Women, Work, and Autoimmune Disease: Keep Working, Girlfriend!

Over seventy percent of autoimmune diseases occur in women, most frequently during childbearing years - also a woman's peak career years - and so the connection between gender, workplace and health is solid. This is a manual for working women handling chronic pain issues of all kinds: stories of such women blend with discussions of the correlation between disease, career and women's habits to make for an eye-opening analysis any health or women's studies library needs - and many a business collection, as well.

Women, Work, and Autoimmune Disease: Keep Working, Girlfriend! is a wonderful resource for the millions of women living with autoimmune disease--or any other chronic condition that may influence your ability to do your job. Rosalind Joffe and Joan Friedlander have written a thorough and easy to read guide that is practical, pragmatic, and passionate. The authors have combined salient facts and statistics with patient stories and their own experiences in the working world to personalize the dilemmas and decisions so many women face, and their wisdom and insights are affirming and empowering. They explore the most challenging aspects of working with chronic illness--the unpredictability of chronic conditions, misconceptions about the nature of autoimmune diseases, and the emotional and financial benefits of remaining in the workforce--and offer strategies to get people thinking about their options and skills creatively. The idea that working provides a sense of normalcy in an otherwise abnormal situation is repeated often in the book, and with good reason--Joffe and Friedlander have been in the trenches of work and illness and know firsthand the value of a productive job. If you're a patient struggling with how to handle your condition and your job, you'll learn a lot about how to advocate for your needs. A great addition! --Laurie Edwards, author of Life Disrupted: Getting Real about Chronic Illness in Your Twenties and ThirtiesLife Disrupted: Getting Real About Chronic Illness in Your Twenties and Thirties

Anyone living with autoimmune disease knows that the puzzling, chronic-yet-intermittent, and sometimes vague nature of autoimmune symptoms can contribute to a profound sense of isolation. Here is a place to connect. The road to diagnosis alone is often a complex and lengthy journey during which one feels excruciatingly "unique." "Women, Work, and Autoimmune Disease" offers readers the comfort of others' experiences and choices made vis-a-vis the workplace. Rosalind Joffe obviously knows first-hand of which she speaks when it comes to living, working, and thriving through chronic illness. Along with the contributions from Joan Friedlander and excerpts from the many other women interviewed, Joffe shares frankly, touchingly,and by example, her personal and professional victories, as well as disappointments and challenges. In my own work in stress-management, having worked with many clients living with long-term illness, as well as their caregivers, loved ones, and workplace managers, I expect many will find the chapters in which Joffe discusses If, How, and When to disclose and discuss one's illness with current or prospective employers especially helpful. Feeling connected to others who understand unquestionably reduces the chronic stress of chronic illness, and everyday laughter, ongoing relaxation techniques, appropriate levels of activity and healthy nutrition are powerful adjuncts to medical care. While this book was written for women because the majority living with autoimmune disease are women, Joffe and Friedlander's stories and suggestions will apply to men in the work force living with chronic illness as well.Your Present: A Half Hour of Peace

This book is one the best I've ever found for those of us who have chronic illnesses, but want to continue working. It goes beyond the standard "coping tips" to talk bluntly about pacing yourself, searching for a job, keeping a job, negotiating with your employer for accommodations, and being self-employed. Topics like "when do I disclose a disability/illness?" are covered by authors who have extensive personal experience building their careers despite chronic illnesses. The title does refer specifically to women, but I think the book can also be very useful for men. Likewise, there's no reason to limit readership to people with autoimmune diseases. I'll be buying copies to send to some of my friends. I don't plan to let mine out of my sight!

Women, Work and Autoimmune Disease, by Rosalind Joffe and Joan Friedlander, addresses an audience that would seem to be a niche until one comes upon the statistic that 20% of Americans live with chronic illnesses. This book gives women who live with the inconvenience and health issues related to these conditions a resource that is one part pep talk and three parts information and guidance. Joffe and Friedlander cover everything from why it is important for women to keep their careers after being diagnosed to how to manage their time and care schedules with employment obligations. They write about the practical concerns of working despite illness as well as the emotional toll such a decision creates, and offer solutions for how to deal with both the good days and the bad. The information throughout is interspersed with numerous personal stories from both the authors and other women who have experienced the problems and triumphs of making the decision to continue working. All in all, this book is informative, well-written, and an asset to any woman who finds herself in the position of learning to juggle health-issues with career obligations.