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When Bodies Break: How we survive and thrive with illness and disability
Chronic illness is life-changing and life-challenging. We long for our active social lives, our favorite activities, our jobs. Our families must adjust to our changes, limitations and struggles, both physical and emotional. Others can be timid or frustrated when trying to relate to us, especially if we don’t look sick. Or they avoid us altogether. Opportunities vanish.We are faced with enormous changes and challenges, and it is up to us how we respond. We can sulk and spend our lives wishing things were different. Or we can create new lives that embrace the changes, adapt with the challenges and encompass the things that truly give us joy! We've been offered this time to reassess our abilities, our desires, our faith, our passion and our purpose and, while being realistic as well as creative, we sculpt a new vision for our lives. Inside this book, you’ll meet 32 inspiring, resilient people who share their stories of struggle, strength and survival through chronic illness. You’ll learn how we became Chronic Illness Warriors, rising out of the ashes to soar, despite our limitations, many donning pajamas as our super-hero attire! We share our experiences in navigating life’s hurdles with chronic illness, including health care, daily life, emotions, self-care, finding our passion and purpose, and creating income. Consider us your Chronic Illness Warrior support team!
218 pages, Paperback
Published December 21, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 16, 2023
When Bodies Break really hit home in terms of what I have lived with for the past two decades. It's reassuring to know that I am not alone. It's great to see familiar faces in this book. The author has done a wonderful job curating this book and organizing it.
Highly recommend if you are chronically ill or you know someone who is ill.
Updated review: When Bodies Break: How We Survive and Thrive with Illness and Disability by Cameron B. Auxer was a wonderful read that happened at just the right time for me. I've just returned from a long-flight and trip that resulted in a health crisis, and Cameron came along with her book in the nick of time. This book offers insights and perspectives on life with illness and disability. It features 32 resilient chronic illness writers who are disabled. Their stories of triumph, struggle, survival and strength in living with chronic illness are reflected throughout Cameron’s carefully crafted chapters. I was happy to see many familiar faces amongst the pages!
When Bodies Break: How We Survive and Thrive with Illness and Disability delves into the experiences of individuals living with various forms of illness and disability. Drawing from personal stories, research, and expert insights, the book explores the physical and emotional challenges of writers who navigate life with disability and chronic illness.
Cameron provides a compassionate and informative exploration of how we adapt, cope, and find resilience in the face of immense health challenges. Not only is the book helpful for those who have chronic illness, especially the newly diagnosed, but it is helpful for medical professionals and loved ones who need help in understanding how their patient or family member sees life through the lens of illness, day in and day out. When Bodies Break also sheds some light on broader societal issues that impact individuals living with chronic illness and disability. I know you will enjoy it as much as I did! Read more at MySeveralWorlds.com
Highly recommend if you are chronically ill or you know someone who is ill.
Updated review: When Bodies Break: How We Survive and Thrive with Illness and Disability by Cameron B. Auxer was a wonderful read that happened at just the right time for me. I've just returned from a long-flight and trip that resulted in a health crisis, and Cameron came along with her book in the nick of time. This book offers insights and perspectives on life with illness and disability. It features 32 resilient chronic illness writers who are disabled. Their stories of triumph, struggle, survival and strength in living with chronic illness are reflected throughout Cameron’s carefully crafted chapters. I was happy to see many familiar faces amongst the pages!
When Bodies Break: How We Survive and Thrive with Illness and Disability delves into the experiences of individuals living with various forms of illness and disability. Drawing from personal stories, research, and expert insights, the book explores the physical and emotional challenges of writers who navigate life with disability and chronic illness.
Cameron provides a compassionate and informative exploration of how we adapt, cope, and find resilience in the face of immense health challenges. Not only is the book helpful for those who have chronic illness, especially the newly diagnosed, but it is helpful for medical professionals and loved ones who need help in understanding how their patient or family member sees life through the lens of illness, day in and day out. When Bodies Break also sheds some light on broader societal issues that impact individuals living with chronic illness and disability. I know you will enjoy it as much as I did! Read more at MySeveralWorlds.com
April 22, 2019
felt less alone
This book was excellent. The essays were informative, and had personal stories. There were also essays that had coping skills, and othet important information
Thank you to all who took part!
This book was excellent. The essays were informative, and had personal stories. There were also essays that had coping skills, and othet important information
Thank you to all who took part!
June 6, 2019
It is a very good book made up of experiences from people with chronic diseases such as fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, etc. This does not seem full of positivity but on the contrary because we are aware of the fragility of life, of its richness too. This book is addressed so much to relatives, relatives of sick people to understand the inadequacy of their behaviors especially in the case of invisible illness but intolerable suffering! It is also addressed to those who are unfortunately often young subjects unfortunately and this gives them a kind of resonance with what they are experiencing, means to overcome everyday problems, the need to take care of themselves as a priority number one and slow down when they loved the challenge and were energetic. The position to continue to rebuild their lives after having to leave a job that gave them usefulness, recognition, value or passion...a This book also gives them contacts, a third way, i. e. after resilience, the need to find a new meaning for their lives, a new adapted work and this is where the path of creativity opens up in all its fullness, to my great surprise in the personal sense of the word. I recommend it, it is not sad, it is a taboo subject, they give a lot of hope to those who need it. I found it by chance while discussing it on Twitter. Many thanks to the writer Cameron B. Auxer!
November 25, 2021
Just not for me
March 4, 2019
A “must read” for chronically ill patients, their families, and friends! I highly recommend When Bodies Break for an in-depth understanding at living with a chronic illness. Part One tells the stories of wisdom gained by thirty-one persons living with their illnesses. Part Two gives information in navigating the medical system, dealing with emotions, creating income, etc.
March 11, 2019
When Bodies Break was an inspiring book. Not having a lot of prior knowledge of the subject, I went in blindly. I learned so much from the people involved lives and stories. Knowing the author personally, I am very proud of what she has done. I could definitely see this on film or television.
January 20, 2019
This book is a Godsend to anyone that has a chronic illness. It is wonderful, super encouraging, so helpful! I love the layout. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
March 8, 2019
If, as one of the contributors to this collection writes, 'God will deliver healing in his time', I wish he'd hurry up about it! I'm sure the individuals are very pleasant, inspirational people but reading one after another got quite depressing, after a while - not because of their conditions but because of their constant niceness.
Not my sort of book........
Not my sort of book........
February 24, 2019
GR8 read
I 💜THIS book cuz it brings about the REAL stories n doesn't mince the b.s.. Also I KNOW 1 of the ppl in the book as a GR8 friend n it's SO amazing
I 💜THIS book cuz it brings about the REAL stories n doesn't mince the b.s.. Also I KNOW 1 of the ppl in the book as a GR8 friend n it's SO amazing
March 26, 2020
Excellent book. Well written and it was nice to read about others journeys dealing with chronic illness.
April 11, 2022
This book isn’t relevant for me, but I admire the strength of the many contributors to this book. I’d recommend this to someone that house bound and very limited on their day to day functionality.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews