Keeping Control: Understanding and Overcoming Fecal Incontinence(A Johns Hopkins Press Health Book)

People who live with fecal incontinence - a condition causing involuntary loss of liquid or solid stool or gas at inappropriate times - often feel alone and isolated. Some avoid working outside the home, or give up treasured friends and activities, or even miss an event as important as their child's wedding. All of these people should know that two million others in the United States have fecal incontinence, and each one of them feels alone, too. This book is designed for anyone who has this problem. "Keeping Control" is a medically reliable and informative resource for anyone who wants to understand the possible causes of fecal incontinence, learn about important advances in management and treatment, and do something about the problem. Written by a noted John Hopkins physician and an experienced medical writer and editor, "Keeping Control" explains the mechanics of normal bowel function and describes the latest medical findings about what can cause incontinence, from pre-existing conditions and diseases to accidents and childbirth injuries. It explains the wide range of treatment options, including remarkable successes with biofeedback and habit training. It includes special advice for managing incontinence in children and older people. It offers important advice on how to work with your physician to take control of the problem. This is a comprehensive resource for anyone who needs information about this potentially devastating condition. Topics include: understanding the digestive system and the mechanics of normal continence; how to keep a symptom diary; working with your physician to find the cause of the problem; the importance of a physical examination and medical history; what to expect during diagnostic tests; determining various neurological, muscular and anatomical causes; behavioural techniques such as biofeedback and habit training; other options for medical treatment; ways to cope when incontiennce cannot be completely overcome; when to consider surgery; effects on intimacy and sexual relations; special considerations for older people with incontinence; special considerations for children with incontinence, including a step-by-step bowel training programme; and products that can help when treatment is not entirely successful. "Keeping Control" also includes: a glossary of terms and information about contacting support groups and using additional resources, an epilogue by Nancy Norton, founder of the International Foundation for Bowel Dysfunction which describes the personal challenge of living with fecal incontinence and explains how she and many others have found the courage to cope with the problem and live life to the fullest.

About the Author :
Marvin M. Schuster, M.D., is a professor of medicine and psychiatry in the Division of Digestive Diseases at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. Jacqueline Wehmueller is a writer and editor at the Johns Hopkins University Press.

Review :
"An excellent resource for the thousands of people who live with fecal incontinence."'--Detroit Free Press' "A comprehensive resource. Among its topics are diagnostic tests; behavioral treatment techniques, such as biofeedback and habit training; and surgery options."'--Kansas City Star' "This short, easy to read book is a sensitive and practical guide to managing one of the few remaining closet issues in healthcare. From the introductory story about a young woman with spina bifida who overcomes her urinary and fecal incontinence to the epilogue by Nancy J. Norton, the founding director of the International Foundation for Bowel Dysfunction, the message is one of hope and perseverance."'--Ostomy/Wound Management'