Tales From the Dry Side: The Personal Stories Behind the Autoimmune Illness Sjögren's Syndrome

by Christine Molloy

Tales From the Dry Side: The Personal Stories Behind the Autoimmune Illness Sjögren's Syndrome
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Tales From the Dry Side: The Personal Stories Behind the Autoimmune Illness Sjögren's Syndrome

by Christine Molloy

Published Nov 22, 2013
170 Pages
Genre: HEALTH & FITNESS / Diseases & Conditions / Immune & Autoimmune



 

Book Details

Inspiring, Enlightening Memoirs of a Challenging Illness


Like most people, you may never have heard of Sjögren’s syndrome, an autoimmune disease that affects moisture-producing glands in the body. Or you may have a friend or relative who is dealing with this often debilitating chronic illness. No matter who you are, Tales From the Dry Side is an invaluable educational tool. Approximately four million people in the United States have Sjögren’s syndrome, which is extremely difficult to diagnose, and even more difficult to treat. People with Sjögren’s often go undiagnosed for years, their symptoms dismissed by doctors or classified as psychosomatic. All the while, the patient is increasingly unable to participate in daily life. Written by Sjögren’s sufferers from various regions of the United States and Canada, Tales From the Dry Side brings you thirteen courageous men and women who share their journey with diagnosis, symptoms, and treatment of Sjögren’s, as well as candid portraits of how this illness has affected their families, their personal lives, and their careers. This book brings hope and comfort to the millions suffering from Sjögren’s syndrome and to those who suffer from any of the eighty other identified autoimmune diseases, as well as to anyone faced with overwhelming obstacles.

“Books like this are a wonderful opportunity to have the Sjögren’s story come to life. I am humbled by those patients that are willing to tell their story. Women and men who are willing to stand up, share their struggles and their triumphs as they manage this confusing and common, yet unknown disease.” – Steven Taylor, Chief Executive Officer, Sjögren’s Syndrome Foundation

 

Book Excerpt

Sample text:

Introduction

Imagine for a second what your life would be like if every day, you had to carry a bottle of eye drops with you everywhere you went and you had to use those drops every hour, stopping what you were doing to protect those precious windows to your soul. Imagine for a second what your life would be like if every day, every single movement of your body produced agonizing joint pain and you could no longer participate in the daily activities of your life. Imagine for a second what your life would be like if every day, you struggled to catch your breath while walking or trying to climb a flight of stairs. Finally, imagine that you were so sick on the inside, yet appeared so healthy on the outside, that people thought you were making it all up.

 

About the Author

Christine Molloy

Christine Molloy, a writer, registered nurse,and Sjögren's patient, is a native of Western Massachusetts, where she currently resides with her husband Chuck. She has two stepchildren, Stephanie and Dan, as well as a granddaughter, Rory. Christine graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She is the author of the blog For Everything There Is a Season (www.christinemolloy.com). Her greatest hope is that this collection of essays will help ease the suffering of those who are on the challenging journey of living with Sjögren’s syndrome.