Redefine your pain, overcome obstacles, and live a meaningful life with evidence-based tools for coping with illness, fear, and change.

The first practical, accessible self-help guide to managing symptoms of Long Covid More than 1 million people suffer from Long Covid in the UK (with 400,000 people suffering symptoms for over a year), and many more globally. Yet there is no clear guidance available to the general public, and lots of misinformation out there. This handbook cuts through the confusing advice. Written by the medical experts working with Long Covid patients at one of the first specialist clinics set up, it is filled with helpful case studies and was written with the involvement of real Long Covid sufferers. The focus is on self-management with a simple, consistent message about improving symptoms. Each chapter takes a different issue in turn and offers clear, friendly guidance on key areas such as breathlessness, psychological aspects, brain fog, fatigue, returning to exercise and returning to work.

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER FINALIST FOR THE 2022 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR NONFICTION Named one of the BEST BOOKS OF 2022 by NPR, The New Yorker, Time, and Vogue “Remarkable.” –Andrew Solomon, The New York Times Book Review "At once a rigorous work of scholarship and a radical act of empathy.”—Esquire "A ray of light into those isolated cocoons of darkness that, at one time or another, may afflict us all.” —The Wall Street Journal "Essential."—The Boston Globe A landmark exploration of one of the most consequential and mysterious issues of our time: the rise of chronic illness and autoimmune diseases A silent epidemic of chronic illnesses afflicts tens of millions of Americans: these are diseases that are poorly understood, frequently marginalized, and can go undiagnosed and unrecognized altogether. Renowned writer Meghan O’Rourke delivers a revelatory investigation into this elusive category of “invisible” illness that encompasses autoimmune diseases, post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome, and now long COVID, synthesizing the personal and the universal to help all of us through this new frontier. Drawing on her own medical experiences as well as a decade of interviews with doctors, patients, researchers, and public health experts, O’Rourke traces the history of Western definitions of illness, and reveals how inherited ideas of cause, diagnosis, and treatment have led us to ignore a host of hard-to-understand medical conditions, ones that resist easy description or simple cures. And as America faces this health crisis of extraordinary proportions, the populations most likely to be neglected by our institutions include women, the working class, and people of color. Blending lyricism and erudition, candor and empathy, O’Rourke brings together her deep and disparate talents and roles as critic, journalist, poet, teacher, and patient, synthesizing the personal and universal into one monumental project arguing for a seismic shift in our approach to disease. The Invisible Kingdom offers hope for the sick, solace and insight for their loved ones, and a radical new understanding of our bodies and our health.

The Wig Diaries is Mary Ladd's debut irreverent cancer book. Delivered with bold gallows humor, it intimately address the gravity of cancer and invites the reader to bear witness to both the horror and the joke(s). Armed with creative sensibility, Ladd robs her diagnosis of its dour weightiness. Refusing to tiptoe around the gnarlier elements of treatment and recovery, the narrative is powerful in its unvarnished honesty and contagious lust for life exemplified by hilarious anecdotes. A uniquely fresh modern and black comedy take on cancer Covers and pokes fun at everything from diagnosis to treatment to medical bills Illustrated by noted San Francisco Chronicle Bad Reporter cartoonist Don Asmussen “I love this book.” —Mary Roach, author of the books Grunt, Stiff, Spook, and Bonk “This looks like a hoot and a half. I want more.” —Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket), author of A Series of Unfortunate Events “Clear-eyed, fun, and reassuring, it’s the perfect guide!” —Vanessa Hua, author of A River of Stars and Deceit and Other Possibilities

Something everyone has the power to do is reduce your cancer risk, and this book will show you just how easy it is to do it. Each year, over a million people in the United States alone hear the words no one ever wants to hear: You have cancer. But what if there was a way for fewer people to hear these words? One of the biggest myths regarding cancer is that it’s mostly genetic - meaning that you have no control over whether you get it. While genetics do have an impact, the truth is that your lifestyle and environment play the major role. Physician and Chief Medical Offer of WebMD John Whyte, MD, MPH, shares straightforward information and equips you with strategies to help you on a journey to better health. In Take Control of Your Cancer Risk, Dr. Whyte provides helpful tips including: assessing your cancer risk knowing which screenings you need, and when learning the role food, exercise, and sleep play understanding the relationship between stress and cancer Take Control of Your Cancer Risk is filled with practical advice that empowers you to really take control of our health.

The first patient-to-patient guide for people living with Long COVID—with expert advice on getting diagnosed, dealing with symptoms, accessing resources and accommodations, and more. “The Long COVID Survival Guide aims to give people struggling with long COVID practical solutions and emotional support to manage their illness.”—NPR, It’s Been a Minute For people living with Long COVID, navigating the uncharted territory of this new chronic illness can be challenging. With over two hundred unique symptoms, and with doctors continuing to work toward a cure, people experiencing Long COVID are often left with more questions than answers. A support group in book form, The Long COVID Survival Guide is here to help. Twenty contributors—from award-winning journalists, neuroscientists, and patient-researchers to corporate strategists, activists, and artists—share their stories and insight on topics including: getting diagnosed finding a caregiver confronting medical racism and gaslighting navigating employment issues dealing with fatigue and brain fog caring for your mental health, and more. This vital resource provides the answers and reassurance you need, to take care of yourself and prepare for what comes next. Contributors: Karyn Bishof, JD Davids, Pato Hebert, Heather Hogan, Monique Jackson, Naina Khanna, Lisa McCorkell, Karla Monterroso, Dona Kim Murphey, Padma Priya, David Putrino, Yochai Re’em, Rachel Robles, Alison Sbrana, Chimére L. Smith, Letícia Soares, Morgan Stephens, and Terri L. Wilder

How survivors of the Covid-19 pandemic battling long-term disabling conditions are fighting for recognition and research—and helping to transform healthcare for many overlooked diseases. To the world’s public health authorities, Covid-19 would be either a deadly disease for some or a simple respiratory illness for most, its symptoms clearing up in just a matter of weeks. But then tens of millions around the world got sick and stayed sick. With scientists and doctors caught off guard, these Long Covid patients often found solace only with one another, organizing support groups across oceans and continents while ill in bed. In The Long Haul, CNN journalist Ryan Prior weaves his own life, the stories of activist patients, and the latest science into a captivating tale of regular people crying out for care that actually works. What Covid “long haulers” found was that their new illness was not so new. In fact, it resembled other post-viral syndromes: difficult to treat and neglected by science. In riveting and accessible prose, Prior follows an innovative band of patients who took matters into their own hands and researched the disease themselves, thereby flipping the script and illustrating a new paradigm for research. In these unprecedented times, the CDC and the WHO came to them. As Covid continues to circulate, its long-term effects could grow as well, weighing on the healthcare system for decades to come. But, as Prior shows, getting Long Covid treatments right could help revolutionize care for all complex and chronic illnesses.

Scientifically based and emotionally charged, this book demystifies the new epidemic, called 'Long Haulers Syndrome' in America and 'Long Covid' globally. Motivated by the suffering of his own family and friends, investigative journalist Michael Bowker set out to find the truth behind this brutal sequel to COVID-19 that is striking tens of millions of people in the US and worldwide. Bowker conducted exclusive interviews with post-COVID experts from Mount Sinai, Mayo Clinic, the NIH, Johns Hopkins, Stanford University and medical centers worldwide. They unveil the mysteries of the disease and prove the often-debilitating symptoms are biologically based, not psychosomatic. Also included is a look at the research into treatments and cures, patient stories and a review of symptoms and their causes, and a look at the epidemic worldwide. The book is full of profound affirmation and hope for patients.

Understanding the Behavioral and Medical Impact of Long COVID serves to expand the research around the illness in order to enable health care researchers and practitioners to address the questions that are imperative to individuals suffering from this condition. Through its multi-faceted approach, the book puts forth a maturation of research and interventions that are theoretically sound, empirically valid, innovative, and creative in the Long COVID area. As a scholarly and scientific compilation of Long COVID symptoms and related disorders, this book offers unparalleled insight into the critical developments across medical areas treating this illness. It helps to fill the space that the pandemic had created for knowledge of the condition, and contributes to the emerging emphasis on translational research blending the social sciences and biological fields. By putting forth the most optimal medical care practices in the treatment of complex Long COVID symptoms, this practical anthology will serve as a guide for practicing clinicians in assessment as well as treatment. It will also benefit researchers aiming to gain more understanding of Long COVID through its discussion around the critical developments in other medical areas treating the condition, and paves the way for the collaboration and future research needed to best support the global effort to mitigate the effects of this illness. This book will be essential reading for academics, practitioners, and researchers. It will appeal to individuals engaging with the fields of medicine, public policy, psychology, and for researchers looking to gain clarity about our current understanding of Long COVID. It will further be of interest to public/government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and the general public wanting to gain more information about these ambiguous and evasive symptoms.