Handbook for Mortals: Guidance for People Facing Serious Illness

People are living longer today than they were generations ago, and the age that people can expect to reach is getting older all the time.

Living longer, however, usually goes hand-in-hand with higher morbidity levels-- this means the longer we live, the more illnesses we can generally expect to suffer from.

In today's society we have the most advanced technology and medical equipment ever, yet no matter how many operations or how much physical treatment we go through, they cannot help with the psychological effects of the condition which we are trying to tackle.

Any one person suffering from an illness or condition will react to it differently and cope with it in a different way.

Some will look at it as living with an illness, while others will regard their situation as dying from an illness.

No-one but that person can truly know how much control the condition actually has over their lives, and learning to come to terms with it, whether you are the person suffering or caring, can be a very traumatic time.

Being diagnosed with a life-threatening disease immediately brings to mind doom and gloom, and most of all the fear of death.

The sections of this book cover ways to live with a serious illness and how to plan for an uncertain future. It looks at mourning for lost loved ones and finding a way to cope through this difficult time.

It is a book certainly worth reading if you, or someone you know, is undergoing long-term treatment for a serious illness, and helps to view difficult situations in a more positive light.

Included are case studies of people who have experienced these feelings, and inspirational quotes--many from the sufferers themselves--to offer hope and guidance, which gives the book a comforting touch. --Louise Coyle