Overview

You Don't LOOK Sick! is a poignant and easy-to-read journey of a person afflicted with a chronic illness, her struggle to come to terms with her disease, and her acceptance of and adaptation to it. Joy Selak takes this journey with her physician who adds to the book valuable reflection and a medical perspective. This book combines the difficult lessons learned with humor and with more grace than I could imagine mustering. This text will be very helpful to many of my patients going on the same journey. Bob Crittenden, MD, MPH Chief of Family Medicine Harborview Medical Center Seattle, WA"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 illness into a life of acceptance, purpose, and gratitude." -Toni Bernhard, Author of How to Be Sick: A Buddhist-Inspired Guide for the Chronically Ill and Their Caregivers"Joy and Steve have the insight and courage to present their stories and experiences with depth and integrity and in a very holistic manner. By weaving and blending the spiritual and material they offer both hope and courage for those with a serious medical condition who still search for a medical support system. The format of the book, the chapter summaries, the questions for discussion, and the list of resources at the end are superb." -Mavourneen McGinty, SND, Sisters of Notre Dame de Nemur, Former Educator, Hospital Chaplain, Counselor"Joy Selak is like all of us, a person who can trip and fall, but get right back up and try again. I was delighted reading how she manages to handle it all and how Dr. Overman works as her coach, providing the tools to help beat the challenges. Most books on illness make me feel worse because I wasn't dealing very well and must surely be doing something wrong. You Don't LOOK Sick!: Living Well with Invisible Chronic Illness makes me feel hopeful I can be comfortable in my own body no matter what ails it!" -Karen Babcock, Has hepatitis C, Sjogren's syndrome, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis"You Don't LOOK Sick! is absolutely essential reading for anyone with an 'invisible' disease. Joy Selak's book saved the day for me with her invaluable practical information and tips on how to relate to the company I work for, and the insurance provider, about my disease."-Kathy Olsen, Division Communications Manager for a Fortune 500 company, has MS"You Don't LOOK Sick! is a poignant and easy-to-read journey of a person afflicted with a chronic illness, her struggle to come to terms with her disease, and her acceptance of and adaptation to it. Joy Selak takes this journey with her supportive husband, and takes the literary journey with her physician who adds to the book valuable reflection and a medical perspective. This book combines the difficult lessons learned with humor and with more grace than I could imagine mustering. This text will be very helpful to many of my patients going on the same journey." -Bob Crittenden, MD, MPH, Chief of Family Medicine, Harborview Medical Center, Seattle, Washington"This book is a masterful, insightful, and useful account of the patient's and physician's perspective, in their own words and frames of mind, on recognizing, confronting, and dealing with chronic illness. This multifaceted perspective is one with which not only patients with chronic illnesses of any nature but also their health care providers and family members will certainly identify, and from which all will benefit. Chronic illnesses are greatly underrecognized and undertreated, and books such as this contribute to educating a broad audience in a meaningful and practical way." -Roberto Patarca-Montero, MD, PhD, HCLD, Author of Concise Encyclopedia of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (2012-11-30)