Can You Help Me?

<em>Can You Help Me?: Living in the Turbulent World of Huntington Disease</em> shares the surprising insightful challenging and even encouraging stories of patients and their families who live with Huntington Disease. Having seen patients for more than 40 years Dr Thomas Bird a pioneer neurogeneticist adds a human touch to this genetic brain disease that devastates persons during mid-life when they can least afford it. <p/>With a brief history of Huntington Disease and the occasional scientific detail the true heart of the book is the human experience of the disorder: <br>- The man who cannot stay out of prison because he is addicted to being a burglar. <br>- Another man shoots and kills his roommate while watching television and cannot explain why he did it. <br>- The woman with Huntington Disease copes with her depression by using Texas line dancing. <br>- A twelve year old girl with juvenile Huntington Disease who can barely walk and talk but her classmates rally around with touching and heartfelt support. <br>- And the 72 year old man with late onset Huntington Disease and severe depression is made worse by ECT but improved (for a while) with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation. <p/>These are just some of the compelling stories of people of all ages and in all walks of life who feel trapped by a progressive degenerative brain disease from which there is no escape.<br>