I was first introduced to Mary Shomon with her book Living Well With Hypothyroidism after my mother developed thyroid nodules that-thank goodness-turned out to be noncancerous. With a family history of thyroid problems, my fibromyalgia doctor suspected that this could be the root of my illness. So, by exploring her first book in Hypothyroidism, I found it to be very informative and easy to understand. When I heard that she released Living Well With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia, I was excited! I just knew that this book would be helpful, especially to the newly diagnosed and to those making sense of this illness. That’s what I love about her books and style of writing-she has done all of the research for you; when you read this book, you won’t need any other sources of information. This book also delves deep into the controversial therapies of fibromyalgia such as T-3 therapy and the Guai protocol.

The first three chapters discuss what most fibromyalgia books addresses in the beginning, the symptoms and risk factors. I like that chapter four has a questionnaire that persons can take that separates the symptom criteria for CFS and fibromyalgia. This will help the patient to distinguish the two and to see if CFS symptoms are overlapping with fibromyalgia.

Chapter five is a great chapter for those who feel or suspect that they have fibromyalgia, but can’t seem to get a diagnosis. It instructs you step-by-step how to get a proper diagnosis. It addresses everything from finding the right practitioner to the tests that is usually used to rule out the mimics of fibromyalgia. It even has a pain diary checklist that you can take to your doctor to track your symptoms. Sharing this information with your doctor is very helpful in determining if a prescribed medication is working or not. I recommend a pain diary at all times in between visits. This checklist is a helpful start.

Chapters six through thirteen addresses different systems of the body that can be affected in persons with fibromyalgia such as the immune, endocrine, and nervous system. The rest of the book discusses coming up with a game plan to fight this illness, and it is full of resources including a list of practitioners that specialize in fibromyalgia across the country. And I love that it's jam-packed with patient testimonials and experiences to round off the book.

Overall, I feel this book is an excellent addition to your library, and I highly recommend it.



Other recommended books by Mary J. Shomon.