0-9723711-0-9 Surviving Dystonia
Subtitle: A book about a little boy with dystonia
By: Accused of faking illness to get attention
Contributors: Illustrations: Harper Collins, Lindsay Poulin, Lee Cloward, editing Susan Kelley
Edition: 2nd
Publisher: Carmine Petrangelo
Published: December 2002
Place of publication: CP Publishing
Language: eng
Format: Paperback
Number of pages: 160
ISBN-13: 9780972371100
Subjects: Biography & Autobiography; Clinical & Internal Medicine; Biography/Autobiography
Genres: non-fiction, human interest, human tragedy
First sentence: I was like everyone else before I was seven years old.
Description: Story of a little boy who develops a rare disease at the age of six called dystonia musculorum deformans also know as early on-set generalized dystonia.  He gradually loses control of his legs making walking difficult.  He family is poor so they have to go to a special clinic for the poor.  No one can understand what is wrong with him.  He is misdiognosed as faking illness to get attention by a doctor and for six and a half years he has to hide his illness as best he can and is forced to become an adult at the age of 11.  Finally properly diagnosed correctly at almost 18 years of age.
Notes: Shocking story of suffering, abuse and shame.  Screen play being written based on the book.
Table of contents: title: Preface, Introduction, Chapters 1 thru 9 the early year, Chapers 10 thru 18 the adult years, reflections, treatment and research, forms of the disease