Ilana and Martin Gerschlowitz are an ordinary middle-class South African family – young, newly married with bright, promising futures. Ilana falls pregnant and gives birth to David, a happy, healthy baby boy. At 10 months old, David suffers recurring ear infections, and at 11 months old a terrible fever sends him to hospital. David’s behaviour abruptly changes – he no longer looks at his parents, his motor and budding language skills disappear, and the light in his eyes dims. It is the beginning of a journey with autism that few parents would ever want to encounter, and yet a staggering number of children are now diagnosed with autism, and the number of diagnoses rises every year.

Ilana and Martin work tirelessly to understand David’s autism diagnosis, and to search for ways to treat their son. The couple arrange an international autism conference, open a treatment centre for autistic children, and begin outreach programs for underprivileged families dealing with autism.

Ilana falls pregnant again and their third son, Aaron, develops normally. And then the unthinkable happens – at 16 months Aaron develops ear infections and they decide to insert grommets. Immediately after the procedure, they realise that Aaron is not behaving in his usual manner. Within days, it becomes clear that Aaron, too, has developed autism, and their journey begins afresh. Armed with the knowledge gained from years of treating David, the couple set about ensuring that Aaron’s condition is treated swiftly and carefully.

Shéri Brynard has reached many remarkable milestones, although she was born with Down Syndrome. She talks about how love and acceptance from her family and friends formed her. She tells of her adventures, her pain and the harsh realities she has to face as an adult with Down Syndrome. Her mother tells the tale of living in Shéri’s shadow, speaking without holding back about her crisis of faith when she heard that her daughter had Down Syndrome. A touching tale.

To be diagnosed with dementia is "like being blindfolded and let loose in a maze". There is no clear treatment to follow, because each case is unique. But once thickets of misunderstanding and misinformation are brushed aside, there are pathways to hope.

"Secular models of support don't adequately reflect Christian values of compassion, love and service," explains Louise Morse. "Neither do they describe the power of spiritual support. This is key to the wellbeing of the caregiver, as well as the person with dementia."

This book is packed with examples of what works, as well as practical advice and accessible medical information. Louise Morse is a cognitive behavioural therapist and works with a national charity whose clients include people with dementia. Her MA dissertation, based on hundreds of interviews, examined the effects on families of caring for a loved one with dementia.

A quest is never what you expect it to be.

Elizabeth Madeline Martin spends her days in a retirement home in Cape Town, watching the pigeons and squirrels on the branch of a tree outside her window. Bedridden, her memory fading, she can recall her early childhood spent in a small wood-and-iron house in Blackridge on the outskirts of Pietermaritzburg. Though she remembers the place in detail – dogs, a mango tree, a stream – she has no idea of where exactly it is. ‘My memory is full of blotches,’ she tells her daughter Julia, ‘like ink left about and knocked over.’

Julia resolves to find the Blackridge house: with her mother lonely and confused, would this, perhaps, bring some measure of closure? A journey begins that traverses family history, forgotten documents, old photographs, and the maps that stake out a country’s troubled past – maps whose boundaries nature remains determined to resist. Kind strangers, willing to assist in the search, lead to unexpected discoveries of ancestors and wars and lullabies. Folded into this quest are the tender conversations between a daughter and a mother who does not have long to live.

Taken as one, The Blackridge House is a meditation on belonging, of the stories we tell of home and family, of the precarious footprint of life.

Eureka - an innovative series for students that fully integrates core science, clinical medicine and surgery. With its engaging and authoritative text, featuring insightful clinical cases, graphic narratives, SBAs and a wealth of other learning tools, Eureka has everything students need to succeed in medicine and pass their exams. Eureka - content that reflects today's medical degree courses with their emphasis on: relevance and application of core science to clinical practice skills required to examine and communicate with patients integrated care across primary and acute care settings Eureka - 15 clinical titles, 5 science titles: Clinical titles - disease-based, clinical cases, system-specific core science Science titles - bedrock biomedical principles, clinical cases Series features across titles: Engaging clinical cases show how skilled clinician would work through a presentation, and put diseases and biomedical principles into patient context Innovative graphic narratives bring clinical cases to life, show how to approach difficult scenarios and convey the experience of being a patient Starter questions - stimulating answers to intriguing questions make learning fun Boxes highlight tips, tricks and key learning points Neurology & Neurosurgery First principles chapter clearly explains the key concepts, processes and structures of the nervous system Clinical essentials chapter provides an overview of the symptoms and signs of neurological disease, relevant history and examination techniques, investigations and management options Disease-based chapters give concise descriptions of all major disorders, e.g. headache and pain syndromes, stroke and dementia, each chapter introduced by engaging clinical cases that feature unique graphic narratives Emergencies chapter covers the principles of immediate care in situations such as severe headache, trauma and unconsciousness Integrated care chapter discusses strategies for the management of chronic conditions across primary and other care settings Self-Assessment - 80 multiple choice questions in clinical SBA format, in line with current exam format

An estimated 80 million people live with a neurodegenerative disease. That number is expected to increase rapidly as populations age, lifespans increase, and exposure to toxins rises. Despite decades of research and billions in funding, there are no medications that can slow, much less stop, the progress of these diseases. This is because diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's do not exist in biology. Yet, hundreds of clinical trials around the world are examining the potential of single therapies in thousands of people sharing one of these labels. Compounding the problem, these therapies were developed on evidence from models that do not come close to capturing the complexity of these diseases in the affected humans. These practices must end. Brain Fables is a call to refocus on understanding living and aging to create the personalized treatments each affected individual desperately needs.

The profoundly moving story of how love, courage and determination brought Greta Thunberg's family back from the brink This is the story of a happy family whose life suddenly fell apart, never to be the same again. Of two devoted parents plunged into a waking nightmare as their eleven-year-old daughter Greta stopped speaking and eating, and her younger sister struggled to cope. They desperately searched for answers, and began to see how their children's suffering reached far beyond medical diagnoses. This crisis was not theirs alone: they were burned-out people on a burned-out planet. And so they decided to act. Our House is on Fire shows how, amid forces that tried to silence them, one family found ways to strengthen, heal, and gain courage from the love they had for each other - and for the living world. It is a parable of hope and determination in an emergency that affects us all.

Elise se eens briljante man raak aggressief en vergeetagtig, en tree heeltemal anders op as wat sy hom ken. Sy het ’n vae vermoede wat skort, maar uiteindelik word haar ergste vrese bewaarheid: haar geliefde man het Alzheimer se siekte. Hy vra haar in ’n oomblik van helderheid om tot die einde na hom om te sien, wat sy doen. Elise vertel hierdie intieme en aangrypende verhaal met deernis vir haar man en elke persoon wat aan alzheimers ly. Sy gee ook praktiese raad vir die versorgers van mense met alzheimers en tekens waarna mens moet oplet.

'With my job on Today, I have become obsessed with sleep. The Nocturnal Brain interweaves bizarre real life stories with cutting edge neurological science in the true tradition of Oliver Sacks. A fascinating read.' Martha Kearney, BBC Radio 4 'Casebooks of neurological disorders are often strange and wonderful, but this one is special.' Sunday Times 'The Nocturnal Brain will not promise to cure your insomnia, but it does make for an entertaining and thought-provoking bedtime read.' The Guardian For Guy Leschziner's patients, there is no rest for the weary in mind and body. Insomnia, narcolepsy, night terrors, apnoea and sleepwalking are just a sample of the conditions afflicting sufferers who cannot sleep - and their experiences in trying to are the stuff of nightmares. Demonaic hallucinations frighten people into paralysis. Restless legs rock both the sleepless and their sleeping partners with unpredictable and uncontrollable kicking. Out-of-sync circadian rhythms confuse the natural body clock's days and nights. Then there are the extreme cases. A woman in a state of deep sleep who gets dressed, unlocks her car and drives for several miles before returning to bed. The man who has spent decades cleaning out kitchens while 'sleep-eating'. The teenager prone to the serious, yet unfortunately nicknamed, Sleeping Beauty Syndrome, stuck in a cycle of excessive unconsciousness, binge eating and uncharacteristic displays of aggression and hypersexuality while awake. With compassionate stories of his patients and their conditions, Leschziner illustrates the neuroscience behind our sleeping minds, revealing the many biological and psychological factors necessary in getting the rest that will not only maintain our physical and mental health, but also improve our cognitive abilities and overall happiness.

In this collection of beautiful and raw essays, Amy S. F. Lutz writes openly about her experience-the positive and the negative-as a mother of a now twenty-one-year-old son with severe autism. Lutz's human emotion drives through each page and challenges commonly held ideas that define autism either as a disease or as neurodiversity. We Walk is inspired by her own questions: What is the place of intellectually and developmentally disabled people in society? What responsibilities do we, as citizens and human beings, have to one another? Who should decide for those who cannot decide for themselves? What is the meaning of religion to someone with no abstract language? Exploring these questions, We Walk directly-and humanly-examines social issues such as inclusion, religion, therapeutics, and friendship through the lens of severe autism. In a world where public perception of autism is largely shaped by the "quirky geniuses" featured on television shows like The Big Bang Theory and The Good Doctor, We Walk demands that we center our debates about this disorder on those who are most affected by its impacts.

A SUNDAY TIMES, NEW STATESMAN AND FINANCIAL TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR 'Immensely powerful . . . her investigation of this terrible illness is sensitive and compelling' Sunday Times After her own father's death from dementia, the writer and campaigner Nicci Gerrard set out to explore the illness that now touches millions of us, yet which we still struggle to speak about. What does dementia mean, for those who live with it, and those who care for them? This truthful, humane book is an attempt to understand. It is filled with stories, both moving and optimistic: from those living with dementia to those planning the end of life, from the scientists unlocking the mysteries of the brain to the therapists using art and music to enrich the lives of sufferers, from the campaigners battling for greater compassion in care to the families trying to make sense of this 'incomprehensible de-creation of the self'.

Fifty million people worldwide have epilepsy and yet up to 35% of patients experience seizures that are resistant to anti-epileptic drugs. Patients with medication-resistant epilepsy have increased risks of premature death, psychosocial dysfunction and a reduced quality of life. This key resource delivers guidance for all clinicians involved in caring for patients with medication-resistant epilepsy in order to reduce these risks. Covering the epidemiology, biology, causes and potential treatments for medication-resistant epilepsy, this definitive and focused text reviews the clinical care needs of patients. Guidance is practical and includes treatment for specialized groups including pediatric patients and those with psychiatric comorbidities. Several promising non-pharmacologic interventions available for patients, such as surgery, neuromodulation diet therapy and botanical treatment are explored in detail. Leading international figures from a range of disciplines bring their expertise together holistically in this essential manual.

Based on over 40 years of research and hundreds of leading studies, The Vitamin Cure is a comprehensive guide to improving overall health with vitamin and essential element therapies. Modern medicine has done much in the field of acute conditions such as trauma, infections, burn, and bone fractures, but it has limited success in treating chronic diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, cancer, and diabetes among others. At present, the root causes of most chronic diseases are still unknown, and the drugs developed by pharmaceutical companies to treat chronic diseases actually treat only the symptoms rather than causes. According to Dr. Monte Lai, a nutrient deficient diet and unhealthy lifestyle are by far the two most important environmental factors associated with the causes of a host of chronic diseases. The Vitamin Cure provides a comprehensive overview of how vitamin and essential element therapies are the key to treating and preventing many of the chronic conditions. While the internet is chock full of health related information about vitamins and essential elements, it is difficult to sort through all available information to build a reliable knowledge base to improve health. The aim of this book is to provide readers with easily accessible evidence-based knowledge about vitamins and essential elements for prevention and treatment of chronic diseases. The Vitamin Cure relies on a statistical method known as meta-analysis (combining data from multiple studies) that is currently the most reliable method for assessing the efficacy of vitamins or essential elements in preventing or treating chronic diseases. The Vitamin Cure brings clinically proven remedies to light for any reader looking to improve overall health and prevent debilitating disease. This book contains five parts. Part one contains a brief history of the discovery of each of the thirteen essential vitamins, namely, vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, vitamin B7, vitamin B9, vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, and vitamin K. It also presents meta-analytic evidence of the efficacy of each vitamin in prevention and treatment of diseases, its recommended daily allowance and best food sources. Part two covers essential elements, including the five essential elements, i.e., calcium, potassium, sodium, magnesium and phosphorous, and the eight essential trace elements, i.e., iron, zinc, manganese, copper, molybdenum, iodine, chromium and selenium. It also presents meta-analytic evidence of the efficacy of each essential element in prevention and treatment of diseases, its recommended daily allowance and best food sources. Part three explains important secrets for staying healthy. These include explanation of how sugar makes you fat, why patients with autoimmune diseases should not eat meat, and how exercise benefits the brain? Part four provides meta-analysis evidence of which vitamins and essential elements should be taken to prevent and/or treat seventy-five chronic diseases and conditions. These seventy-five chronic diseases and conditions include lung cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, endometrial cancer, blood cancer, bladder cancer, glioma, diabetes, stroke, heart disease, cataracts, hypertension, Alzheimer's disease, osteoporosis, arthritis, hepatitis C, fatty liver disease, Parkinson's disease, sleep apnea, and others. Part five summarizes clinically proven remedies for preventing and treating the seventy-five chronic diseases and conditions presented in Part four.

Treatment options, lifestyle strategies, and emotional support for two million Americans.

Epilepsy, once mistakenly associated with demonic possession, has for centuries been a poorly understood illness. Today, though it affects nearly one out of every one hundred Americans, little comprehensive information can be found on bookshelves regarding this common and complex neurological disease. Until now!

Using his expertise in pharmacology and neuroscience, Dr. Carl Bazil demystifies epilepsy and other seizure disorders and offers medical, practical, and emotional support to patients and their families. He explains how and why seizures occur, and thoroughly discusses treatment options, the pros and cons of surgery, experimental and alternative treatments, strategies for daily living, and much more.

Substantiated with case examples, this useful book provides a much-needed window into epilepsy so that patients can achieve the full life they deserve.

The Art of Weeing in the Sink is a heartbreakingly honest account of a boy's life as he grows up with undiagnosed autism in the North East of England. Richie overcomes huge challenges presented by the ignorance of his condition and ultimately emerges triumphant. This poignant and optimistic book is an essential read for anyone caring for children with autism.

A diagnosis of Parkinson's disease is as disorienting as it is devastating. The Complete Guide for People With Parkinson's Disease and Their Loved Ones helps make sense of what comes next and what can be done, not just for those suffering from the disease but for their family and friends as well. A trained nurse and primary caregiver for her mother, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991, Lianna Marie draws upon over twenty years of education, research, and direct experience. Written in straightforward and easily accessible language, this essential guide aims to help patients better understand their role in their treatment so that they may continue to lead happy and hopeful lives. Topics covered include nutrition and exercise, alternative and complementary therapies, medication and treatment, and what caregivers can do to help. Written by an international expert on Parkinson's who has confronted the disease firsthand, The Complete Guide serves as the go-to book for comprehensive, easy-to-understand information for all Parkinson's patients and their loved ones.