Books About Being Sick

Posted by Miriam, Volunteer Mentor @mir123, Oct 12, 2023

I'm looking to read some books--non-fiction but fiction welcome too--about being seriously ill. I'm not too interested in standard narratives: I got very ill, was rescued by (sometimes horrible) treatments, and lived to tell the tale. I'm looking for well written explorations that include relationships, spirituality, life itself, even adventure. I'd love to know more about--how to be sick, how to be chronically ill, how to manage, how to die, how to understand ourselves. Suggestions very welcome. Thank you in advance.

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1942marilyne. Marilyn McFarland | @1942marilyne | Oct 24, 2023

I am reading and watching on u tube: Dr Gladys the 102 year old doctor

Miriam, Volunteer Mentor | @mir123 | Oct 25, 2023

In reply to @1942marilyne "I am reading and watching on u tube: Dr Gladys the 102 year old doctor" + (show)

That sounds interesting! Thank you.

timt347 | @timt347 | Oct 27, 2023

"Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions" by Lorig, Laurent, Sobek, et.al. has a lot of practical advice. The main theme is effective self-management. I think you can get it from bullpub.com, 800-676-2855. I encountered this book via a class sponsored by a local hospital.

You could try my own book "How to Survive Cancer, and How to Live". The first part is about what happened, presented with the purpose of being useful to other people by providing Lessons Learned. The Lessons Learned are also in an appendix, so you can skip the emotional, possibly distressing part and get right to the conclusions, but the main text provides more context. The second part is some philosophical musings about how to live. I have been influenced by both Buddhist philosophy and the ancient Stoics.
(I don't think much of the modern, pop-culture Stoics.)

Miriam, Volunteer Mentor | @mir123 | Oct 27, 2023

In reply to @timt347 ""Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions" by Lorig, Laurent, Sobek, et.al. has a lot of..." + (show)

Thank you so much for 2 good suggestions. I've been reading the ancient Stoics myself in the Princeton series of ancient wisdom for modern times...at one time I could read Latin but now can't and Greek impresses me but is, well, Greek to me. I love Seneca the best, and Cicero, and Epictetus. My husband has been teasing me about my new boyfriends, but they are hugely helpful. I don't know much about the modern Stoics. Thanks again.