Dear Lit Loves,
Greetings! It took me about a month to finish this last book I am about to review entitled The Lady's Handbook For Her Mysterious Illness by Sarah Ramey. To cut to the chase, this book is one woman's call to fellow women who have what this author refers to as "Women Of Mysterious Illnesses" to advocate for the institution of medicine to take more seriously those of us with chronic illness. Obviously, in the past and oftentimes to this day, there have been more men treating women in various medical specialties and many of those male specialists can and do dismiss symptoms women suffer from and deem those symptoms "all in her head". And I agree with that portion of content in the book. And thank heavens, currently more women are going to medical school than men. I just think the author wrote the book as if it were going to appear in a prestigious medical journal as opposed to writing the book to convey in a more relatable manner the need for medical relevance and advocacy among women who have autoimmune disease or chronic illness.
Essentially Ms. Ramey grew up with parents who are doctors and twice during her life has been diagnosed with Lyme Disease. Initially, the author has problems even obtaining a specialist who will give her more than twenty minutes of his/her time and take her symptoms seriously. I think she was diagnosed with what she refers to in the book as ME/CFS or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. She goes through a mile-long list of medical specialists to even find one who takes her seriously and begins treating her utilizing Functional Medicine. I can tell you that some of the procedures she endured to try and treat her maladies often caused more damage than she had before she consented to the procedure. And many times, what one specialist thinks another surgeon is going to perform surgically is mishandled because the medical specialist and the surgeon do not communicate with one another and are most definitely not on the same page.
The disappointing part of the book for me was that Ms. Ramey had so very much time to sit and think about as well as recover from what is ailing her. Why? Because those of us with chronic illness more often do not have the privilege of having parents who make big salaries and can afford to have an ill daughter live with them for two years or pay for a daughter to reside somewhere without a job. That is not the reality of the majority of women with autoimmune disease or chronic illness. The author even gets evaluated by specialists at a renowned medical specialty hospital and her parents foot the bill. I am not taking anything away from individuals who suffer from quite serious chronic disease because personally, I have four chronic illnesses I live with on a daily basis. It was hard for me to relate to this author's experiences because that kind of privilege is not my reality nor is it the reality for the majority of women in this country suffering from autoimmune disease or chronic illness. I do agree with the concept of women with chronic illness and/or autoimmune disease seeking medical specialists who take an active, respectful interest in their individual medical case and who work in partnership with a patient to devise a treatment plan they can complete that involves a reduction of painful symptoms and helps a patient achieve a better quality of life.
Ms. Ramey does have a clear idea of how the medical system in our country needs to change: doctors need to listen more and work with a patient to get to the root cause of what is causing a chronic illness. I work best with a medical specialist who does not dictate my treatment plan, but who helps me devise one with which I agree and believe I can implement. No doctor should belittle women with chronic illness and suggest that a patient's symptoms are "all in her head". When I encounter medical specialists with that attitude, I usually leave immediately because there is no need for the doctor to waste my time. Yes, we need more funding for research on the fundamental causes of autoimmune diseases and chronic illness. I often see many funding campaigns for breast cancer, prostate cancer, and colon cancer, but not funding campaigns for Lupus, Uveitic glaucoma, or Fibromyalgia. And yes, I think the idea among patients and doctors that a pill can fix it all is not only foolish, but can cause addiction and lead a patient to never truly uncover the real cause of a medical issue.
Now, Ms. Ramey appeared to be healed by and wholeheartedly supports Functional Medicine which she describes as medical practice that gets to the root of a malady by addressing triggers of illness such as a person's diet, level of stress, exercise and activity levels, environmental toxins and intestinal toxins, genetics or medical history of a patient, and the microbiome which includes the bacteria living inside and on the body. No problem. I totally support it and strive to work actively with my own medical specialists to address all these areas regarding my own chronic illnesses. I would also add to that list of triggers the amount of emotional duress a patient has such as is the patient in a toxic relationship with his/her significant other? Is the patient a full-time caregiver to an elderly parent? Or is this patient plagued by anxiety or depression? There should be no stigma associated with seeking the help of a psychiatrist or social worker. Full stop. End of discussion.
All elements considered, this is a good book. I think it could have been written in a more understandable and relatable manner. As an author, you want as many people with mysterious illnesses, autoimmune disorders, and chronic disease to read this book as possible. And I am not sure Ms. Ramey achieves that with this particular book because she writes from a more privileged perspective than the vast majority of patients with mysterious illnesses. Also, the length of the book initially excited me because I thought as a reader, "Finally, someone who is going to tell it like it is!" Parts of the book accomplished that objective while other portions of the book just left me wondering what does throwing in this information have to do with helping female patients who suffer from mysterious illnesses and chronic disease? The best I can suggest is that people read the book for themselves and form their own opinions about how well this book is written, particularly if you do truly suffer from autoimmune disease, chronic illness, or both.
Until my next book review,
Grace (Amy)
