You Don't Look Sick!, Second Edition - 2nd Edition by Joy H Selak & Steven S Overman (Paperback)

About the Book

"You Don't Look Sick" chronicles a patient's true-life stories and her physicians compassionate commentary as they take a journey through the four stages of chronic illness--Getting Sick, Being Sick, Grief and Acceptance and Living Well. The authors address such practical aspects as hiring a doctor, managing chronic pain, coping with grief and loss of function, winning battles with health and disability insurers, countering the social bias against the chronically ill, and recognizing the limitations of chronic illness care and charting a path for change and more. This warmhearted resource helps you focus on building a meaningful life that contains an illness as opposed to a life of frustration and fear.
The authors have thoroughly revised and updated the second edition based upon feedback from the audience for the first edition. They have added a new section on Grief and Acceptance, updated all the chapters making them more specific, address the passage of the Affordable Health Care Act and Dr. Overman has added practical travel tips that bring organization and focus to each phase of the journey. Designed for patients at all stages of the chronic illness journey, this book is also illuminating for caregivers and loved ones.

Book Synopsis

You Don't Look Sick chronicles one person's true-life story of illness and her physicians compassionate commentary as they journey through the four stages of chronic illness: Getting Sick, Being Sick, Grief and Acceptance and Living Well. The authors address such practical aspects as hiring a doctor, managing chronic pain, coping with grief and loss of function, winning battles with health and disability insurers, countering the social bias against the chronically ill, and recognizing the limitations of chronic illness care and charting a path for change and more. This warmhearted resource helps you focus on building a meaningful life as opposed to a life of frustration and fear.

This book is thoroughly revised and updated based upon feedback from readers of the first edition. The authors have added a new section on Grief and Acceptance, address the passage of the Affordable Health Care Act and Dr. Overman has added practical travel tips that bring organization and focus to each phase of the journey. Designed for people at all stages of the chronic illness journey, this book is also illuminating for caregivers and loved ones.

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Review Quotes

""You Don't LOOK Sick!" is an essential tool for patients, families, and providers working with invisible chronic illness." -- Patricia A. Fennell, MSW, LCSW-R, Author of "Managing Chronic Illness Using the Four-Phase Treatment Approach"
"Inspiring and insightful personal journey of chronic illness by a young woman and her physician.The message is an important one -- overcoming the fear, loneliness and life-changing consequences of chronic illness is an achievable and essential goal for everyone as they work to restore their lives." -- John H. Klippel, MD, President and CEO, Arthritis Foundation
"Living with a chronic illness changes every aspect of your life and when that illness is invisible, it changes your life in ways you never could have imagined. Easy-to-read and written from the heart by two experts--the patient and the physician--this excellent book provides the wisdom, understanding, and validation you need to take back the control your illness has taken away. The anecdotes, tips, and strategies give you the tools you need to survive and thrive despite your challenges and in the end, gives you hope for the future." --Shelley Peterman Schwarz, Award-winning writer and author of seven "Tips for Making Life Easier" books
"This book was a tremendous help to me in adjusting to my own life with chronic illness. I consider it a must-read for sufferers like myself, for those who care for them, and for those who love them. "You Don't LOOK Sick!" is unique in its approach because it gives us two perspectives-- that of the patient and the doctor. They understand our fears and frustrations and, most importantly, they lay out the steps we can take to find peace and well-being despite this unexpected turn in our lives. People who are facing chronic illness need easy-to-apply concrete tools to help adjust to this drastic life change, and this book provides those tools. "You Don't LOOK Sick!" shows readers how to transform the trauma of chronic illnes

About the Author

Joy H. Selak has lived with chronic autoimmune, musculoskeletal and neurological conditions since the late 1980's. Prior to becoming ill, she earned her Ph.D. in Curriculum in Instruction from Arizona State University.
Dr. Steven S. Overman has practiced rheumatology for 30 years, and is a professor of clinical medicine at the University of Washington Medical School and is Director of Musculoskeletal Planning and Development at Northwest Hospital.