Book Review: “The Lady’s Handbook for Her Mysterious Illness: a Memoir”

Thank you @doubledaybooks for the free copy of “The Lady’s Handbook for Her Mysterious Illness” by Sarah Ramey!

The darkly funny memoir of Sarah Ramey’s years-long battle with a mysterious illness that doctors thought was all in her head–but wasn’t. A revelation & an inspiration for millions of women whose legitimate health complaints are ignored.

In her harrowing, defiant, & unforgettable memoir, Sarah Ramey recounts the decade-long saga of how a seemingly minor illness in her senior year of college turned into a prolonged & elusive condition that destroyed her health but that doctors couldn’t diagnose or treat. Worse, as they failed to cure her, they hinted that her devastating symptoms were psychological.

“The Lady’s Handbook for Her Mysterious Illness” is a memoir with a mission, to help the millions of (mostly) women who suffer from unnamed or misunderstood conditions: autoimmune illnesses like fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic Lyme disease, chronic pain, & many more. Ramey’s pursuit of a diagnosis & cure for her own mysterious illness becomes a page-turning medical mystery that reveals a new understanding of today’s chronic illnesses as ecological in nature, driven by modern changes to the basic foundations of health, from the quality of our sleep, diet, & social connection to the state of our microbiomes. Her book will open eyes, change lives, & ultimately change medicine.

When I saw that this book was coming out on 3/17, I couldn’t get it fast enough. (Thanks again, Doubleday!) My daughter & I have both been struggling with a lot of the same “invisible” & “mysterious” illnesses that many Dr’s straight up refuse to properly diagnose (I gained 30 lbs in a matter of 2 yrs with no dietary changes or lack of activity, & it took 3 Dr’s for one to finally do the right blood work only to find out that I have Hashimoto’s autoimmune thyroid, on top of my already diagnosed fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, EBV & insulin resistance.)

The struggle is REAL. People don’t SEE your invisible illness so they assume you are making your pain up. Nah, girl, some of us just smile through the pain & are real good at hiding it.

I LOVED the style of this book so much! A little dark & sarcastic (like me!), raw, un-sugar-coated, poignant, insightful, well-written, & for all those out there who struggle to be heard by the people that are PAID to listen to us, this book is for YOU! The hysterical women who long to be heard & LISTENED to. This book was so relatable & I know all you women will LOVE it & relate on some level as well!

Click HERE to add the book to your Goodreads list.

Click HERE to find it and/or pre-order it from an indie book store.

Click HERE to pre-order it on audiobook from Libro.fm and use my special code MOMLOVESREADING to get a 3-for-1 audiobook deal.

PS…Don’t forget to enter my current giveaway (2 winners), by clicking HERE.