MSI Press Blog

Joanna Charnas’s  latest book,  100 Tips and Tools for Managing Chronic Illness,  recently came to my attention. This book is short and filled with tips and ideas.  Library Journal  calls it, “An excellent resource worthy of multiple reads. For those with a determined spirit during discouraging times.” Actually, after reading through the book, I think that most of us are “chronically human” and can benefit from most, if not all, of the suggestions. It would even by a nice Mother’s Day or birthday gift. Joanna has personal experience with chronic illness, have been ill for seventeen years before she learned it was a condition that had no cure. Following the publication of her first book, Joanna spent two years as a  Huffington Post blogger, and she currently writes articles for an international health website. Her first book,  Living Well With Chronic Illness,  was an American Book Fest Finalist in the “Health: General” category of the 2017 Best Book Awards. I like the siz

 In honor of Caturday, we are sharing a picture of Joanna Charnas's foster failure. It probably is difficult to give up a foster cat -- one gets attached. To get a better understanding about Joanna, read her book, A Movie Lover's Search for Romance .  A diverting and informative story of searching for love in mid-life by a divorced social worker, who intertwines entertaining stories of successful love interests with well-known movies containing similar plots and themes. Written as diary entries covering a 15-year period, the author shares openly, in detail, and with insights her experiences with dating, friendships, affairs, and relationships. Written candidly with a light hand and turns of phrase that reflect her personality and make the book hard to put down. Joanna has also written award-winning non-fiction about coping with chronic illness. Check out: Managing chronic illness demands constant mindfulness and management. It’s a process that constantly evolves over a lifetime

Being sick is the pits! The authors of these recommended books know. They are not only experts; they have also lived the experience. Read one, read them all! They are available at discount from MSI Press webstore (use code FF25 for a 25% discount). All are available on Kindle. How to Be a Good Mommy When You're Sick Soon after receiving her Bachelor's Degree, Dr. Emily Graves was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis and given a prognosis that she would be confined to a wheelchair within ten years. Shortly thereafter, pregnant with her first and only child, Emily's kidneys shut down. Thus, began a new chapter in Emily's life: balancing chronic illness, motherhood, and the professional ambitions that had caused her to excel as an academic and meet her husband. Today she is still fighting chronic illness, but she has found some answers as to how to manage that fight while being a good mother and spouse and continuing to pursue her professional ambitions. In this

  Today's back story is about the book, Living Well with Chronic Illness by Joanna Charnas From the author: In the mid to late 1990s, I was particularly sick with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, an illness I’d lived with since I was nineteen. During these years, I had several run-ins with large bureaucracies, including the Massachusetts Department of Motor Vehicles and Harvard Community Health Plan, the largest HMO in the state. After I’d successfully obtained the services I needed, I’d tell my father about these confrontations, carefully leaving the distress they’d caused me out of the narrative. My father repeatedly responded, “You ought to write about that.” I was a Social Worker for a large AIDS service organization at the time, and my reply was always, “My experiences aren’t unique. My clients often encounter these same problems.” We had some version of this conversation for a couple of years. At the same time, I had an otherworldly feeling I should be writing something. I’d been p

Author: Joanna Charnas Books:  100 Tips and Tools for Managing Chronic Illness Living Well with Chronic Illness Date of Interview: August 20, 2018 Joanna Charnas has authored two books published by MSI Press. Meet the author! Who are you? What do you want readers to know about you? I've been a social worker for thirty years, and I have clinical licenses to practice psychotherapy in two states. My books are based on my professional experience with patients and my personal experience managing my own chronic illness . Why are you qualified to write this book? I've been ill since I was nineteen years old, and I've learned over the years how to have a happy life while struggling with illness. I've also listened to my patients and understand what they find helpful. What is the message of your book? What should be the take-away by readers? The message of my books is that it is possible to have a good life while chronically ill

  Today's daily excerpt comes from 100 Tips and Tools for Managing Chronic Illness by Joanna Charnas.  11.  A SLICE OF CANINE HEAVEN             When Emme died, I struggled to find the right words of condolence for her owner, my colleague Matt. I finally told him that rarely are my expectations of great things completely fulfilled, but my day with Emme exceeded my hopes and was a joy. Emme was a 170-pound Great Dane who spent one hot summer day, per Matt, “babysitting” me when I was homebound with a sinus infection. I’d been sick in June with a similar illness, and when I returned to work, Matt offered to bring Emme to my home the next time I felt ill. He knew I loved Great Danes but couldn’t own one because of my chronic illness. So, during my second week-long bout that summer with sinus issues, I gave Matt a call. At six-thirty the next day, he arrived with Emme and the largest dog bed I’d ever seen.  After an hour of anxiously checking my front door, Emme settled in. She was th

Joanna Charnas, author of Living Well with Chronic Illness and 100 Tips and Tools for Managing Chronic Illness,   at first thought that she culd not travel from San Diego to New Delhi, given her state of chronic illness  So, she turned down multiple invitations from a friend in India to visit. Then, her nephew married a young woman from Delhi, and the compelling desire to see their wedding took over in spite of concerns about the level of medical care available in India, And she found -- joy in the experience. Read about her experience in her post in yoursnews.india: You Will Dance: Finding Joy in an Indian Wedding . Read more posts by and about Joanna Charnas here :

Happy Mother's Day! It is always important and gratifying to find a reason for joy in the midst of troubled times! And, if you have some reading time, here are some books written especially for mothers: 108 Yoga and Self-Care Practices for Busy Mama s by Julie Gentile Mama, do you find yourself too busy to take good care of yourself? Whatever your situation, you deserve spectacular health and wellness. With Julie M. Gentile as your personal wellness mentor, this book coaches you along your own authentic self-care path. Using 108 writing prompts and self-care practices, including yoga poses, meditations, and breathing exercises, Julie shows you practical ways to live well that only a mama modern would understand. Become the self-care goddess you truly want to be—you’re worth it! How to Be a Good Mother When You're Sick: A Guide to Motherhood with Chronic Illness by Dr. Emily Graves Soon after receiving her Bachelor’s Degree, Emily Graves was diagnosed w

  Excerpt from Living Well with Chronic Illness (Charnas) - Hard Decisions, Mistakes, and Choices What was I doing, sitting on the floor in a short, white skirt in the jury room of the Boston courthouse? I’d lost my mind. I’d been called for jury duty and badly wanted to serve. I thought if I dressed up a little, I might improve my chances. I hadn’t been feeling well, but I disregarded this in my desire to sit on a jury. I put on my knee-length skirt and sweater set and merrily set off.  The chairs in the jury-pool room were hard and uncomfortable. I sat there for a long time. After a couple hours, I began to feel lightheaded and weak. This should’ve been my clue to request dismissal from the jury pool. Instead, I thought I might feel better if I put my feet up, so I rested them on an empty chair. That didn’t help. I continued to feel worse and began having trouble sitting up. Other people were sitting on the floor, so in my short, winter-white outfit, I lowered myself and leaned again

  excerpt from 100 Tips and Tools for Managing Chronic Illness (Charnas) -- Chapter 3. FACING SETBACKS   Tip #22. MOVIES FIRST   On a recent Saturday morning, I desperately wanted to go to the movies, but I had a long list of chores and errands I’d convinced myself I should finish first. I often worry that if I don’t accomplish tasks when I plan them, they won’t be done in time. That morning I decided they all could wait. Sometimes when you live with chronic illness and its complex demands, you need to step back from the daily grind of managing your illness and simply enjoy life. After the bargain matinee, I left the theater ready to face my long list of chores. When we don’t relax or take time to enjoy our lives when we’re able to, we run the risk of losing out on some of life’s pleasures, which are already frequently circumscribed by illness. Creating balance between what we must do to remain functional and enjoying our lives is a constant challenge. Don’t forget to do w