The First Year: Rheumatoid Arthritis: An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed

My mom was recently diagnosed and I bought this book for her. I read it on the plane while flying to see her and I found it very enlightening. I didn’t know much about this autoimmune disease, and the author does a great explaining and talking about RA from different angles. It’s great that she gives a plan of action to follow and makes the patient accountable for their own progress in fighting this crippling disease.I learned a lot, I took notes, and now I feel I can talk to my mom about what she’s going through and be understanding. I think this is a book that not only patients, but families should read as well.

I LOVE this book. I like how the information is presented and that McNeil suffers from RA herself. But it's not just the information. It is her spiritual/philosophical bent. So much of the book calls on the best in you to dig up the best in yourself and learn to open yourself up to a new way of living, a way of living I've always wanted to adopt--taking care of myself, listening to my body, living more fully.Of course, I just read the book and I haven't changed my life as one always wishes--in a moment, in a flash, presto I'm walking every morning and drinking carrot juice twice a day! I read an awesome book and I'm fixed forever and ever! Nothing is a quick fix.But there is one bit of advice that means everything--you will have more USEFUL time if you MAKE the time to exercise, to take care of yourself (my paraphrase). Useful time, meaningful time.And I was ripe for this book. I had already discovered that in order to have energy, you have to MAKE energy, get up and move and move, even when you hurt and feel least like moving. Reading McNeil's book was serendipitous.If you have been diagnosed with RA, or, like me, are still on the doctor's fence waiting to see if you have RA, buy this book. And read this book. It will help you move forward, no matter what is wrong with your body. There's not a bit of wisdom or advice that you can't use to make yourself healthier.

Well-organized according to the author’s interpretation of when information is relevant, this is an easy read with tips for doctor visits and how to find your new normal. The section on bio-meds needs updating but otherwise the med info is useful.Its tone is positive and practical with a very useful index and logs you can use to follow your symptoms, treatment, medication, rest, exercise, again useful to organize your thoughts in the chaos of new diagnosis. There is some attention to alternative medicine, which is helpful and realistic.If you don’t know much about rheumatoid arthritis and the variations of inflammatory arthritis, this might be a good place to start working your way through the tsunami of information and understand some that is more up-to-date.

I haven't finished the whole thing but have read most of it. Skimmed the rest. Very informative and very appreciated with a new RA diagnosis.

This book sort of told me stuff I already knew. I didn't have to pay for it myself or I wouldn't have purchased it. I am a nurse, so I know a lot about immune diseases. If you are not a medical professional, or have not studied RA, and do not know what to expect the first year, then it would be a great purchase with very useful information.

At the time I bought this book, I had been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis for just 2 months. I was in the midst of beginning treatment and considering taking part in a clinical trial, so I was spending a lot of time in a rheumatology clinic and getting bombarded with a lot of new information. The list of side effects from the meds was alarming. When I turned to some online support groups for RA, much of what I saw frightened me. I was feeling scared and overwhelmed until I found this book. It was the first book I read on RA and it turned out to be the perfect starting point. The author has lived with RA for about 20 years and she perfectly reflected all the thoughts and fears I was experiencing. However, she offered tons of HOPE and ENCOURAGEMENT. The overall tone of the book is very positive and helpful. She analyzes a lot of the medical tests so the lay person can understand what the tests are for, and she gives lots of good information about medications and treatment. She strongly urges the reader to take charge of their treatment and offers practical tools and suggestions to help. This is not a medical reference book, but a patient-to-patient guide from someone who has been there. When I finished it, I felt so much calmer and very empowered to move forward with my treatment. I am SO glad I chose this as my first book on RA and I HIGHLY recommend it for someone with a new diagnosis if you want a good, big dose of hope, encouragement, and basic information.

After struggling with arthritis for thirty years, I was finally diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis and immediately felt vindicated. I had been through a long list of NSAIDS which did not help and only made my stomach hurt. Now, I am finally taking more appropriate medication. Even though I already knew much of what is in The First Year: Rheumatoid Arthritis: An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed by M.E. McNeil, I was very happy to get information that I can understand to answer many of my questions.The author takes a comprehensive approach that includes how to handle stress, plan your activities, organize your information for your appointments, the differences between the common medicines for rheumatoid arthritis and nutrition and exercise among other topics.The most valuable chapters for me were the one on medications and "joint protections and adaptations.I would highly recommend this book to all newly diagnosed people with rheumatoid arthritis.

Being just diagnosised with RA, this was a helpful guide from the perspective of someone else with RA. Different from other more medical books

As a recently diagnosed RA patient, it was refreshing to find such a comprehensive, well-researched, practical, and optimistic book. I would highly recommend it not only for those recently diagnosed with RA, but also for family members who want to better understand their loved one's experiences. Thank you for sharing!

You need to want to get better, you cannot be a passenger to this disease, this is my new bible. All practical advice and well written, well worth a read.

Interesting read. Contains useful and pragmatic approaches to living with this chronic disease.

I found this depressing, as do I the medical route. Im sure its aimed to help, but everyone is different and this book puts us all in a depressing, sick, life is over, shaped box. Illness doesnt have to be the end of the world and what you need right now is hope, happiness, and positivity. Try holistic. The future is much brighter than we are led to believe. It could even be better than before. I recommend "What the doctors don't tell you" and Phil Escott` Arthritis The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me