Women and Autoimmune Disease: The Mysterious Ways Your Body Betrays Itself Paperback – July 5, 2005

I was told by several Dr.s that I have "mixed connective tissue disease" because I have a high ANA count. Each time - with a different Dr.- I asked what this means and they would say "it's your immune system fighting against itself; that's why you have MS, Lupus, Raynauds, Sjogrens, Osteoarthritis, Dupetryns, etc,etc,etc. That is as far as the explanations went. One day I was in the library and picked up this book. It totally explained all of these and how and why they are caused by immune cells fighting against each other - i.e. AutoImmune Disease. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has been diagnosed with any of the above problems. You'll understand what and why you have something.I immediately ordered it from Amazon.

Less than a month ago, after several years of seemingly unconnected, rather brief medical events, an opthalmologist, having just completed post-op followup of removal of two cataracts for me, expressed concern about my extremely dry eyes during her months of seeing me. I had no idea I had dry eyes!She recommended testing for Sjogren's and ANAs. The Sjogren's was negative but the ANA was strongly positive and that urged me to a rheumatologtist. Those tests and his 2 hour interview along with my medical history and he *named* it: an autoimmune disease, currently labeled as an indeterminent connective tissue disease, most probably Lupus, maybe Scleroderma. More tests. And this week I see him again for a more definitive diagnosis and we'll go from there.In the meantime I read reliable sites online (Johns Hopkins, Brigham and Women's, NIH) and, among others, read Dr. Lahita's book. The first section defines autoimmune diseases as a category - very helpful to this lay person. The second section, really the body of the book, looks at several in that category and reviews both general and specific information about each. The third and last section focuses on possible treatments. And I really liked the bibliography in which Dr. Lahita comments of the merits of various reading selections. This led me to more readings and I feel much more enlightened as I prepare for this week's appointment with the rheumatologist.

My 26 year old sister-in-law recently had a stroke. She suffers from a first misdiagnosed, which is now an undiagnosed autoimmune disease. It is too bad her doctors didn't read this book. She was sent home by a hospital, general doc. & a neurologist after suffering 2 of the soon to be 5 infarctions. They said it was probably a sinus infection and a migrane. Please be aware of THICK BLOOD (blood clots) Autoimmune disease sufferers. You must be your own doctor with such a mysterious disease. I wish I knew more...the doctors knew more...before the bloodclot/stroke. This book opens your eyes to a lot of typical, but not too common things for women and autoimmune disease. A must read!

This book is a "must read" for anyone who is dx'd with "any" Autoimmune Disease. It is precise,clear and exact with the needed medical information we need to understand. The first chapter will explain how the cells work, immune system, and what goes wrong with ppl with Autoimmune. The book continues with chapters with many specific Autoimmune Diseases. This book is so very different than any other, which is many medical books, since it's written with easy to understand terms, and lots humor and stories of actual cases that we can relate to. It also helps that I am privledged that the Doctor that wrote this book, is MY actual Doctor. I recommend the Doctor and this book HIGHLY!

I have purchased several books like this recently as I am being worked up for an autoimmune disorder myself. I like this one best of all. I found the information very useful and easy to understand and the book is easy to read through and stay with. its not dry like so many textbooks can be. I just wish Dr.Lahita was local for me as I'd love to go to him as a patient. I've considered flying across country to see him but my family thinks I'm nuts.I recommend this book to anyone trying to get a grasp on autoimmune disorders.

I thought this book was a good read. I bought soley to read about the vasculitis I do have. I got mad when he referred to it as a "waste basket dx. I found a strange comfort in him saying that sometimes it happens for no reason. Will be sending it to my friend with Fibro.

I purchased this book in 2013, and finally got around to reading it.... but to my disappointment, I found 15 pages cut out of the book!!! I purchased it NEW from Amazon, so I cannot fathom how they could send me a defective book. And I am assuming it is too late now to make a complaint or ask for a replacement. So I am making a review.... buyer beware.... just because it is new, make sure you check and see if ALL the pages are in the book. My missing pages preventing me from obtaining important information I needed. I guess I have to see if I can find it at a library now to read those pages, but when you buy a NEW book, you should NEVER have to find access to missing pages from a different source other than the book YOU PURCHASED AND OWN IN YOUR OWN LIBRARY!!!

Having an autoimmune disease, I found this amazingly informative and eye opening! Definitely need much more research for this devastating disease.