My Book

NOW AVAILABLE as paperback and e-book everywhere.

"As a physician who manages patients with chronic pain and other debilitating illnesses, I consider this book to be a must-read." - Dr, Rita Hancock, M.D.

From Sue Jackson, the author of the popular and award-winning blog Live with ME/CFS, comes a book to help you live your best life with chronic illness. Based on Sue’s almost 20 years living with chronic illnesses in her own family, writing her blog, writing articles on chronic illness, and leading multiple support groups, she provides support and practical advice you can use.

Whether you are in the early days of living with chronic illness or have been at it for years (or decades), there are always challenges in living a life framed by limitations and restrictions, where isolation is a common issue. This guide provides inspiration, advice on emotional coping, and guidance on living your best life with chronic illness from someone who’s been there. Though it seems impossible at first, your life will eventually settle into a new normal, and while that life may be different than the one you had planned, it can still be a vibrant, fulfilling life based on strong relationships, a healthy emotional state, and finding joy in every day. The emphasis in this book is on LIVING your life, not just enduring it.
5-star review on Amazon: "Well-written and insightful. You feel like you are talking to your best friend who gets what you are going through."

 

ORDER NOW

Note that some of the links below are affiliate links, which provide a small commission to me (pennies per purchase).

Available Everywhere!

Ask your local bookstore or library to order it. It is also available on popular library e-book systems, like Overdrive, Borrow Box, and Bibliotheca.

If you are in the local Delaware area, Hockessin Book Shelf has it in stock or at Browseabout Books in Rehoboth, if you're down at the beach.

Order it now through all major print and e-book outlets:

On Bookshop (online shopping that supports indie bookstores)

On Book Depository 

On Amazon:
On Barnes and Noble:


On SCRIBD

On Hoopla

On Tolino/Thalia

On Vivlio

(See more reviews on Amazon)

5-star review on Amazon: "This book gives hope to those suffering from chronic illness by letting them know they are not alone, that there is help out there, and there are things to do to get you through those dark and scary times. There were very limited and often outdated books available to help my family during our initial struggle dealing with a child with a chronic illness. In the beginning life was a lonely and living hell. I was blessed to find Sue and a wonderful group of people online, who shared similar experiences and showed us how to survive in our "new normal"!"


5-star review on Goodreads: "Suzan Jackson invites us into her and her family's journey with chronic illness. She shares her resources and routines to coping with her daily struggles from the emotional to the physical. For those of us who do not suffer from chronic illness she gives us such insight into the world of those who do.
One chapter in particular struck me was A Plan B Day. Taking mental inventories, checking your to do lists, delegating to others and dropping guilt. These are strategies we all can use and Suzan lays this all out for us. 

Right now in our lives of social distancing and staying at home restrictions Suzan's vast knowledge from her life with her illness is a treasure for all of us to follow.
"

 

5 star review on Amazon: “After years of the heartbreak of having two children with chronic illness, this book has been a godsend. Every single page has me nodding, feeling validated, knowing I need to be more forgiving of myself, and feeling supported. Sue shares such an amazingly healthy way to look at life with chronic illness. I would choose my favorite thoughts and sections but it's all of them! This is a rare book that I know I will pull and reread for years to come.”

 

5-star review on Amazon: (Dawn Bowman, MS, LPCMH) Great resource for those struggling with chronic illness and the people who love them - “Finding a New Normal” helps those struggling with chronic illness to not feel so alone. Suzan shares how she has been able to build a meaningful, rich life while also living with ME. She offers personal insight and experiences, along with practical advice that can help guide others living with chronic illness.”

 
Note: This post contains affiliate links. Purchases from these links provide a small commission to me (pennies per purchase), to help offset the time I spend writing for this blog, at no extra cost to you.
Suzan Jackson is a freelance writer whose work focuses on topics related to health, family, travel, and media reviews and has appeared in many magazines, websites, and anthologies. She has had ME/CFS, an immune disorder, since 2002, and also has Lyme disease. Both of her sons also became ill with ME/CFS in 2004. Her younger son is now fully recovered, after 10 years of mild illness. Her elder son, who recently graduated from college, still has ME/CFS as well as three tick-borne infections. Sue and her sons managed to improve their conditions with a number of treatments. She runs several support groups, both online and locally, to help others. Sue writes two blogs: Live with ME/CFS (this one!) and Book By Book. You can see Sue's other published work at her writer’s website, www.suzanjackson.com, and follow her on Twitter at @livewithmecfs and on Facebook.


2 comments:

Unknown said...

How do you disagree with your doctor without setting yourself up as a know it all and insulting her? I have read that (and I think it was from you) Serum ferritin is a measure of iron stores and is the most sensitive biomarker to test for early stages of iron deficiency as well as iron deficiency anemia. Sensitivity of ferritin test is 89% for diagnosis of iron depletion compared with hemoglobin, which is only 26%.

My doc ordered a HEMOGLOBIN AND HEMATOCRIT which were both normal. When I asked about Ferritin test she said "ferritin is more sensitive but since your hemoglobin level is normal now she is not worried about significant iron deficiency. She states it isn't necessary to check a ferritin level. When you have a normal hemoglobin it indicates that you have adequate iron to maintain your hemoglobin."

How does a lay person "correct a doctor?"

Sue Jackson said...

Hi - Wow, that is an excellent question! It definitely wasn't me who said any of that about iron and ferritin - I know very little about the topic, as it just hasn't been an issue for my son or I.

But your question about how to correct a doctor is a tough one - and a very sensitive one. You don't want to lose a good doctor by making him or her angry!

I faced this when I got Lyme disease. I knew I had Lyme because of the sudden-onset knee pain, but my Lyme test came back negative (which is fairly common - like many people, I don't make the antibodies). My doctor - who is wonderful! - didn't want to treat me, and I got feeling pretty desperate. Broke down in tears and begged her to let me try treatment (the only real way to know for sure with Lyme). She did let me do that ... but my arguing so hard with her created a rift between us. Later, when I did respond to treatment, she admitted it did look like Lyme and accepted that. I also sent her an apology note (even though I felt totally in the right!).

I guess what I am saying is ... present some data, be respectful, ask politely for what you want. Can you find some scientific studies to back up what you're saying? That's the best approach. (use any search engine to look for "study" plus some keywords).

Hope that helps! Good luck!

Sue