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Fiction. Whether it be through books, television, or film, it allows us to inhabit a world away from reality. To reside, and experience life through the eyes of fictional characters beyond the existence of the chronic illness.

The ability to escape into fictional worlds away from the grim reality of pain and illness is a welcome relief. However, as this reality is isolating, we often crave for fiction to become a mirror; one that reflects our feelings and experience and the truth of living with chronic illness. To spend time with characters with whom we can relate. Those that make us feel less alone, in a world that makes us feel alone in our struggles.

"We often crave for fiction to become a mirror; one that reflects our feelings and experience and the truth of living with chronic illness." Share on X

Lack of Representation of Chronic Illness in Books and Mainstream Television

The problem, however, is that there is an evident lack of representation of chronic illness in books and mainstream television. The portrayals that do exist do so at the end of two opposing spectrums. Either they paint the very worst-case scenario or a tear-jerking account of triumph over adversity and sugary optimism. There seem to be few realistic depictions of the stark, painful truth of life with a life-long condition. Those living with such afflictions either portrayed as brave and inspiring. Or otherwise painted as being fragile and in need of taking care of by others who are more capable.

"There seem to be few realistic depictions of the stark, painful truth of life with a life-long condition. Those living with such afflictions either portrayed as inspiring. Or they are otherwise painted as being fragile." Share on X

Sadly, there is room for improvement regarding the representation of chronic illness on television. Firstly, there seems to be a distinct lack of characters exhibiting chronic conditions on mainstream television. When there are, however, it does so with little realism of the truth of what living with illness entails. When a television series announces a storyline regarding chronic illness, is met with interest and anticipation. Very often, however, it turns quickly to disappointment. Such storylines hold great promise, at first, successful at raising awareness of the issues portrayed. However, as the storyline ends, there is very little continuation surrounding illness and its impact.

"Storylines featuring chronic illness at first are successful at raising awareness, but often there is very little continuation surrounding illness and its enduring impact." Share on X

Illness Remains Invisible and Ignored in Fiction

Chronic illness remains invisible and ignored in its representation in fiction. In a way implying that those struggling with chronic illness are not tragic enough to be seen or their voices heard. We want content that can guide us, and give us direction on how to live well with chronic illness. We want fictional characters to whom we can look up to and learn how not to be dictated by disease.

"Chronic illness remains invisible and ignored in its representation in fiction. In a way implying that those struggling with such issues are not tragic enough to be seen or their voices heard." Share on X

However, that is not to say that we cannot relate to or find lessons within fiction that do not feature chronic illness. The following are books and television characters that have taught me about how to cope with a neurological disorder.

"These are the books and fictional television characters that, although they do not feature chronic illness, have still taught me about how to cope with living with a neurological disorder." Share on X

What Can Fiction Teach Us About Living With Chronic Illness?

Little Women: We gain strength and resilience from the storms in life

A classic book that has been my favourite reading material since I first read it as a young child. A book that resonates, as the four March sisters navigate their way from childhood to become young women. Each aware of their strengths and weaknesses and make their tumultuous journey toward womanhood to become the best version of themselves.

There is one quote that as someone living with the adversity from illness has continued to resonate.

The lesson of the growth and resilience gained from living through the painful times of living with chronic illness

The quote is apt for someone navigating an uncertain future.  Living with chronic illness, we experience many ups and downs, thrust into flares and severe exacerbations in our symptoms.  This quote reminds me, however, of the growth and resilience gained from the difficult and painful moments in life.  Enduring a flare as distressing and painful as it is, it also helps develop improved coping skills in time for the next one. 

"'Little Women' has taught me the growth and resilience gained from experiencing difficult and painful moments as a result of chronic illness. It's continued presence helping to improve useful coping strategies." Share on X

Les Miserables: There will always be a brighter tomorrow

Most famously, the longest-running musical ever, it is, famously based upon the book written by Victor Hugo.  A story of love, loss, and revolution, the characters struggle to overcome great adversity.  A story in which the characters begin to lose hope due to the struggles they endure. 

The lesson of the hope for a brighter and happier tomorrow despite the darkness and pain of living with chronic illness

When facing continuing battles and worsening symptoms, it is too easy to lose hope.  However, there is one quote that inspires, declaring that tomorrow is a new day and in which holds new beginnings. The quote is a reminder that no matter how hard the struggles we face, there is a chance for a better tomorrow.

"Despite the gloomy tone of 'Les Miserables' it is still one that inspires hope for a brighter and happier tomorrow." Share on X

Harry Potter Series: Hope and positivity can help bring us out of the darkness

Like for many, the Harry Potter series of books became a staple of my adolescence and young adulthood. These books delighted both children and adults alike, comprising many life lessons within its pages.

The lesson that although we cannot control what happens to us, we can choose on how we respond

Living with the difficulties and limitations illness entails, it can so easy to succumb to the darkness; remaining there when we are no longer able to cope with the pain. However, Dumbledore reminds us that we all contain the power to bring ourselves out of the darkness with a spark of hope. Although we cannot always control what happens to us, we can choose how we respond to circumstances beyond our control.

Of course, these books also taught us to believe in magic!

"Harry Potter contains many powerful and profound lessons. As someone living with chronic illness, Dumbledore has taught me that although we cannot control what happens to us, we do have the choice on how we respond." Share on X

Oliver Queen (Arrow): You are stronger than you believe

It can be hard to find anything relatable in characters from comic books, or the ever-popular superhero shows.  Featuring characters who can swing above rooftops, or can fly or travel at the speed of light, makes these fictional worlds unrealistic.  What makes Oliver Queen, or the Green Arrow interesting is that he is one of the few superheroes without any superpowers.  And a common thread in the origin stories of superheroes is that with suffering comes an opportunity to learn and be better. 

As someone living with chronic illness, it can be challenging to relate with such characters. Unlike the repercussion of their crisis, we do not gain superhuman powers or abilities. The gift of the suffering of illness is the awareness that we are stronger and more resilient than we ever believed we could be. Living with the plight of debilitating symptoms, we do not know how strong we are until we have no other choice but to be. Oliver learned this during his own five years in hell. As without inner strength, he would not have survived, and not becoming a hero as a result. 

"Living with the plight of debilitating symptoms, we do not know how strong we are until we have no other choice but to be. Something Oliver Queen learned this during his own five years in hell." Share on X

Temperance Brennan (Bones): Always be unapologetically you

Crime dramas are my favourite genre and continue to be fascinated with the methods used to provide justice for victims.  One of my favourite procedural shows is Bones. ‘Bones’ is the nickname of Temperance Brennan, a forensic anthropologist who examines bones to determine how a person died and by whom.  I found her to be a truly inspiring character, impressed by her brilliance.

In one episode, her partner Booth takes a photograph of her weeping over a dead body thanks to pregnancy hormones.  When Booth dismisses it as normal, she protests in her usual emphatic fashion that “I’m not normal, I’m extraordinary.” 

It’s a beautiful reminder that we should not apologise for who we are. And that we should celebrate everything that makes us the unique individual we are.  For years, I felt ashamed of the person I am; the person illness made me. But, Brennan and all her quirks teach us to celebrate who we are unapologetically.

"For years, I felt ashamed of the person I am; the person illness made me. But, Temperance Brennan and all her quirks teach us to celebrate who we are unapologetically." Share on X

Brennan is aware of her worth and not ashamed to boast of her best qualities and achievements. Maybe we could all take a leaf out of her book!

Jane Doe/Remi/Alice Kruger (Blindspot): We do not have to be defined by what happens to us

When we first meet Jane, she is crawling out of a duffel bag in the middle of Times Square. As she emerges, she is completely naked apart from the intricate tattoos that cover her whole body. Suffering from drug-induced amnesia has taken away Jane’s knowledge of herself and everything she once knew.

When I first watched the pilot episode, I found that I resonated with Jane. When diagnosed with a life-long condition, there are many unknowns and questions to navigate. Just like Jane Doe. Through the course of the series, Jane begins to find herself despite her lack of memories. Jane even becomes a part of the FBI team investigating her and the tattoos that points them towards criminal investigations.

The show reminds us that we do not have to be defined by the significant life-changing experiences that we face. The story is a lesson that we can choose not to be defined by chronic illness. There is much more to us beyond being ill. Something which Jane herself learns when she discovers new abilities which include fluency in several languages and a talent for hand to hand combat. Instead, we can forge our chosen path in life. Just like Jane, we can choose the person we want to be, instead of being determined by illness.

"'Blindspot' reminds us that we do not have to be defined by the significant life-changing experience that we face. It is a lesson that we can choose not to be defined by chronic illness." Share on X

I would love to hear your thoughts; what have you learned from a fictional book or characters?

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Welcome to the Health Activist Writer’s Month Challenge brought together by WEGO Health – a social network for all health activists.  Again, I am participating in the annual Writer’s Month Challenge in which I will be writing about my health activism and health condition based upon prompts given.

Today’s prompt reads as follows:

Book report…What’s your favourite book and how can you tie it to your health or life?

For someone who is an avid reader, it is very difficult to choose one favourite book!  I am regularly discovering new authors who has written amazing and enjoyable reads that are both thought-provoking and compelling.  However, what does link many of my favourite authors and their books are the lack of characters who I am able to relate to in relation to life with a neurological condition.

Previously, I have written a post regarding the lack of credible and authentic portrayals of neurological conditions and other chronic illnesses within television.  Unfortunately, the same could be said regarding fiction, as there is a lack of novels featuring accurate representations of life with a neurological condition, or even chronic illnesses.  Perhaps, a reason for this is people want to read books for escapism, instead of reading a book about the often gritty realism of what it is to live with a long-term health condition, or perhaps it is the preference for a story that encompasses the hope of recovery and which depicts triumph over adversity.

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One book that I recently read and thoroughly enjoyed, however, did portray one character’s battle with a neurological condition. The condition portrayed in the book, was not in any way similar to that of my own condition but I did relate to the character’s frustration and certain parts of her journey depicted in the story.  The book is by a fantastic author named Lisa Genova.  Lisa herself has a PhD in Neuroscience and could be argued the reason why Lisa is able to intertwine realistic and accurate portrayals of neurological conditions, with not just accurate information regarding the condition itself but also the emotional toll that it can have on both the patient and caregivers.  The book that I particularly enjoyed of hers is ‘Left Neglected‘ a story of a high-powered career woman Sarah Nickerson who is left with a brain injury after a car accident.  The injury is to the right hemisphere of her brain, which as a result leaves her with a ‘left neglect’ or ‘hemispatial neglect’, in which the brain forgets and ignores information on the left side of her body, and also the left side of her entire world.  For example, after the accident, when her husband is stood by the left side of her, as her brain is unable to interpret or process the information Sarah is unable to see him; Sarah is also unable to feel anything on the left side of her body and therefore has to undergo physiotherapy in the attempt to learn how to walk  and generally recover from the traumatic brain injury.

Obviously, there  are many differences between the neurological condition that I live with and that of the character in the novel.  For instance, the condition in which I live with is not a result of a traumatic brain injury, and in addition mine is one in which is life-long and no chance of recovery, where as in the novel through hard-work, determination and the aid of physiotherapy, recovery can be a possibility.  The symptoms of the conditions are also extremely different – in the novel, the character Sarah has to learn and re-teach her brain to acknowledge the left side of the world and her body.  In my everyday life, however I have to contend with constant dizziness, vertigo, trembling and weakness in legs as well as battling fatigue and nausea.

However, as much as there are extreme differences between my situation and that of the main protagonist in the novel, I did find myself relating to the book and that of the experiences of Sarah.  As a high-powered career woman, Sarah was not the type of person to sit around, and therefore the novel excellently explore the frustration of suddenly being unable to do the simplest task for yourself.  On the days where the severity of the weakness and trembling in the leg leaves me unable to get out of bed and so I feel the same frustrations of not just being stuck where I am and unable to do anything for myself, but also the frustration of not being able to do the things you love.  Furthermore, I could really relate to the frustrations of the lack of progress in physiotherapy and the temptation to push yourself before you and your body are ready, leaving to a great many accidents which I have also experienced during my time in physiotherapy and whilst at home.  Very often, when our bodies are at our weakest we adopt a “win” attitude.  By which I mean, we attempt to defy the weaknesses and challenges of our conditions and attempt to ‘run before we can walk’.  And by reading the book, it seems that both myself and Sarah have learnt that instead of trying to ‘win’ and suffering setbacks in the process, such as suffering falls and other accidents, we should instead accept the limitations that our conditions poses and adjust our lives accordingly.

The one thing that I loved and really took away from the book is how that despite limitations and various disabilities does not mean the end of doing what we love; that we can find different ways of doing things or taking part in activities which we never thought possible.  In the book, for example Sarah goes on a vacation with her family and before the accident she loved snowboarding on the slopes where they stay.  It’s at this point that she imagines that she will never be able to snowboard again, however after visiting a shop designed for those with disabilities she found that she may not be able to do like she did before the accident but there are ways in which she can still participate.  It’s this lesson that I have learnt for myself, and one which I am constantly learning as I am finding new ways of adjusting to the challenges that my condition presents.

Welcome again readers. Today, is the 20th April…which means it’s the 20th Post of the WEGO Health Activist Writer’s Month Challenge.  And the prompt for today reads:

Miracle Cure…Write a news-style article on a miracle cure.  What’s the cure? How do you get the cure? Be sure to include a disclaimer!!!

Again, this prompt has been somewhat of a challenge for me – as my condition is due to a lesion in my brain stem, there is obviously no treatment, nevermind any cure that can be offered to reverse the damage that has already been done.  However, have managed to come up with a miracle cure for one of the many symptoms that I constantly battle with on a daily basis – spasticity…

SPASTICITY, NO MORE!! NEW DRUG IS FOUND TO RELIEVE THE SYMPTOMS OF SPASTICITY

Written by Rhiann Johns

Spasticity is defined as an “involuntary muscle stiffness, characterised by increased muscle tone and exaggerated reflexes”.  As a result, patients exhibiting spasticity report that the affected muscles feel stiff, heavy and difficult to move, and is often found in neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s Disease, Huntington’s Disease and Cerebral Palsy.  Spasticity although the effects can be mild to severe, can interfere with normal functioning, causing difficulty in walking as well as leaving sufferers in severe pain and discomfort.

However, a new drug called Tiptrimax, which is administered by an injection in the affected muscles have found to be highly effective in treating spasticity, with many sufferers reporting their spasticity being greatly reduced after several weeks of taking the drug. One patient reported “I have noticed a significant reduction in the number of spasms that I experience, as well as the amount of pain the spasticity often leaves me in.  My legs seem to be much lighter now, and walking and other movements in my legs seem much easier.  I feel I will now be able to enjoy a more fulfilled life thanks to Tiptrimax!”  This drug is certainly a miracle for me.  I cannot wait to be able to take long walks with my dogs and exercise like I used to before MS came into my life.”

The UK drug regulators NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) have now fully approved the drug and will be available to all patients exhibiting spasticity by September.  It is said the drug can only be administered by a nurse or other healthcare practitioner once a week into the affected muscle areas.  The long-term effects of taking the drug are unknown but there have been no reports of any lasting or significant side effects.

***DISCLAIMER:  THE ABOVE ARTICLE IS ENTIRELY UNTRUE AND ONLY WRITTEN FOR THE 30 DAYS, 30 POSTS CHALLENGE FOR WEGO HEALTH HAWMC.  THE DRUG MENTIONED DOES NOT EXIST

So, that was my fictional miracle cure article for today’s prompt.  Hoped you enjoy and again please feel free to comment below…

Until Tomorrow…

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