For eight years now, the author has been fighting a neurodegenerative disease. His symptoms have been developing gradually, at the beginning with lower intensity but later much faster and more expressed. In the late phase, the development of the symptoms even slowed, which is unusual.
His experience shows that the disease can be fought, the progression of the symptoms can be slowed down, and an acceptable quality of life can be ensured - a life worthy of a seventy-four-year-old.
His struggle includes willingness to take medications still being tested, doing exercises regularly for at least one hour every day and electrostimulation of the brain.
Title: HARD DAYS: My Life With a Neurodegenerative Disease
Author: Branko Lugović
Genre: Medicine/Health
Book Blurb:
This book follows a patient's journey with a rare, but deadly neurodegenerative disease.
The book covers the full journey, from the early days of the disease, first symptoms, and multiple wrong diagnoses to treatment, which has helped the patient live a 'normal' life.
The disease is a rare neurological condition that can cause problems with balance, movement, vision, speech, and swallowing.
All the profits made from this book will be reinvested in helping patients with this disease live a dignified life.
Excerpt:
This book was written by a patient with a clinically confirmed diagnosis of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and is intended for patients with the same diagnosis. It is also designed for other patients who have a neurodegenerative disease, that is, patients in whom nerve cells in the brain are damaged. It is about a patient with basic knowledge of medicine such as pharmacology, physiology, pathophysiology and pathoanatomy. Based on this knowledge, he describes and explains his own symptoms of the disease and how to control them.
In this book, he openly shares his personal knowledge and own experience in fighting against a very serious disease. He wants to help others with the same diagnosis, and with other neurodegenerative diseases, with potential treatment and, as much as possible, in maintaining the best possible quality of life. In some places, he has added a bit of humor to show that there is still a bit of serenity in illness, although the diagnosis is serious and the prognosis uncertain. Humor makes you laugh, even when you make fun of yourself, but it also provides entertainment at times when no one feels like having fun. With humor, we satisfy desires, no matter how unreasonable such desires may be.
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):
Available at Amazon
Author Biography:
The author spent 40 years working in research, academia, and the world of business.
Following his PhD, he started his professional career as a lecturer and researcher.
This led him to become the head of Virology Department and to work in laboratories in Croatia, Switzerland and the USA.
During the late 80s he replaced the white lab coat with a suit and tie and started a 20-year long corporate career leading him to the position of a division director at the largest pharmaceutical company in the world.
Since retirement, he spends his time working in the vineyard and olive groves.