A review by thepaperwitch
What Doesn't Kill You: A Life with Chronic Illness - Lessons from a Body in Revolt by Tessa Miller

challenging dark emotional informative medium-paced

4.0

An in-depth look at what it means to have IBD and Crohn's disease. Of course, this is one perspective, but it is very eye-opening and informative. It is memoir-like in her journey through her diagnosis, flairs, and recessions, but it also shows the numerous hardships and barriers that the healthcare system in America has that makes treatment difficult--and this is from a person with a lot of privilege compared to most of the country. There are a number of adjacent issues that people with chronic illnesses have to deal with, especially relating to their mental health, and I really appreciated that she dives into these issues. The book also has appendixes that focus on navigating these issues including: reporting a doctor, finding a good therapist, mental health resources, chronic illness and anxiety, how to talk about mental health medication, chronic illness and depression, medical PTSD, and wrongful termination. 

Pick this up if you or someone you know deals with chronic illness and/or IBD or Crohn's disease specifically. I'd also recommend it to anyone looking to learn a little bit more about the chronic illness perspective. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness

Moderate: Medical content and Medical trauma

Minor: Eating disorder, Excrement, Grief, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

It's a book about specific chronic illnesses, so it is going to be discussing that in a straightforward way, but it is not vulgar.