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6 Novels About Chronic Illness

6 Novels That Get Chronic Illness Right

In my last blog post, I shared how I often feel invisible when reading books because I can never find authentic portrayals of chronic illness in fiction. In this post, I share 6 beautiful novels about chronic illness with authentic and relatable chronically ill characters. The books surrounding me offer opportunities as I lie on my bed, tethered to it by chronic illness. Every book is a magical passport granting freedom and the possibility to escape the real world for...

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Invisible in Books As I Am in Life

As Invisible In Books As I Am In Life

Why We Need More Representation of Chronic Illness in Books In my bedroom, everywhere I turn, whichever cupboard I open, I find a book. I regularly and with considerable enthusiasm rescue books from the bookshelves at any place that sells them. I lean on books not just for the pure enjoyment of reading but also for some healthy escapism. Since becoming chronically ill, books have become even more crucial. Books have become a magical portal, allowing me to escape the severe,...

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I'm Fine A Lie That Chronic Illness Makes Me Tell

I’m Fine: A Lie Illness Makes Me Tell

'I'm fine.' Two small, simple words I speak no matter what when asked how I am. But it's also an extremely misleading answer, if not an outright lie. Because in reality, I am never fine. I never feel fine; my chronic illness's symptoms ensure that. Therefore, I'm fine is a lie that chronic illness makes me tell daily. I frequently encounter some variation of 'How are you?'. It is a question I hear every day from all different types of...

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Why I Don't Always Talk About My Chronic Life

Why I Don’t Always Talk About My Chronic Life

Do you know that you talk about your illness a lot? I hear this accusation a lot, but one I can't entirely agree with, there are reasons why I don't always talk about my chronic life. Like many people in this day and age, I share a lot online. And yes, much of my engagement online, particularly on social media, involves discussing my life living with a neurological disorder. After many years of not knowing the cause of the...

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