RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS
Spring 2003 

Book Reviews
Your guide to published resources

The Marsh and I
don’t make the fates
that wait for us out nigh.
We’ll live them as
the seasons change
and birds, they fill the sky.  

—C. Eric Hellmann
from “Getting Older”

C. Eric Hellmann has spent much of the past 32 years paddling the waters of central Ohio. An avid outdoorsman, he loves nothing more than a quiet day on the marsh.

Since developing CFIDS, however, Hellmann sometimes finds it difficult to escape outdoors. So he has turned to poetry as a way to restore the peace and sense of harmony that the lakes and ponds once provided.

The result is Among the Reeds, a collection of his favorite writings. Hellmann’s anthology is one of a growing number of books written by and for people with CFIDS (PWCs).

The rise of self-publishing houses has made it easier for PWCs to get their work in print. But, as a consequence, it’s a little harder for others to find them, since they’re not always available in book stores on even at online sellers.

To help make these books more accessible, The CFIDS Association of America has begun listing PWC-written books (and others written by health care professionals) on its Web site, www.cfids.org, along with buying information. Check the What’s New page for the listings.

Hellmann’s book is available for $14.95 through iUniverse.com, an online book seller. For more information, check www.iuniverse.com.

Here are couple other books written by PWCs:

Making the Best of Orders to Rest
By Annabel Hobbs
2002, WinePress Publishing
$12.95, 181 pp.

This is a delightful collection of essays from a PWC in Florida. She recounts her daily struggles with an infectious sense of optimism that is strengthened by her faith — but also with an occasional poignant piece about how the illness has changed her life forever.

“Can I embrace my suffering instead of being afraid of it and thereby focus on the more important things?” she asks. “If I wait until I am ‘fixed,’ I may never change.”

Ten Myths about Doctors and What You Can Do to Dispel Them
By Kay Hutchinson Benton
2002, InchAlong Press
$15.00, 84 pp.

“I…write this book so that whoever reads it will know that there are indeed GOOD doctors in this world and that you should NEVER stop looking for them,” author Kay Benton writes in the introduction to her book. She then discusses her Top 10 misconceptions about doctors and ways to get the most from your relationship with every health care professional.

Far from a simple rant against the medical profession, Benton lists a number of resources, your personal “Bill of Rights” and other tips for improving your treatment. Benton’s book is available online through Amazon.com, or at http://www.tenmythsaboutdoctors.com.

Tragically, Kay Benton died earlier this year after an unexpected illness. She was an occasional contributor to The CFIDS Chronicle, and her hard work and fighting spirit will be missed.

Mark Giuliucci is editor for The CFIDS Association of America.