Foreword Clarion Review

The final of my professional reviews are complete. Granted, some of these reviews were paid becuase I am self-published and it is impossible to get reviews from some sources (such as Publisher's Weekly, Library Journal or Booklist) otherwise, but all 5 professional reviews have been very favorable toward this book. I would rate the Foreword Clarion Review, which is below, as a very accurate review. Befoe showing you the review, though, here are some interesting developments of late:

-The Vice President of the American Rhinologic Society heard from a fellow ear, nose and throat specialist who was pleased with my book.

-A fellow sufferer from California went to his doctor who remarked how Having Nasal Surgery? is having a "real impact in the ENT community." This comment was very encouraging to me and leads me to believe this book is accomplishing its objectives. And that is a wonderful thing.

Here is the Foreword Clarion Review by Joe Taylor:

HEALTH

Having Nasal Surgery?
Don’t You Become an Empty Nose Victim
Christopher Martin
Cold Tree Press
209 pages
Softcover $12.95
978-1-58385-197-5
Four stars (out of Five)

In July 1997, shortly before going away to college, Chris Martin underwent surgery to remove turbinate tissue from both sides of his nose. An ENT doctor had recommended the procedure, called a bilateral turbinectomy, to relieve the chronic stuffiness the young man had been experiencing as a result of allergies and sinus infections. In the weeks and months that followed, Martin realized that the surgery had not helped him. The cycle of sinus infections had not only continued, but had intensified. His nose was perpetually dry, his throat sore, his mucous membranes inflamed. Before long, he was also experiencing panic-inducing shortness of breath, disturbed sleep, and intolerance to cold air. He became anxious and concerned. His discomfort led him back to ENT specialists and almost into another surgery, until, by accident in 2003, he discovered a Web site that defined “empty nose syndrome.” He now knew that his problem has a name: ENS. Its cause is summed up by Dr. W.S. Tichenor, a New York City sinusitis specialist: “Too many surgeons today believe they can indiscriminately remove large amounts of turbinate tissue.” Martin and his fellow ENS sufferers are the unhappy victims of these surgeries.

For the past four years, Chris Martin has been learning how to live with ENS. With this book he has fulfilled a major step in his mission to help educate sinus, allergy, and post-nasal drip victims who are considering surgery, as well as ENS sufferers and ENT professionals and plastic surgeons, many of whom have not been exposed to the scant literature about the syndrome. In August 2006, Martin met Dr. Steven Houser, an ENT specialist in Cleveland, Ohio who has been treating ENS sufferers—at times by rebuilding the remains of their turbinate tissue. Dr. Houser has performed two implant surgeries on Martin in order to decrease the nasal airway volume. The lesser amount of air entering the nose results in more resistance to airflow, thus less dryness. A second important effect of Dr. Houser’s implants has been to partially restore the pulmonary functioning that was impaired by the “empty” or too-open nasal passages.

Martin, now a family man and school psychologist in his late twenties in upstate New York, writes not as a doctor but as a survivor. He presents here a working definition of ENS and a primer on surgical as well as other medical, dietary, and environmental ways to treat its symptoms. He includes a layman’s guide to turbinate functioning and to the science and politics of turbinate surgery. Having learned to manage his condition, he tells a compelling personal story that adds passion and authority to his presentation.

Martin grants, as his research shows, that “conservative” turbinate surgery can often alleviate chronic stuffiness, but his presentation implicates the many doctors and plastic surgeons who continue to remove excessive amounts of turbinate.

Joe Taylor

Read the Kirkus Discoveries Review

I had the following review of my book, which is posted at the Kirkus Discoveries website (http://www.kirkusdiscoveries.com). Kirkus Discoveries has a reputation for offering "tart" or "critical" reviews, so I was pleased to see that not only did my book go unscathed, it was praised. The Discoveries service allows authors who are not traditionally published to pay for a review and have it done by a professional Kirkus Reviewer. Below is the review (I put in bold the statements I thought were important):

HAVING NASAL SURGERY?
Don't You Become an Empty Nose Victim!

Author: Martin, Christopher

Review Date: NOVEMBER 12, 2007
Publisher:Cold Tree Press
Pages: 236
Price (paperback): $12.95
Publication Date: August 30, 2007
ISBN (paperback): 978-1-58385-197-5
Category: AUTHORS
Classification: NONFICTION

School psychologist Martin explores a little-known condition that has lifelong detrimental effects.

In direct, instructive language, Martin examines the devastation of Empty Nose Syndrome (ENS), a term coined by a Mayo Clinic physician in 1994. ENS is characterized by a “cluster of symptoms” that occur after too much of the airflow-regulating bony structures in the nasal cavity called turbinates are surgically removed, usually from efforts to assuage sinus pressure, headaches or nasal stuffiness (“turbinate reduction” surgery). The author believes that post-surgery, people with ENS go on to experience a wide array of harrowing symptoms including nasal dryness, sleep disturbances, excessive mucus, nosebleeds, diminished sense of smell and fatigue. Martin became an ENS sufferer after an overly aggressive partial turbinectomy performed in his late teens to improve a chronic nasal inflammatory condition. But before his ENS diagnosis, Martin endured numerous allergy injections, CAT scans, bacterial infections and the possibility of additional surgery. Determined to find answers, the author channeled his disillusionment, anger and psychological distress into increasing awareness about the condition and by positively dedicating (and educating) himself on the possibly devastating side-effects of nasal surgery. His comprehensive research has produced illustrations, tips, charts, glossaries and case studies about ENS, all presented in a straightforward manner, making the information more accessible to average readers with limited medical knowledge or experience. Martin smartly counterbalances the negative experiences (and clinical politics) of ENS with a host of beneficial natural remedies (chicken soup, humidifier, etc.), non-surgical options, as well as a chapter on the author’s own approach after suffering the debilitating effects of ENS. He had enlisted an ear, nose and throat physician to attach two restorative implants inside his nasal cavities, a procedure he advocates as beneficial in improving his own quality of life.

This slim but potent book is tremendously important and informative not only for those considering nasal surgeries, but for the specialists who perform them.

ENS is Widespread - my book signing

If you are like most ENS sufferers, you are led to believe we are just a rarity. I strived to prove this statement incorrect by showing logic and research, that ENS is a terrible problem with the possibility of low millions suffering from it in the US. But I only had numbers. Yet after my book signing, I am more convinced than ever that my estimate is correct -- too correct. ENS is alive and well in my small city in Upstate New York I don't want others suffering from this terrible problem and it is so hard to know it is still being created right around me. Right under my nose! Yet you would never know it, unless you were an author like me running into a reader/neighbor who has ENS or a doctor treating these patients.

My heart broke today when I ran into another ENS sufferer who lives just down the road from me. (She and other patients were created from a different doctor than I had, as mine has passed away.) The first words out of her mouth were "I have all the same symptoms as you." Hearing her voice that sounded in some ways like my own, I could tell she suffered as I had. I felt so saddened to know that others are suffering like me. Then came the next patient who stated her daughtered suffered from the same problem as me from a surgery just one year ago. Next the confession that empty nose patients who have their inferior turbinates overly reduced is happening all the time locally. It is sort of like when I told a colleague about my book who immediately knew of 2 ENS sufferers who suffered all the same symptoms as I had. This is all upsetting. Then I got some customers with the genuine curiosity as to whether ENS is real, to which I should have replied if you removed your fingers, would you still have them? Just because you can't see my amptutation because it is internal, does it mean it is not there? There is such a strong scientific basis for ENS, it is not funny. Just because ENS is not talked about much and it has not been given much attention anywhere does not mean it does not exist. It exists more than we think.

Obviously, there is a real need for public awareness on ENS and I just hope those reading this blog will take interst in empty nose and please feel free to post a comment by clicking on the time underneath this message. My heart is very heavy right now...

*Listen* to my welcome message

Please consider listening to my newly added audio message at http://www.emptynosesyndrome.net It is a 7 1/2 minute audiotape where I welcome readers of my website and talk a bit about my condition of empty nose syndrome. I am not a great public speaker, as I am often short of breath and sometimes have to think twice as hard before I talk due to difficulties with concentration, but hopefully it will provide a glimpse into my world of empty nose syndrome.

I Picked The Right Publisher - Cold Tree Press

Having spent countless hours writing and revising my book, Having Nasal Surgery? Don't You Become An Empty Nose Victim! it was critical that I select the right publisher to publish my book, and I did - Cold Tree Press. I meticulously researched numerous publishers, contacting many. What impressed me about Cold Tree Press was that, unlike some publishers, Cold Tree did not appear out to make an extra buck, was realistic, and seemed genuinely interested in me as an author. This attitude was constant as the senior designer, Amanda Butler, worked tirelessly with me for 3 months to produce a book that was professional, striking and engaging, both on the cover and interior. Cold Tree Press displayed an attention to detail and concern for the author that is simply unsurpassed in this industry. I cannot thank Cold Tree enough for how pleased I am and hope other authors would trust this fine publisher with their book.

Send me your comments!!!!

I have been wanting to allow people to post on this blog and there is a simple way for you to do that: Click on the time link underneath this post and then click on post a comment. If you are having trouble doing that and have read or been reading my blog and have been touched by anything I have written, and would like to add some comments, email me at webmaster@emptynosesyndrome.org and put "blog post" in the subject line. As long as the comments are in good taste, I will post them to this blog. So I do hope to hear from you and hope this blog can be interactive.

Among New & Future Releases in "Otolaryngology", this book is # 1

For whatever it is worth, I was looking through "hot new releases" on Amazon.com. At this time, the below link shows my book is #1 in this category (these are updated hourly, so it could change but, given the sales at Amazon, I anticipate my book will continue to stay #1 in this category until it becomes "old").

http://www.amazon.com/gp/new-releases/books/227691/ref=pd_nr_pg_1/102-3020670-5236135?ie=UTF8&pg=1

Good News - Amazon Lowered Its Price!

I was very pleased to learn that Amazon.com has lowered the price it is asking for my book. Amazon.com gets books at deep discounts - 50-60% off the retail price, so this giant company can easily afford to lower the price on books and it would be nice if the price on Amazon goes even lower. That's my goal. You see, I personally have been offering copies of my book on Amazon.com at a significant discount. Just go to the following link and click on 8 used or new and you can order a signed copy directly from me - for a very hard-to-beat discount: http://www.amazon.com/Having-Nasal-Surgery-Become-Victim/dp/1583851976/ref=sr_1_1/104-8078597-4322336?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1190430354&sr=1-1 I'm not sure how the pricing works at Amazon.com, but it is my hunch that the fact I have been offering my book at a significant discount has increased competition for Amazon.com, which encouraged this company to lower its price. Therefore, if you order directly from me, you might also be helping the price drop at Amazon.com in the future. And I want Amazon.com to offer an even lower price than it is currently offering.

While I believe Having Nasal Surgery? is worth every penny, it is my hope that people would be able to read it for a low cost - free if possible. That is why I am working so hard to see that this book gets into libraries. The more people who read it, the more people who will be informed and empowered, the more ENTs will learn of this book, recommend it to their patients and take empty nose syndrome seriously, and the more help us empty nose sufferers will ultimately receive from the medical community. And that will be a grand day - and hopefully not far off in the future.

Having Nasal Surgery? - Where to go from here...

My greatest fear: Some people will be entering nasal or sinus surgery, either now or in the near future, and will come down with ENS as a result; and they won't intuitively know what their nasal problems are until much time (and good health) has passed. They will assume that complications are common after surgery but ENS is an unlikelihood. This misconception, however, could be very costly. One person remarked how they were undergoing a septoplasty, so it would not affect their turbinates. This person really needs to look at it differently because very often turbinates are pared down in size during a septoplasty.

Regarding my book, Having Nasal Surgery? has been on the market for about 1.5 months so far and it seems, at times, that it is picking up steam, hitting as high as #2 in Otolaryngology on Amazon - at least according to the Amazon sales rank - while other times its sales rank climbs steadily worse.

Make no mistake, this book is fully devoted to raising awareness for empty nose syndrome, as it is what I suffer from (in addition to allergies and sinusitis), and it is the motivation behind writing this book. The primary criticisms of this book is that 1) I am not a doctor - and I admit I am not, but am an informed and empowered patient. However, my book is endorsed by great doctors. If this is the only criticism that can be levied against this book, then that criticism is honestly quite weak. I have 3 doctors who put their names behind this book and I suffer from empty nose so I have authority to talk on this topic, whereas almost all doctors do not personally suffer from ENS. Further, 2) some naively misperceive that its application is limited - to just nasal surgery candidates or empty nose sufferers - but I am ready to prove this latter claim wrong, dead wrong. Now I dare you. If you have sinusitis or allergies, but not empty nose syndrome, buy a copy and read it. This book can help you, too, and perhaps prevent you from ever becoming an ENS patient. And of course your purchase will also be supporting a very worthy cause. I guarantee there will be some helpful tips from my years of experience as an ENS patient who also suffers from sinusitis and allergies. Read one of my earlier posts on the blog: http://emptynosesyndrome.blogspot.com/2007/08/does-this-book-apply-to-you-you-bet.html On the other hand, the various ways in which people have praised this book include: that it's easy to read, thorough yet concise, very well-written, well-organized, professionally done, very informative, and strongly backed by research.

So where do I go from here? I keep plugging away, with fierce determination and persistence, and get ready for my book signing on November 10th, which is the first of many!

Two Very Special, Meaningful Events while Promoting "Having Nasal Surgery?"

Since the book has been published on August 30th, there have been two very special occurrences that have happened. These two happenings that have meant more to me than anything else with respect to the book are:

1) Midwest Book Review
2) A Blessed Friendship

Midwest Book Review (http://www.midwestbookreview.org/) is considered a reliable source for reviewing books. This company tends to review books for small publishers. Publicist Karen Villanueva (http://www.authorcare.com/) did a one-hour phone consult with me and I must say she is the BEST publicist around. If you need a publicist to help you promote your book, you should seriously consider her. While I know there are many fine publicists, she is the most professional and personable one I have yet encountered. She has taken her time with me, corresponded with me considerably by email, and she seems to really care about my book. So during our one-hour phone consult, Karen informed me of just how prestigious and valuable Midwest Book Review is for its authors. Apparently, after a Midwest review is done, the review appears in a cd-rom (Thomson-Gale) and in book review databases (Lexus-Nexus and Goliath), which are published for academic, corporate and public library systems in various parts of the country. So having a book review done by Midwest, who do not charge the authors a penny to have the review done, you can have a review that is placed in libraries across the country. This book review therefore was quite meaningful for me because I know it will be in databases in libraries across the country. I want people to read the book for free, and libraries are a place they can get the book for free. Unfortunately, many libraries are on tight budgets, though, so please support your local library. And, if you think about it, tell them about my book. Getting Having Nasal Surgery? Don't You Become An Empty Nose Victim! in libraries is the most important and meaningful goal I have for my book. And what's the best part of having it reviewed by Midwest? Midwest receives around 1,500 books per month and review only about 1/3 of them. There is a current roster of 81 reviewers at Midwest Book Review, a company in business since 1976. And guess who did my review?? The Editor-in-Chief, Jim Cox, himself!!!! In an email to me today, he remarked, "Thank you for your very kind words. They are much appreciated. Since I was the one who wrote the review...." He wrote the review!!! This made my day. If you haven't already, please read the review by Midwest Book Review (i.e., done by Jim Cox himself) below in the blog. And, if you are an author who has been published by a small press, submit your book for review to Midwest Book Review. It's been one of the best decisions I have done for my book.

The other very special happening occurred during the process of book promotion is a friendship that has been richly blessed already. One evening last month I received an email, out of the blue I might add, with the subject line that read "ENS Advocate!" Below in the email he remarked, "God bless" and left his phone number. The following day, I called him up by phone and we talked for more than an hour, and I prayed with him and he prayed for me. (This was the same day I received the 'proof' of my book in the mail.) We have been corresponding by phone and email for the past month and we always just have a great time talking and sharing our experiences - ENS and otherwise. And we have a lot in common. He has a great sense of humor and one thing we both have in common is our faith in Christ. And another thing we both have in common, is he also plans to write a book about his experiences with ENS in the coming years. In fact, he told me reading my book was like reading his own story. This friend informed me that, since our friendship began, he has not felt alone anymore and his health (and spirit) has improved considerably. I must say ditto, especially for the latter part - the improved spirit - for me. And another "coincidence" is that he lives 777 miles away. "7" is a number associated with perfection in the Bible. You know, I'm not quite sure these are coincidences! He and his wife plan to come visit my family and I sometime in the future. I can't wait for this day to happen. You see, I have received many very encouraging words on my book, some moving and really uplifting, and these are all really wonderful, but his friendship is far and away one of the most blessed happenings since I began writing the book. I cherish his friendship.

Hits # 2 in Otolaryngology!

Below is the best I have seen my book do at amazon since its listing on August 30. It hit #2 in Otolaryngology today, October 10th. I'm very excited, but I will keep on plugging away....

Paperback: 236 pages
Publisher: Cold Tree Press (August 30, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1583851976
ISBN-13: 978-1583851975
Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: based on 10 reviews. (Write a review.)
Amazon.com Sales Rank: #28,227 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
Popular in these categories: (What's this?)
#2 in
Books > Professional & Technical > Medical > Medicine > Surgery > Otolaryngology
#2 in
Books > Science > Medicine > Specialties > Otolaryngology

Midwest Book Review Writes Favorable Review

Midwest Book Review, a reputable reviewer and reliable source of information on books, has written a very favorable review of Having Nasal Surgery? Don't You Become An Empty Nose Victim! This is posted at //www.midwestbookreview.com/sbw/oct_07.htm#heal and is below:

The Health/Medicine Shelf

Having Nasal Surgery? Don’t You Become An Empty Nose Victim!
Christopher Martin, N.C.S.P.
Cold Tree Press
214 Overlook Court, Suite 253, Brentwood, TN 37027
ISBN # 9781583851975
$12.95, http://www.coldtreepress.com/

The nose is an organ of the human body that can be afflicted with a number of serious ailments to health. These problems include such conditions as rhinosinusitis, allergic rhinitis, and empty nose syndrome (ENS). It has only been in recent years that physicians have come to understand and treat ENS. But there are still a great many doctors unfamiliar with this syndrome and the treatment options that sufferers have to choose from. An ENS sufferer himself, Christopher Martin has written a comprehensive and thoroughly 'reader friendly' introduction to what ENS is, what can be done about it, and what to be aware of in various treatment options in Having Nasal Surgery? Don't You Become An Empty Nose Victim! Christopher relates his own personal account of coping with ENS, offers an informed and informative evaluation of turbinate surgeries with respect to nasal conditions, provides an 'insider' look at the politics surrounding ENS within the medical community, and identifies the best treatments for ENS, many of which are also efficaciously applicable to sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, postnasal drip, GERD, and asthma. Invaluable reading for medical students, physicians, and non-specialist general readers, Having Nasal Surgery? is especially recommended for personal, professional, and community library Health & Medicine reference collections and reading lists.

#14 in "Otolaryngology" on Amazon

On September 26th, Having Nasal Surgery? hit #14 among "Otolaryngology" books on Amazon. This is the lowest/best rank I have seen yet. This book was released in late August. As for overall sales rank, I saw it hit #40,736 on September 11th, which was the lowest overall rank I have seen for this book. I really have no idea of how many books have been sold, but my tentative plan if this book does sell enough copies is I will reinvest the money into a large, national campaign on behalf of the book. I will not know how many are sold until the end of November. My whole purpose in writing this book is to raise awareness on ENS and I am committed to that end.

Anyway, below is the listing on Amazon on the evening of September 26th, which details how it hit #14 on Amazon....

Product Details
Paperback: 236 pages
Publisher: Cold Tree Press (August 17, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1583851976
ISBN-13: 978-1583851975
Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: based on 4 reviews. (Write a review.)
Amazon.com Sales Rank: #85,453 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
Popular in these categories: (What's this?)
#14 in
Books > Professional & Technical > Medical > Medicine > Surgery > Otolaryngology
#18 in
Books > Science > Medicine > Specialties > Otolaryngology

Read the just-published, well-received article, "Surgical Treatment for Empty Nose Syndrome"

The groundbreaking research article, “Surgical Treatment for Empty Nose Syndrome,” by Dr. Steven Houser, was published in the September 2007 Archives of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. You can read and *download* this article http://archotol.ama-assn.org/ for as long as the Archives of Otolaryngology make it downloadable (it might be just temporary). This article is perhaps the first ever to properly define empty nose syndrome (ENS) and what it truly entails, while also discussing a surgical remedy of an Alloderm implant for this problem. To my knowledge, there have only been two research articles in the past that have dealt specifically with empty nose syndrome: “Empty Nose Syndrome Associated with Middle Turbinate Resection” by Dr. Houser, and “Atrophic Rhinitis: A Review of 242 Cases” by Drs. Eugene Kern and Eric Moore.

A unique concept specific to this article is what Dr. Houser calls ENS-Type, which is when the patient has adequate turbinate tissue but still experiences symptoms of empty nose and responds positively to a cotton test. The cotton test, in short, is saline-moistened cotton that is placed strategically in the nasal cavity which results in the patient reporting an improvement in breathing symptoms and thinner nasal secretions as a result.

I am also excited to report that a mailing circulating among ear, nose and throat doctors cite “Surgical Treatment for Empty Nose Syndrome” as one of the best medical journal articles for the month of September. I certainly hope this article will stimulate interest among other ear, nose and throat specialists to help us ENS patients while also encouraging them to be overall more careful with turbinate surgeries, and ensure their patients do not end up with the serious complication of ENS.

Best of luck, Dr. Houser! We are certainly hoping this article will have its intended impact!

This book is # 98 on Amazon..

I am pleased to announce that, after only 3 weeks after release, Having Nasal Surgery? Don't You Become An Empty Nose Victim! is #98 on Amazon in the category Otolaryngology. I am happy, but I will continue to work hard in promoting word on this book! Below is the listing:

Paperback: 236 pages
Publisher: Cold Tree Press (August 17, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1583851976
ISBN-13: 978-1583851975
Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: based on 4 reviews. (Write a review.)
Amazon.com Sales Rank: #394,930 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
Popular in this category: (What's this?)
#98 in Books > Professional & Technical > Medical > Medicine > Surgery > Otolaryngology