Open your eyes to MS | |
Taking control of multiple sclerosis. George A Jelinek. Melbourne, Hyland House, 2000 (vii + 160 pp). ISBN 1 8644 7086 0. |
I had Professor Jelinek's book sitting on my desk in late 2000 when a person with multiple sclerosis (MS) suggested I read it. When I was asked to review it I knew that, one way or another, I was going to have to read the book. Since then I have read it twice. Professor George Jelinek is no ordinary person and no ordinary doctor. He has been a man on a mission since early childhood. He tells his story openly, frankly and sincerely in order that we can understand his background and his reasons for writing the book. He is in his early forties, and in 1997 he left Fremantle Hospital to take up the Chair of Emergency Medicine at Sir Charles Gairdiner Hospital in Perth. The first two years of his new appointment were hard, and just as was just starting to feel that the job was becoming manageable he was diagnosed with MS. MS was not unfamiliar to him. His mother had been diagnosed with MS in 1963 and for the next 15 years her health slowly deteriorated. She took her own life while he was still at medical school. His description of his mother makes one feel that he inherited many of her characteristics: her vision, intellect, determination and eye for detail, as well as her predisposition to MS. There have been many books written about coming to terms with a diagnosis of MS but this book is different. It has given me new insight into the management of MS, as well as an understanding of the human side of the illness from one person's point of view. As a rehabilitation medicine physician, my training encourages me to look at the whole individual - medical, physical, functional, vocational, emotional, psychological and social issues. However, issues such as nutrition, spirituality, sexuality and the mind-body connection are not as well addressed in the undergraduate and postgraduate training of doctors. Professor Jelinek presents these areas to the reader with the eye of a scientist. The book carries a message of hope and optimism, but it also contains rigorous scientific method. It is written in a language that will be easily understood by non-medical people. He puts forward rational, evidence-based arguments for his opinions and his scientific conclusions are well expressed and clearly presented. The book looks at all aspects of the disease with a sceptical but open mind. As he says frequently, if you are dealing with a disease like MS, which has no cure, you want as much to be in your favour as is possible. He gives the reasons and research findings behind his recommendations in regard to diet, sunlight and vitamin D, antioxidants, meditation, being positive, exercise and conventional medical therapies including immunotherapy and steroids. Much of his investigation into MS involves diet and good nutrition. Although he has tried to stay objective, one senses the passion that he feels about the need for people with MS to adopt his dietary recommendations. I personally found his arguments compelling. If the answers to improvements in population health generally lie in changing nutrition, lifestyle and unhealthy behaviour patterns, it is possible that the truth in trying to unravel the mysteries of MS might lie in the same domain. Professor Jelinek is quite specific in his dietary recommendations. His most important recommendation is to "avoid saturated fat like the plague", especially the "trans-fatty acids". He recommends that a person with MS should eat a diet high in omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids. Antioxidants such as vitamin C and vitamin E are also important and the immunomodulatory effects of vitamin D can be very useful. The book is very practical and well referenced and has been written in a sensitive and compassionate way. He gives references for further investigation using the Internet and refers people to their local MS Society for assistance. This book has opened my eyes to areas of MS that I had left unexplored. For a person with MS, it has the potential to help them to feel in control of their disease through greater understanding of information that is not easily obtained. For neurologists the book will provide insight into the whole person and how much more there is to managing MS than making a diagnosis and prescribing medical treatment. I would recommend this book to anyone diagnosed with MS and to any health professional or doctor interested in being better informed about MS. I would also recommend it to any MS Society running sessions for newly diagnosed sufferers.
Dr Garry D Pearce
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