Vasculitis: Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired

In interest of full disclosure please know that I am one of the physicians mentioned in this book. This is a spectactularly wonderful book for anyone wanting to understand the emotional challenges of having, confronting, and triumphing over a chronic disease. This book will make you think, cry, feel, smile, and laugh. It's a great read and a compelling story that you are likely to want to consume rapidly from cover to cover. I believe this book would be helpful to patients with any chronic disease (not just vasculitis), and would also be very useful to family members and friends. I also believe this book would help medical students, nurses, and phsyicians understand the emotional consequences of having a chronic disease. I have never read a better, more poignant, or funnier book on how a person transitions from illness to healing. David B. Hellmann, M.D. The Johns Hopkins Vasculitis Center

Reading this book made me feel as if my own thoughts & feelings were finally validated! I was amazed to find that others had experienced the same inner stirrings & turmoil that I had! Her husband Ron is the model of how a loving spouse or family member should react to someone they care about dealing with a chronic disease. Those who have loved ones struggling with a diagnosis or illness will gain a unique insight into the hearts and minds of the ones they treasure. Sheri Schwar hits the nail right on the head when it comes to the multi faceted reactions one experiences when diagnosed with a rare disease, from family and friends. It was as if Sheri was deeply in tune with my own personal journey towards acceptance. She literally walked me through my own struggle to come to terms with this very odd, rare disease, Takayasu. Her book has had a tremendous effect on my view of my disease. It has literally transformed my bitterness into a healthy acceptance, and determination to overcome the limits that may lie ahead. Sheri candidly and unselfishly shares the very raw and intimate details of her own discovery of the fragility and immense importance of her own life. Her book awakened my own inner will to survive in spite of all obstacles! Sheri holds back nothing as she bares her heart and soul to the reader!I'd recommend this book to anyone struggling with a chronic disease or life altering condition. It would make a great gift for a caretaker or family member of someone living with a chronic illness. The reader will not be dissapointed! It's the best money I've spent in a long time!

The title of this book is how I feel on a daily basis. Sheri is insightful, compassionate, honest and humble as she writes of her experiences with her chronic illness - Takayasu's Arteritis. I too have TA and felt an instant kinship with Sheri. I now know that I am not alone in what I am going through medically, physically, and emotionally. This book is a great resource for anyone that has learned they have a chronic illness, especially vasculitis.

This book is an eye opener for most doctors and other people close to those with Takayasus Arteritis, or any other autoimmune disease. Sheri must be a very strong person to have endured all she has throughout this rare disease. Even though she has been through hell, Sheri's humor helps make this an enjoyable and informative real life read.

In simple terms, I thought her book was outstanding. It was well written, funny, full of pathos, and most of all, makes one realize how precious life is. Sheri deserves a hand from everyone who lives without pain, sickness, fear of whether one will live tomorrow, and those who are afflicted with a lack of respect for life. JUST READ IT!