Helping a friend in pain...

March 28, 2011 1:49 PM

Do you have any book recommendations for a friend who has been diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis?

She is dealing with severe chronic pain and coming to terms with a drastic change in her lifestyle and life plans. Seeking recommendations for books dealing with this specific disorder, dealing with chronic pain, grief & loss, and specific nutrition books that may be helpful for someone with this disease. Any other ideas that you think may be helpful or relevant are welcomed as well.

posted by gnutron to Health & Fitness (2 answers total)

I would recommend books by Oliver Sachs who writes about how the human condition responds to diseases. I think this will help one to make peace with his or her condition. Here is a link to his website that may provide further information. http://www.oliversacks.com/
posted by harigopal at 4:47 PM on March 28, 2011

Havi Carel is a philosopher who has written on the general topics you mention, and who herself suffers from a severe and chronic illness (LAM) which has had a profound effect on her life.

This is a very personal topic and what helps one person may be worthless or positively unhelpful for another. If Carel sounds like someone your friend could relate to, I would suggest her short book Illness.
posted by dudleian at 6:49 AM on March 29, 2011 [1 favorite]