Super Sick: Making Peace with Chronic Illness

by Allison Alexander

Overview

Superheroes aren't sick.

They certainly don't have chronic pain, sexual dysfunction, or diarrhea. After all, spandex suits and sudden bowel movements don't mix. Do they?

With raw sincerity and tongue-in-cheek humour, Alexander holds nothing back while discussing how to navigate doctors, dating, sex, friendships, faith, and embarrassing symptoms. Part memoir, part research, part pop culture analysis, Super Sick offers a friendly hand to anyone with chronic illness, a reminder that they aren't alone and have much to offer the world.

With a new foreword, updated information, and bonus materials, this second edition is a must-read for anyone who has-or knows someone who has-a chronic illness.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781777087869
Publisher:	Allison Alexander
Publication date:	05/30/2021
Edition description:	2nd ed. Large Print
Pages:	330
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.88(d)

About the Author

Allison Alexander writes articles, edits sci-fi and fantasy books, and plays video games the rest of the time. She is the incurable author of Super Sick: Making Peace with Chronic Illness, an honest (and occasionally sarcastic) testimony about living with a chronic illness. Allison makes her home in Hoth, a.k.a. Winnipeg, Manitoba, with her husband and their giant collection of tabletop RPG manuals. Find her at aealexander.com.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Fay Onyx

• Superheroes Aren't Sick
• Invalid: A Dirty Word
• Doctor House Knows Best. Sometimes. Maybe.
• Give it One Million Percent
• Friendship and Fire Emblem
• A Depressed Wolf
• In Sickness and Unhealth
• The Question of Children
• Women. Sex. The Moon.
• Fuel for Anxiety.
• If Only I Had More Faith
• The Mass Effect of Religion
• To Have it Over With
• Superheroes Are Sick

Notes

Acknowledgements

Sick Fictional Heroes

Binge-worthy TV shows

Relaxing Video Games

Bonus Material: Five More Sick Heroes and Their Frustrations

Bonus Material: An Interview with Allison Alexander

About the Author

Editorial Reviews

“Allison Alexander uses the many superheroes in our culture to inspire readers not to think of themselves as anything less than super humans even though they may be struggling with their health.”

—Toni Bernhard, author of How to Be Sick and How to Live Well with Chronic Pain and Illness

“Nothing is off the table in this book and I admired Allison’s frankness and honesty about her condition, involving both bladder and bowel, and her journey through dealing with judgement, finding love, managing work, and balancing illness with sexual desires. I highly recommend this refreshing, original and immensely helpful read!”

—Joy H. Selak, Author of You Don’t LOOK Sick! Living Well with Invisible Chronic Illness

“Warm and down to earth, Super Sick offers real talk about the ordinary heroism of living with a chronic illness—from dating to navigating a medical system that often dismisses women's pain. It is a window into the difficulties of being sick in a culture that valourizes health and a much-needed challenge to that culture.”

—Maya Dusenbery, author of Doing Harm: The Truth About How Bad Medicine and Lazy Science Leave Women Dismissed, Misdiagnosed, and Sick

"“Allison Alexander's memoir runs seamlessly across a gamut of issues from the mundane of daily living to sex and love to the sublime of spiritual and personal development questions, and I cannot imagine going through an experience like hers, or caring for someone that is, and not reading this lovely book.”

—Kelsey Crowe, Ph. D., Co-Author of There Is No Good Card for This: What To Say and Do When Life Is Scary, Awful, and Unfair to People You Love

“Allison Alexander’s take on being chronically sick is insightful, creative, and engrossing, which makes it hard to put down. She lightens the mood and makes palatable what is normally a very serious subject by weaving together superhero and pop culture references with her unique, humourous voice and keen observations.”

—Kira Lynne, Professional Counsellor, Psychotherapist, Author of Aches, Pains, and Love: A Guide to Dating and Relationships for Those with Chronic Pain and Illness

“A must-read for people new to the world of chronic illness. Alexander weaves her story, the experience of others, and the portrayal of illness and disability in pop culture into a narrative that truly illustrates what it means to live with a chronic condition.”

—Jordan Davidson, Managing Editor at The Mighty

“A validating read for anyone living with a debilitating illness—and a much-needed course for health care professionals, who still aren’t taught how to see the extraordinary expertise our patients bring so that we might support and empower them with dignity and respect.”

—Veronique Mead, MD, MA, Blogger at Chronic Illness Trauma Studies

From the Publisher