Review: Moonlight Sonata at the Mayo Clinic by Nora Gallagher

Dear Lit Loves,
Oh my goodness, I loved this book.  I will keep hard copy of this book.  If you've ever dealt with chronic illness or cared for someone who has chronic illness, you should get this book.  It's a fairly quick read, but you will learn how to decipher the medical establishment.  Trust me, I help people do this exact task all the time because of all the experience I have with the medical system.  Ms. Gallagher starts having blurred vision on the edges of the vision field in her right eye.  She is treated for Uveitis.  This is serious business.  I have Uveitis.  And I've had it since I was sixteen years of age! It's not something you hand over to any tom, dick, or harry eye doctor.  Uveitis is inflammation of the vessels, nerves, and tissues in the eye area.  It causes me to see the cells in my eye during the day or at night.  Ms. Gallagher also starts experiencing fatigue and soon her doctors are looking for an underlying cause of her Uveitis.  I am speaking about an underlying autoimmune disorder whereby your own immune system decides to go haywire and attack your bodily organs like they are foreign invaders.  That's why I advised getting a specialist.  Ms. Gallagher witnesses what it is like to go from being a normal, health person living in the land of the normal to taking up residence in what she likes to call Oz, the land of the sick. 
Ms. Gallagher sees all kinds of doctors and finally goes to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota for diagnosis and care.  It's scary, but the Mayo Clinic tries to put patients at ease by putting patients first.  There is even a spiritual center whereby you can leave a prayer or note to whomever you believe in on a prayer wall.  She and I like to think that Jesus is the collector of all these notes.  Eventually, Ms. Gallagher's underlying autoimmune disorder is identified and she has a treatment plan; however it took travel, multiple doctors, and endless amounts of patience.  I know becaue I've been to Oz and am currently residing there.  If you have ever wondered what would happen to you if your life or the life of someone you love is turned upside down by illness, you should find this book and acquaint yourself with a "how-to" plan on dealing with chronic illness and the medical community.  Now, fortunately for Ms. Gallagher and I, we have adequate health insurance, but what if you didn't have that either?  That's a book for someone else to write, although you will still gain a lot of strength and enlightenment from this book.  I know because I did and I hope someone publishes my books so I can help someone as much as Ms. Gallagher's book helped me.
Happy Reading!
Grace