not really of interest to anyone else.