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Keeping It Real with Arthritis: Stories from Around the World
Featuring over 100 worldwide, personal stories written by passionate and inspiring individuals living with arthritis, and their supporters; parents, caretakers, and medical professionals.
Ranging from heartfelt, hopeful, motivating, and empowering to heart-wrenchingly eye-opening, these stories shine a light on not only the realities of everyday life with arthritis, but other chronic illnesses and varying levels of disabilities that can occur in tandem with arthritis.
Readers will get a first-hand look at the good, the bad, and everything in between, from those who are experts in lived experience and clinical matters. This book is not only a collective effort to raise awareness that arthritis is more than just a disorder that affects the joints, or explain people of all ages get arthritis.
But most importantly, how arthritis is only an umbrella term for over 100 different forms of arthritis, and related conditions, that impact all areas of life in profound ways, from physical limitations, mental health, social lives, relationships, faith and spirituality, finances, and work and career life balance.
Ranging from heartfelt, hopeful, motivating, and empowering to heart-wrenchingly eye-opening, these stories shine a light on not only the realities of everyday life with arthritis, but other chronic illnesses and varying levels of disabilities that can occur in tandem with arthritis.
Readers will get a first-hand look at the good, the bad, and everything in between, from those who are experts in lived experience and clinical matters. This book is not only a collective effort to raise awareness that arthritis is more than just a disorder that affects the joints, or explain people of all ages get arthritis.
But most importantly, how arthritis is only an umbrella term for over 100 different forms of arthritis, and related conditions, that impact all areas of life in profound ways, from physical limitations, mental health, social lives, relationships, faith and spirituality, finances, and work and career life balance.
241 pages, Hardcover
Published December 6, 2022
1605 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 16, 2022
100 writers contributing their story about life with arthritis? Yes, please!
Stories about all different kinds of arthritis? Yes, please!
Accounts of life with arthritis from patients who were diagnosed as children to patients in their senior years? YES, PLEASE!
Realizing that you are, indeed, not alone as you read through these stories and hear patients describing the exact same thoughts you have about your own life with arthritis? HELL YES!
These are just a few things to keep in mind when you start reading this book.
This book features all kinds of patients from all over the world. Want to read about someone in Taiwan? AHEM? Effie has you covered.
Want to learn what treatment is like for arthritis patients in the UK? Effie has you covered.
Are you feeling alone and like no one understands what your life is like with arthritis? Well, after reading this book, you won’t feel that way anymore. You’ll realize that what you’re going through is shared by so many other arthritis patients around the world. We know what you’re going through. We understand how hard it is. And while all of our journeys are different and no two cases look alike, there are still many strong similarities with arthritis that will have you nodding your head in agreement and saying, ‘Hey, that’s me. That happened to me. I’m living that right now.’
Every single story in this book is heartwarming and impactful and it’s going to tug at those heart strings. And to show you what I’m talking about, I’ve pulled some amazing quotes from this book that are still bringing a lump to my throat because I didn’t realize how badly I needed to see these comments after coming out of remission with autoimmune arthritis for the 4th time in 14 years!
Suffice to say, this book was released with perfect timing and will carry me through the holiday season. Please make your purchase and help us find a cure!
YOU ARE NOT ALONE ON YOUR ARTHRITIS JOURNEY!
Stories about all different kinds of arthritis? Yes, please!
Accounts of life with arthritis from patients who were diagnosed as children to patients in their senior years? YES, PLEASE!
Realizing that you are, indeed, not alone as you read through these stories and hear patients describing the exact same thoughts you have about your own life with arthritis? HELL YES!
These are just a few things to keep in mind when you start reading this book.
This book features all kinds of patients from all over the world. Want to read about someone in Taiwan? AHEM? Effie has you covered.
Want to learn what treatment is like for arthritis patients in the UK? Effie has you covered.
Are you feeling alone and like no one understands what your life is like with arthritis? Well, after reading this book, you won’t feel that way anymore. You’ll realize that what you’re going through is shared by so many other arthritis patients around the world. We know what you’re going through. We understand how hard it is. And while all of our journeys are different and no two cases look alike, there are still many strong similarities with arthritis that will have you nodding your head in agreement and saying, ‘Hey, that’s me. That happened to me. I’m living that right now.’
Every single story in this book is heartwarming and impactful and it’s going to tug at those heart strings. And to show you what I’m talking about, I’ve pulled some amazing quotes from this book that are still bringing a lump to my throat because I didn’t realize how badly I needed to see these comments after coming out of remission with autoimmune arthritis for the 4th time in 14 years!
Suffice to say, this book was released with perfect timing and will carry me through the holiday season. Please make your purchase and help us find a cure!
YOU ARE NOT ALONE ON YOUR ARTHRITIS JOURNEY!
December 20, 2023
This is an amazing collection of real life patients talking about arthritis. Their real stories about living with arthritis of all forms: RA, AS, AxSpa, OA, and more. These are stories about their struggles, victories, concerns, relationships, and, of course, healthcare.
If you are an arthritis patient looking to hear stories about people just like you, and feel like part of a larger community, I highly recommend this book!
If you are an arthritis patient looking to hear stories about people just like you, and feel like part of a larger community, I highly recommend this book!
December 2, 2022
This book is important reminder that those of us with autoimmune arthritis are never truly as alone as we might sometimes feel like we are. We are a large, diverse, mighty community. I am grateful to have been able to contribute to this work.
January 5, 2024
This is such a lovely compilation of real stories and individuals who are living with arthritis. Effie did an amazing job in putting this book together, and shining a light on the many types of arthritis. Every person in this book has their own journey, and are featured with their pictures.
March 25, 2025
This is an empowering compilation of stories and real-life experiences of arthritis patients and caregivers. The book is helpful for those who are newly diagnosed so that they can gain insight and inspiration, and those who are already established in their journey so that they can be reminded of the amazing community of people that exist all around the world. Keeping It Real with Arthritis is organized into sections such as “arthritis supporter”, “mental health”, “physical”, to make it easy to flip to sections that are most relevant for the reader. I highly recommend this book for arthritis patients, caregivers, and those who want to learn more about arthritis or chronic illness.
February 6, 2023
As a contributed author and arthritis patient, I must admit this is most helpful book about arthritis, because 100 patients gathered and write own experiences how to fight with this hard chronic illness from every aspect.
Wish I could have an opportunity to read this kind of book 11 years ago when diagnozed first time. I truly believe it will help to patients around the world to get insight how it looks like to live with this kind of desease and what can help them to still live better.
Wish I could have an opportunity to read this kind of book 11 years ago when diagnozed first time. I truly believe it will help to patients around the world to get insight how it looks like to live with this kind of desease and what can help them to still live better.
April 13, 2023
This book is such a wonderful compilation of different arthritis stories. Stories from parents/caregivers, kids, young adults and adults in all stages of life telling their story and how living with Arthritis has meant for them. Diagnosed as a kid in the 90s I felt lonely and like I was the only one. You feel the warmth from each contributor knowing you are not alone.
June 3, 2023
This book was very inspiring and helpful to me as somebody newly diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. The stories from around the world show it's possible to lead a full and engaged life with this illness. Thank you Effie <3
March 2, 2023
Incredible insight from people around the world living with or loving someone with arthritis. A must read and share with friends and family
March 20, 2023
A must read. For those with arthritis, you will feel seen. For those that don’t, you will find strength to handle your life or help a friend.
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January 17, 2024local author 🤟🏽
February 11, 2024
This is such a powerful book for anyone who has any type of arthritis (that's a lot more types and a lot more people than you'd imagine) or anyone who cares about someone with any type of arthritis (that's basically everyone else) ... so I guess that means it's just a powerful book.
Full disclosure: I wrote one of the stories included in the book, and it was truly empowering (and fun) to be a part of such an important project. But so much more valuable than my 2 pages are the other 118 stories. You'll laugh with us, and cry with us, and get a better understanding of what it's like to live with arthritis. And if you already know because you're living with it yourself, you will know that you are not alone. There's a whole world full of people who have the same struggles, the same fears, and the same hopes ... and you can reach that world through the pages of this book.
~🦋
Full disclosure: I wrote one of the stories included in the book, and it was truly empowering (and fun) to be a part of such an important project. But so much more valuable than my 2 pages are the other 118 stories. You'll laugh with us, and cry with us, and get a better understanding of what it's like to live with arthritis. And if you already know because you're living with it yourself, you will know that you are not alone. There's a whole world full of people who have the same struggles, the same fears, and the same hopes ... and you can reach that world through the pages of this book.
~🦋
May 31, 2023
Finally, a book that makes me feel less alone. I cried reading some of the stories. Thank you for writing this book about arthritis and living and thriving through the pain!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews