A practical, helpful, and empowering guide for those suffering with long covid or any long illness. The clear chapter demarcations make it easy for readers to begin with their greatest felt need before reading the book in its entirety.

I felt that the authors that created this guide were really in touch with the needs of the community of people that live with these illnesses. This book was not preachy as a lot of books like this tend to be and offered a variety of methods to improve quality of life. The journaling exercises will be helpful for people that are just beginning this journey. I personally have multiple long illnesses and was impressed with the level of understanding and support. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

I feel like, especially these days, long illness has become synonymous with long covid - and while long covid is a long illness, this book places it’s focus on the in general long illness (or chronic illness or whatever else you want to call it). We get common symptoms of long illness along with questions for us to ponder or ask our doctor, all kinds of different things to try with a focus on an approach that isn’t strictly medication and I appreciate that.

I also enjoy that many times the authors mention to just skip to what you need - the book will always be there to go back to if you need other things. This is helpful as it is quite an info dump and if I was reading this with the intention of using it to help (rather than as the arc it is) it would be incredibly overwhelming to read through everything in here to sort out what applies to me. The chapter titles are straightforward and to the point and each chapter breaks down the symptom medically and then talks about it in layman’s terms followed by potential solutions and a reminder to consult your doctor before starting new treatments.

I feel like this is responsibly written, well researched and personable. I definitely believe this could be a useful resource for long illness sufferers.

Thanks to both Hachette Books and NetGalley for the advanced reader copies!

This is a book that EVERY healthcare provider needs to read! As a nurse practitioner who works in the field of neurology I can’t even tell you how many patients I see each week that are dealing with a chronic illness and have been unable to find healthcare providers (Physicians, Therapists, Mid-level providers, nurses) that LISTEN to them, BELIEVE them, and then try to HELP them. Chronic illness is not a myth. Disorders that don’t have lab markers or diagnostic tests to PROVE existence are very real and often some of the hardest illnesses to treat. As healthcare professionals we are taught - over and over - identify the illness and treat to cure the illness. Chronic illnesses are often systemic syndrome type illnesses with overlapping symptoms impacting multiple body systems. Treatment is not always aimed at “curing” but rather treating the symptoms and helping the patient maintain their baseline level of functioning for as long as possible. Some symptoms are VERY hard to treat and require a team of professionals working together, communicating with each other, and involving the patient as a valuable member of their own healthcare team. This team approach is often very difficult to establish and maintain. We often forget that patients are the expert in their own health, this is one reason I always ask my patients “what do you think is going on” and often times the patient helps to identify difficult conditions. I also think that we as healthcare professionals are often very afraid to admit “we don’t know something” or “we are not sure about why symptoms are occurring” - This is often viewed as a failure, so instead patients get labeled as having “psychosomatic symptoms” and they are told their symptoms aren’t real and/or there is nothing to be treated. So this book is very refreshing as it gives new ways of understanding and helping the patients who are otherwise often written off as malingering or depressed.

The authors explore different treatment strategies for common chronic conditions including lifestyle and dietary changes that are helpful. I honestly think this book should be added to core curriculum in medical and nursing schools - it could help the treatment of future patients.

5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📚Thank you for providing a review copy. This review is freely given and based on this readers understanding and interpretation of the content in this book. No money was paid for this review. 🦄

Long Illness; A Practical Guide to Surviving, Healing, and Thriving by Meghan Jobson; Juliet Morgan is a much needed book that advocates for the disabled community. A wonderfully important read for folks within the community and for people who are able-bodied alike!

This is a wonderful book for anyone living with a chronic illness (or for those who have a loved one with a chronic illness). For years, these patients have been written off by providers who fail to see the patient as the expert of their own body. That's not the case with Jobson and Morgan. They discuss many common symptoms and various ways to address them. Some sections were a bit more vague than others, but it's a well-rounded introductory book for someone with a chronic illness. Other sections include lifestyle changes, diet, and long-term solutions. It's clear that the book is well-researched, and numerous statistics and studies are referenced. There are also journaling prompts that many readers may find helpful.

For over twenty years I have lived with an aggressive chronic illness or what Meghan Jobson and Juliet Morgan call a long illness. I had never heard that term before but it is right on! I wish I had this book when first diagnosed. It's a great introduction to managing a long illness and is practical with several useful Appendixes at the end. I would recommend it, especially to the more recently diagnosed.

A must-read for anyone living with a long illness (chronic illness). Especially those with long Covid will find this helpful. The author shared stories, statistics, studies, facts, tips, advice, journaling prompts, and so much more that aid someone who is new to the long/chronic illness life. I recommend all doctors read this to understand better what their patients experience. Additionally, this book may provide insight if you or a loved one has been struggling post-Covid.

Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Books for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

It was refreshing to see a book written by practitioners who see the patient as an expert of their own body rather than practitioners who gaslight medically or dismiss the patient. The authors detailed many different ways to handle the most common symptoms of chronic illness, including some holistic and some biomedical, which was very helpful. I do think the section on dysautonomia was too vague and inaccurate at times, as someone who suffers from and has read many books on the subject. The section on long term solutions and lifestyle changes was very useful. The section on dietary plans was extremely detailed and informative.