Saturday, February 21, 2015

Excellent Reading: As My Body Attacks Itself

You can buy it here

Previously, I have written posts that link to the As My Body Attacks Itself blog by Kelly Morgan Dempewolf, PhD. Today I'm linking to another, this one entitled "No Diagnosis Bashing, Please!"
In the past year and a half that I’ve been writing this blog I’ve slowly been becoming more involved in the chronic illness social community – the Sjogrensworld.com blog, following twitter and facebook people that are advocating, struggling or otherwise talking about life with chronic illness (most of them with autoimmune diseases or fibromyalgia) and so on. 
All in all I’ve found it to be a very open, supportive group of people.  Most are willing to share their experiences, validate, commiserate, provide support, hope, and often a few laughs with their posts as well. 
It’s by far a very non-judgmental group of people.  I think most of us realize that none of us fit a mold – we all experience our diseases and symptoms differently – it’s part of the insidious nature of autoimmune and other chronic invisible illnesses!  Most of us spent years trying to get a correct diagnosis and have had at least 1 (often many more) doctors brush off symptoms or say we don’t have something because we don’t fit the exact textbook definition. Continue reading here
Head over to read this and her other excellent posts.

I've been consistently impressed with the quality of information that Ms. Dempewolf presents and the clear and authentic manner in which she shares her experiences with her readers. But the high standards that she has set for her blog posts should come as no surprise, having read her excellent book by the same name. In her book, Kelly shares her personal experience as a young woman dealing with autoimmune disease.

When I read this book, I found myself talking to the pages as I read, saying things like Exactly! and Yes! and Right! since she does a very good job in detailing a journey with a disease that is far too familiar to me than I care to admit.

What a pleasure it is to see timely, informative, and honest writing regarding this most unpleasant disease.

5 comments:

Kelly Morgan Dempewolf said...

Awwwwww! Thank you so much! :)

Brigid Rauch said...

I had a neurologist dispute my diagnosis of Sjogren's because I hadn't had a lip biopsy. It was only when he heard the name of the rheumatologist that he accepted the diagnosis.

Anonymous said...

This book is really great ! I wish we had books like that in french for all french patients that can't read english.

ShEiLa said...

Miss Julia... Thanks for the recommendation. As soon as I read this post I clicked my iBooksand purchased it and began reading.... It sounds soooooo familiar.

zalgal said...

Dear Julia,
First let me thank you for sharing your blog with us. It has been not only a comfort but has given me great medical information regarding SS which has been much needed in dealing with this condition.

I purchased this book straight away and could not put it down! I ask myself why is it that all of us seem to have the same story and yet when we present our symptoms to our doctors/specialist they simply say "well the test came back neg or depression." It's books like this and your blog that make me feel "normal" in the way I am with day to day life - because you can start to think you are going a little crazy! Thank you

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