This is the second book by this author that I have read. I am amazed at how helpful her books are to me. Even before I finished this book, I was recommending it to people I knew. I even bought a copy to send my dad. I found this book to be accurate and very helpful to me. I have an autoimmune disorder that I was diagnosed with when I was an infant. I, (along with my family), have been dealing with it since. My mother once told me that at one point she was being told I would die before the year ended, (this was told to her for several years in a row with my death being predicted each year). I cannot fathom being told my child would not survive the year. I can only imagine the horror and anxiety my mother lived with. In addition to my illness, my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. My dad is dealing with diabetes. My older brother has cirrhosis of the liver. My dad is their main caregiver, (which is why I bought a copy of this book for him). These were the reasons why I chose to review this book.
In my opinion, this book should be in every home. I do not believe that there is anyone who does not know of someone who has a chronic illness. We deal with it as family members, friends, doctors, nurses and caregivers. Sometimes those titles intersect. I cannot think of anyone this book would not offer some help to. I read the book start to finish. I think it will work fine if you jump around, picking and choosing when a chapter fits with your situation. At the end of each chapter, the author has included a coping checklist. I love these. They highlight what each chapter contains, making them invaluable when sharing with someone else. These checklist, along with the invaluable advice in the chapters, made me realize that this is a book I will use over and over again. Sometimes reading it as a whole but more often reading chapters as needed. It is a book that I recommend having space on your shelf for, with some journal books to write in. Over the past week I have used it, along with a journal, to learn more about myself and how I am coping, not only with others illness but also in dealing with mine. I have learned much of how I respond to my own illness and what is realistic to expect from others. I do not want to burden others with my expectations nor do I want to push aside my needs. The most valuable advice you can take from this book is to take care of yourself. You cannot take care of others unless you are able to. If you are stressed out or fall ill, you will not be able to help anyone else. Taking care of yourself is your top priority. The book ends with a chapter on grief. I found this chapter, along with the chapter on PTSD, especially enlightening. They are two areas I have struggled with for awhile.
If you aren't sure this book is for you, I encourage you to borrow it from your local library. See if it will help you. When you know how much it will help you, you can always buy your own copy. I'm thinking you will read it as I did and then want a hard copy of it.
I read an ecopy of this book through BookTasters. The author gave a copy of it for review consideration. I bought a copy because I needed it. ( )

When Someone You Love Has a Chronic Illness is a book of sound advice for those who are caring for an ailing loved one.
In the course of reading this volume you’ll learn:
• How to conduct yourself around the sick person
(How to offer assistance without seeming insincere, and avoid making potentially hurtful remarks)

• How to conduct yourself around others
(How best to deal with insensitive or brusque doctors, friends & family who expect constant updates on the patient’s condition, or who avoid the patient out of embarrassment or an irrational of fear contagion)

• How to interpret your loved one’s behavior
(Why your loved one may refuse to follow their doctor’s advice, talk about their illness, or accept your compassion)

• How to take care of yourself
(The relative merits of support groups, counseling, deep breathing techniques, and mourning rituals)
This is a brief, but thorough little book. I found it easy to read and jargon-free. Each chapter is followed by a helpful coping checklist and a bibliography. I’d recommend this to anyone with a sick parent or spouse without reservation.