This book made me cry, that nasty sobbing sniffing type of crying. Why ? It is the first time in almost 20 years that I did not feel alone. Someone else actually felt the same as me, someone else understood.
I was diagnosed with M.E. (by a leading hospital consultant), I was actually told by a GP that M.E. stood for MElingerer and not only was I making myself ill, it was just a way to give up work and live off the state ( neither of which I did). This is the first time I have not felt alone, thank you for that gift.

I was given an opportunity to read this book by Jessica Kingsley Publishers and NetGalley. As one newly diagnosed with a chronic illness I was interested to read the author’s view on living with such illnesses and hoped to learn some additional information. I was pleased with the information the author offered, however some of it felt overstated. I was hoping this book would provide somewhat of a pick-me-up. I believe readers will gain some useful insights from this book if read with an open mind and without preconceived notions.

I’ve really enjoyed reading this book - it’s the kind of thing I wish I’d had at the start of my chronic illness journey and I’m so glad that it’ll be out there for years to come, helping others as they navigate the complicated and messy road that is chronic illness life. It’s easy to follow and I love the journal prompts at the end of each chapter - they’re thought provoking whilst also not being too deep (and therefore not too taxing to answer!)

This is a great and helpful book if you suffering from chronic illness of any kind and wondering how to navigate the new and scary world. The author highlights a number of different categories, such as socialization, hobbies, friendships, relationships and goals. There are also journal prompts, which I thought was a nice touch. It's a fairly short book, but packed with information. It is also very encouraging and makes someone with chronic illness feel not so alone. There are also links to accounts to follow, from those who are also on the same journey. I definitely will be following many of them, as I have chronic illness and it really helps to follow and interact with like minded people who are experiencing the same thing as you are. I really think this is a great guide for those who need a little help and encouragement, and those who may be new to this life and do not know where to begin.

Thank you NetGalley and Jessica Kingsley Publishers for the eARC of this book.

At a time where I was really struggling with my chronic illnesses, this book brought me hope and peace. The introductory chapter was welcoming and reassuring, and it is evident that this book is made as accessible as possible to all readers. The journal prompts were thought provoking, providing a space for reflection and an easy way to return to this material in the future. In pages full of encouragement and practical advice, I was comforted by shared experiences as well as paragraphs full of strength and acceptance that I am working towards applying to my life. This is a book that everyone with a chronic illness needs to read, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to read it ahead of release.

How to Do Life With Chronic Illness is well written, nicely paced, and fully accessible and digestible to readers. The wisdom and encouragement contained in this book will bring comfort and hope to readers while giving them the opportunity to not only accept, but also embrace their illness.

(4.5* rounded up)

"Resting is a glorious act of rebellion".

I found this book extremely relatable. I'm chronically ill (fatigue, pain, nausea, you name it) and I've had similar experiences to Pippa. I found myself highlighting parts that resonated with me, in the initial chapters especially. The book focuses primarily on existing with energy limiting conditions - navigating hobbies, friendships, relationships, and goals alongside managing the condition with pacing, aids, and self advocacy. There are useful tips and anecdotes that I think would be especially useful as a starting point - none of it was new information for me but would've been great to read earlier on my chronic illness life. I also find it helpful to read other people's experiences and relating to other chronically ill people to feel less alone, so I imagine any chronically ill person would find some benefit from this book.

This book also features journal prompts - some of which I tried, but some were more difficult (for example I don't have a daily routine at the minute nor have I for a while, so I couldn't engage as well with that section, but the section on identity prompted self reflection). Also interspersed in the book is sections written by others eg other chronically ill people, organisations, etc as well as links to external resources like Pippa's YouTube videos. These felt odd to me, almost like an advert, and more fitting for a blog post or online article or similar, and I didn't find them especially useful (note: I haven’t watched the videos yet). Otherwise, I thought the book was a great overview, and especially good for those exploring more about chronic illness or at a stage of change (for example, I first started looking for books, social media, and blogs when I had a big flare up and my daily life/symptoms changed, and this would've been great then, even after several years of being chronically ill). It would have some use to people who are not chronically ill themselves to understand the life, issues, and needs of a chronically ill person, but it is definitely targeted for chronically ill people to read, explore, learn, and (hopefully) regain parts of themselves they have lost to their illness.

Thank you to netgalley for the arc.

<i>How to Do Life With a Chronic Illness</i> is not a long book – 208 pages, some of which are journal prompts with blank space left (I am a bit allergic to those), or copy-pasted tweets/Instagram bits. <i>But</i> – as Stacey herself says at the end, "Bach when I was newly diagnosed with chronic illness, I was looking for a book exactly like this one." Yes. This, exactly.

I've been trying to Do Life with a chronic illness for over a decade – oh wow, time flies when you're surviving from one day to the next, and then suddenly all seems perfect until it doesn't. Most of what I've read here I already knew, but something special Pippa Stacey (I'm tempted to just say Pippa, because she sounds so friendly it feels like we know each other for ages) provides is kindness and understanding. That "you're not the only one" thing, but not just said in passing on a random social media platform. It feels genuine. Because it is.

<i>How to Do Life With a Chronic Illness</i> is a book for people with (mostly) physical conditions. The "mental health" section is about how to manage your brain while having a condition that's physical. Obviously, Stacey speaks from her own experience, not for the entire world, so I can't really say "…I was missing this or that." Nevertheless, I wish that there were quotes from people with disabling mental conditions.

I want to add something. Here's a quote: “Counselling and therapy are sometimes positioned as a treatment – implying that our symptoms are simply in our heads or psychosomatic.” As it happens, I am experiencing psychosomatic symptoms ranging from pain to finding myself at emergency cardiology ward – good luck faking that, doc. I also experienced medical gaslighting Stacey writes about, though. I have complex PTSD caused by many years of abuse. When my therapist was not available due to her own illness, I was introduced to a "trauma specialist" who, five minutes into our first meeting, asked "are you sure your memories are real?" I'm glad she was not my first therapist, because this is how you literally kill people, "trauma specialist."

"In a research study by Chronic Illness Inclusion,' participants overwhelmingly reported fatigue to be the most restricting, debilitating feature of their health condition. And yet in that very same study, they reported that fatigue was the feature they felt least qualified them to self-identify as a disabled person. That finding says it all." I would like to be excluded from this narrative, but I'm not. There's a lot of shame about having an invisible chronic illness – self-stigmatising. Everyone gets tired, right? I've been in this pickle for 11 years and still catch myself thinking – when I need half an hour to gather enough energy to undertake a trip to the bathroom – that I am simply being lazy when the house needs vacuuming. Again, here's where Stacey comes to the rescue. This is repeated a few times, but it needs to be: "you can do anything if you put your mind to it" or "if I can do it, you can, too" – even if the person saying it has exactly the same diagnosis – is bullshhhhhop. We do what we can. Sometimes we do what we can't, then inevitably pay for it later.

I recommend this book to everyone who either got diagnosed with a chronic illness recently, or is still struggling to accept certain realities. Our lives changed. Maybe forever, maybe not, but right now, they aren't what we'd like them to be. We can't control this reality. But we can make it easier for ourselves – by not being so hard on ourselves. Also, it's perfectly fine to tell people with Good Intentions to go duck themselves, although Stacey provides slightly more polite phrasing ;)

The book contains a lot of information and it manages to give hope to people living with chronic illnesses. It helps you understand that there is a way of pushing through even when things are not going well. I believe the advice it gives is clear and can be esily followed.

This book is absolutely wonderful. I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis 5 years ago and I wish I had had this book then, because many of the things the author talks about are things I have had to struggle with and learn in those 5 years. But I still found some words of wisdom to apply to my current struggles, so I think it’s useful for any stage of the journey.

The author talks about both the emotional, physical, and daily life experiences people with a chronic illness can face. She supplements her own writing with passages from experts, YouTube videos, and journal prompts at the end of each chapter to encourage self/reflection. One chapter even includes Tweets from people within the community, offering their own input on the subject at hand, which brought more perspectives into the conversation. I appreciated that the author tried to make the book as accessible as possible and reach everyone in the way that they could best absorb information.

Some of the practical advice she gives is relevant only to people in the UK (disability rights, organizations to contact, resources available etc.) so those bits are less helpful to those of us in other countries. However, including everything from every country would be an impossible feat, so I mention it only as a caveat to other readers and not a complaint!

The chapter about hobbies was very timely for me, as I have been mourning the loss of the days when I would record music all day with various instruments, and feel like a bit of a failure for not doing that very often anymore. As she and others she quotes point out, hobbies with a lot of set up and take down can be very taxing! I appreciated the message that it isn’t failure to redefine your identity and find new things to make you happy.

The underlying message of the book is hope, which I think is so valuable to anyone who is facing a completely altered life thanks to their chronic illness. The author is generally trying to help the reader understand that happiness is still possible when your life has changed forever, though it may require a different approach. Sometimes “positivity” can be a dirty word to those with chronic illness because we may assume it will be of the toxic kind. But I think the author is trying to help us readers find achievable, realistic happiness and I do think that is so important.

I loved this book and want to buy a copy for every chronically ill friend I have once it comes out.

A favorite quote to finish the review: “Since being chronically ill, I have had to remould a life for myself out of the ashes of my old one.” I hope that all of us with chronic illnesses can learn to do this and be happier humans.

An accessible and interesting look at chronic illness.
I can’t say I learnt anything new, but I’m someone who has done a lot of reading about chronic illness. I think this would be a good starting point for a lot of people.
The most beneficial thing for me was reading the first hand accounts and stories from people. Definitely makes you feel seen and less alone.

As someone with chronic illness, this book is very meaningful to me. Super easy to get through for those dealing with fatigue. It feels like it comes from a realistic perspective, balancing how hard chronic illness is with the potential for hope. It's compassionate from the perspective of someone with ME/CFS and actually useful! Will definitely recommend to others.

Thank you NetGalley and Jessica Kingsley Publishers for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a very accessible read for anyone dealing with chronic illness. The sections are short and the text is written simplisticly. There are many good tips in the book about managing life with various conditions, and the author adds some humor in as well.

As someone who deals with chronic illness this is a must read for me. I hope it helps many others dealing with this horrible debilitating condition. I could not be more passionate about getting this into the hand# of readers.