A memoir is a self-biographical book, i.e. a book about somebody's life. Many people who have gone through serious life altering disease have written books about their experience, and on my healing journey I've found their stories to be a source of strength, comfort and hope. My own memoir was recently published in Norway and I hope it can inspire others.
Some of the best patient memoirs I've read are both humorous and moving. In "I had brain surgery, what's your excuse?" Suzy Becker writes and illustrates her journey through treatment for brain cancer with startling wit. She describes going through surgery, rehabilitation and how fighting illness and handicaps affects her relationships with family and friends - and also her identity.
I'm currently waiting for Paula Kamen's book "All in my head" - (An Epic Quest to Cure an Unrelenting, Totally Unreasonable, and Only Slightly Enlightening Headache) - which is rumored to be one of the best patient memoirs to be published in recent years, and I'm still very much inspired by Nicole Hemmenway's memoir about her journey from sitting in a wheelchair to running a marathon while living with and overcoming RSD, "No it's NOT in my head".
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