Description
Book SynopsisReifying Women''s Experiences with Invisible Illness: Illusions, Delusions, Reality provides a platform that recognizes that the experience of invisible illness is greatly influenced by context and personal circumstance. The contributors to this book include women who exude diversity as it relates to race and ethnicity, career, religious experience, education, social support, and interpersonal relationships. From recent college graduates to senior level professionals, these women share stories that create a space to advocate on behalf of the individual who is chronically ill rather than focusing on the often privileged perspective of medical professionals.
Trade ReviewThis book reflects a unique effort to capture the diverse factors that contribute to health at the systematic, cultural, and relational levels. Vital topics such as clinical experiences, family experiences, and social experiences come together to demonstrate how we can take agency in supporting improved health outcomes personally and across systems. The chapters represent a thoughtful and relatable approach to engagement and social justice for health. -- Jennifer Edwards, Walden University
As a Black woman, school psychologist, and adult education scholar, I think very deeply about how the learning and identity development of historically marginalized groups are inextricably tied to their physical bodies and their communities. Upon reading Reifying Women’s Experiences with Invisible Illness, I was encouraged to see the editors’ shared value of giving voice to those who are often silenced. Ultimately, this book is a counternarrative to traditional ways of thinking about invisible illnesses, as it skillfully merges the personal and the collective by problematizing how illness intersects with various other identities. -- Amber M. Sessoms, Nationally Certified School Psychologist
Reifying Women's Experiences with Invisible Illness highlights heroic women, representing a multicultural perspective on being a professional woman and living with an invisible chronic disease, while simultaneously providing the tools to overcome, and offering hope for a bright future... -- Latinia Shell, Diversity Works-Counseling, Supervision, Consultation, Training
Table of ContentsContents Foreword: Communicating from/as/with the Body Laura Ellingson Introduction: Not an Illusion Kesha Morant Williams Chapter 1: My Sister’s Keeper: Sibling Social Support and Chronic Illness Kesha Morant Williams Chapter 2: Temporal Reflections of UC Remission: An Autoethnography of Body Image & Acceptance Nicole Defenbaugh Chapter 3: A Semblance of Normalcy: Social Isolation and the Burden of Looking Well Hannah Thyberg Chapter 4: Transparency and Disclosure: Tools for Building Trust and Confidence Emily Pfender Chapter 5: An Unexpected Road to Discovery: Finding One’s Self in the Midst of Uncertainty Launick Saint-Fort Chapter 6: When Lifestage Matters: A Narrative Account of a Pregnancy-Related Invisible Illness Eletra Gilchrist Petty Chapter 7: Reframing Personal and Professional Identity in Connection to “Ability” Cerise L. Glenn Chapter 8: Duty, Honor, Country…sickness: Finding Strength in my Personal Battle with Gulf War Illness Elizabeth Desnoyer-Colas Chapter 9: Complicit in Concealing Illness: Black Women, Beauty, Identity, and Breast Cancer Annette Matlock Gatison Chapter 10: The Enemy at the Door: My Friend’s Silent Battle to Breast Cancer Wei Sun About the Contributors
