Surviving Illness

Do you live with a chronic, debilitating, yet invisible condition? You may feel isolated, out of step, judged, lonely, or misunderstood - and that's on top of dealing with your actual illness. Take heart. You are not alone, although sometimes it can feel that way. Written by a blogger who suffers from an invisible chronic illness, Surviving and Thriving with an Invisible Chronic Illness offers peer-to-peer support to help you stay sane, be your own advocate, and get back to living your life. This compelling guide is written for anyone suffering with an illness no one can see.

From COVID-19 and autoimmune disease to chronic pain and inflammation, this new integrative approach and practical guide from two UCSF doctors is an essential guide to living with long illnesses. Having a long illness—from autoimmune disease to dysautonomia, long COVID to myalgic...

This is a personal story of generational trauma, a mother's debilitating paranoid schizophrenia and a daughter who was thrust into foster care, homelessness, drug addiction, and was sexually abused and neglected. This book Discovers the strength of the human spirit and the power of love that defies all odds, a story of resilience and hope. Beautifully written as a heartfelt memoir that invites readers to discover Lorie’s profound journey, The Voices We Couldn’t Hear is a transformative coming-of-age story that delves into poignant themes including abuse, mental illness, and the ...

The One Left Behind Marriage, Illness, Betrayal—and the God Who Stayed By Amy Walker When vows are spoken at nineteen, no one imagines the storms that may come decades later. In The One Left Behind, Amy Walker shares a deeply personal story of love tested through illness, betrayal, separation, and the quiet unraveling that happens behind closed doors. What begins as a young marriage full of promise slowly encounters the pressures of family life, hidden struggles, and seasons neither spouse was prepared to face. As sickness enters their home and trust begins to fracture, Amy finds herself ...

The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most recognizable structures to define a modern city. Yet, for author Kevin Hines the bridge is not merely a marker of a place or a time. Instead, the bridge marks the beginning of his remarkable story. At 19-years-old, Kevin attempted to take his own life by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge - a distance which took four seconds to fall. Recently diagnosed with bi-polar disorder, Kevin had begun to hear voices telling him he had to die, and days before his attempt, he began to believe them. The fall would break his body, but not his spirit.

What if you could use cancer to evolve more fully into love? David Maginley has been there - four times. His cancer led to a near-death experience and a career helping thousands face this disease. Through profound storytelling, David brings you to the core of the cancer journey to discover the hero within.

A personal account of the stroke experience and the recovery and rehabilitation process. A guide for stroke victims, family and caregivers on what to expect immediately following a stroke, and during the recovery and rehabilitation process.

She spent her life helping others, but when her own life is on the line—can she find the strength to help herself? Sara Davidson has it all: a career as an immunologist, helping countless strangers face life-risking illnesses; a loving, devoted husband; and fantastic, supportive children. Nobody ever had any doubts about where her life was headed, least of all Sara herself. So when the migraines began, Sara was determined not to let them stand in the way of her work. At first, they were just a nuisance. Then they became debilitating. Before she knew it, she was looking at an image of a ...

Actress and photographer Kris Carr thought she had a hangover, but a Jivamukti yoga class didn't provide its usual kick-ass cure. A visit to her doctor confirmed her "liver looked like Swiss cheese", covered with cancerous tumors. Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips gathers the lessons learned and advice offered from Carr's own journey, as well as the experiences of her cancer posse. Personal stories and candid revelations abound in this scrapbook of advice, warnings, and resources for the cancer patient.

Wise, visceral essays on navigating pain, sex, trauma, spirituality, addiction, recovery, and grief from queer, neurodivergent trauma-resolution guide Jessica Graham In an unapologetic look at living well with trauma and chronic illness, writer and meditation teacher Jessica Graham offers smart...

Edie Falco, Sheryl Crow, Athena Jones, Heidi Heitkamp, and an inspiring array of other breast cancer survivors and "previvors" lend their voices to this collection of powerful stories.

Weeks after giving birth, Holly Frances went from being a healthy 26-year-old new mom to paralyzed and on life support—in less than 72 hours. Diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disorder called Guillain-Barre Syndrome, Holly was trapped in her body, unable to move, speak, or hold her newborn daughter. Life Support tells the story of how Holly struggled to overcome the despair, hopelessness and physical pain, to regain her health and get back to being a mother to her daughter.

An inspiring and unforgettable memoir that provides hope to others who are experiencing depression, mania, or psychosis, RESILIENT is a deeply personal account about life with mental illness, hearing loss and resiliency. Liz's journey provides encouragement for patients, families, friends, and healthcare workers by showing that recovery is possible.

Surviving Myotonic Dystrophy is about Ann S. Woodbury’s struggle to care for her family who have a rare disease - myotonic dystrophy (DM). Ann’s four children and her husband have DM. In 1998, at the time of the diagnosis, even the doctors didn’t know all of the effects of DM or that it was a brain disorder. Listening to this book will take you on a journey of understanding this disease and its effects on Ann’s family members.

When Anna Caldwell was diagnosed with rare, aggressive Stage 4B uterine cancer at age 65, her world collapsed overnight. A lifelong believer in healthy living, she had never imagined cancer could strike her. But faced with a devastating prognosis, Anna chose not just to fight—but to transform.

“An essential guide” (Mark Hyman, author of Young Forever) to navigating life with the cognitive and mental health impairments that often accompany Long Covid. Early in the Covid-19 pandemic, the shocking mortality figures obscured the fact that death is not the only adverse outcome of the...

Learn first hand the story of one young woman and her family’s struggle with mental health and illness. Written from the experiences of a daughter who has schizophrenia and her mom and dad, there is a 3-fold perspective on mental illness and recovery. Filled with hope and faith, they never gave up and don’t want you to give up either. Even in the darkest places, light can be found. And in today’s world, people who experience mental health conditions, with the help of their family and friends, CAN live fulfilling, vibrant lives, with jobs, families, and interests. Today is a day of hope!

Richard Carlson Jr. was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia when he was 21 years of age. His illness first manifested when he was an early adolescent. Modern psychiatry greatly failed Richard for over a decade. Then, after an incident involving the police, he truly understood that his diagnosis was real, and finally began the long process of recovery. Over 10 years later, his life is greatly improved. In the course of his treatment, Richard also recovered from depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and lethargy.

Donna Levesque discovered twenty-three years too late what the term narcissistic personality disorder means and the damage it can inflict on an innocent spouse. It wasn’t until she was divorcing her husband that she learned the truth about his disorder, and suddenly the years of lies, manipulation, adultery, and addiction made sense. In her book, Levesque explains how her own empathic personality made her the perfect victim of her husband’s narcissistic desires and demands. Even after filing for divorce and learning of his sex addiction, criminal activity, bankruptcy, and boundless ...

A support group from breast cancer diagnosis through treatment to rehabilitation and recovery, this book combines inspiring Chicken Soup for the Soul stories written just for this book and accessible leading-edge medical information from Dr. Julie Silver of Harvard Medical School. Patients and survivors will find comfort, strength and hope.