ChelseyAnn's Journal

I adore going to book stores.  I eat, sleep and breath books!  My husband knows that once or twice a week I even go to all of the local thrift stores in search of titles I have been waiting to read (why pay full price when used books are just as good?) and he never complains about the amount of money I spend on books (now if only I could get him to be that way when it comes to shoes and handbags LOL).  So lately I've been quite disappointed with my ventures to my favorite bookstores.

I have been searching and searching for books about Cirrhossis...to no avial.  Ok, that's not completely true.  I was able to find two wonderful books about transplant, the waiting list and the like on Amazon that my husband ordered for me.  In a way this was a better avenue because I bought them used and saved money.  They are books written by both doctors and nurses who have put things into laymans terms for people like me.  One of them is about a young man who began his transplants when he was only 12 years old (I believe or somewhere around that age) and had several other transplants during his life.  These books are inspiring, thought invoking, eye opening....they already have given me a clearer picture of how things are done in regard to transplant than my doctors have.  These books deal strictly with liver transplantation (I wanted to avoid reading about other transplants because while giving information about the list and the actual surgery they also explain a great deal about how things may progress and the like in regard to liver disease).  I'd be happy to provide the names of these books to anyone interested.

Back to my plight (ok, perhaps that word is a bit strong but it's how I feel).  I have yet to find more than ONE book on a shelf in an actual bookstore.  Oh...wait...I've found two!  One is simply a book regarding the various types of liver disease and how to care for yourself of a loved one on a nutritional basis.  Not bad info to have but not exactly what I need to know....I pretty much know that.  The other one is regarding how messed up the waiting list is, why it's become that way....you get the idea.  This one I may actually buy.  But other than that, not one book dealing with Cirrhossis or liver transplant.  I find it hard to believe that no one else in my area, or state, or even on my planet has this disease but me!!!  I checked the in store computer and sure, there are tons of books out there but they just don't sell them IN the stores.  I asked one associate why this was the case and she said they couldn't justify stocking the shelves with a book about a condition that no one really had.  Ohhhh.....excuse me. 

My husband has been patient with me while I ask myself over and over if it's worth it to keep looking, and while I complain about this matter.  On the one hand he agrees that more books of this nature should be in the stores.  On the other hand he says that I should just keep looking online and order from there.  He also pointed out the blank stares we've gotten when asking about books on Cirrhossis (as if no one has ever heard of it) and my personal favorite (that I didn't tell him about) was when I asked another associate for such a book and they replied "oh, you mean that alcoholic disease?  Well, we don't carry those, you're better off asking someone at AA).  Time for the blood to boil, I think. 

I guess for some it's not a big deal but when I look around and see 10 different books on menopause, 50 on diabetes, an entire row devoted to 'celebrity endorsed diets' (once again I think you get the point) it just makes me more mad than sad to see that I have to search the far ends of the Earth to find one single book (and trust me, the two I ordered were not easy to come by either...for the most part it was a fluke that I found them).  Hmmm....perhaps the next time my husband has leave I can suggest we go to Egypt and search UNDER an ancient pyramid thru tunnels and passage ways to find some books that may be of help.  First though I'll have to talk my husband into buying a camel or two for the desert journey (hey, it merits thought LOL).  Bitch fest over....I'm off to read my books :)

God bless and many blessings and hugs!

Chelsey Ann