Sunday, February 27, 2011

Chocolate & Vicodin By Jennette Fulda

I finished a new book today.


It took me a total of 3 days to read it through.  Once I started, I just could not stop.  I related to Jennette the second I opened the book...while not on the weight and food aspects...but definately on the headache front.  I saw so much of myself while reading it.  She, just like my fellow blogger friends, made me feel so not alone in my chronic pain and quest for pain relief.

I particularly enjoyed her no nonsense, sometimes sarcastic attitude and brutal honesty.

What really resonated with me while reading the book were her stories of feeling lonely and isolated in her suffering and no one really understanding her invisable illness...including doctors.  Also, that people automatically think you are all better just because you're getting through the day without curling up in a ball and crying out loud (at least in public)...when in reality...we are crying...we are screaming and crying on the inside...and we are sobbing behind closed doors.  We are getting through the day because we have to. We are getting through the day because we are popping multiple pills and doing ridiculous procedures just to do so.  Then when that day is over...we are holed up in dark rooms, with ice packs on our heads, praying to be able to push through the pain tomorrow.

A MUST read for all chronic pain sufferers or friends & family of chronic pain sufferers...even for someone who just wants to understand what literal hell it is to have an unrelenting headache every. single. day.

By the way...I totally wanna eat one of those chocolate cupcakes with all the pretty little feel-good pills on top!

13 comments:

Emily said...

I'm glad to hear your opinion on it; for some reason this book didn't really interest me. Which is, of course, surprising, since I love to read, and I have chronic migraines! I'll have to give it a shot. :)

Jessica said...

Lately I have been really into memoirs....esp ones on persistent headache!

All In My Head by Paula Kamen was good too.

Migrainista said...

I didn't even realize there were memoirs of people like us with persistent headaches. Sounds like a great book!

Shauna said...

Dear Jess,

I saw your comment on my post about those in Chronic Pain acting certain ways and how we have The Face, (the one in which we LOOK ok, but are certainly NOT ok!), and am so glad to see that you are part of Jennette's book tour!! I have the honor of hosting her book tomorrow on my blog.

I love your review of her book. I also was not able to put it down once I picked it up!! It really is amazing to read people that are feeling exactly as we do. It is not easy to meet people in person that share a Pain-filled life; and I am so glad that you and I have crossed paths...especially being nurses with pain in common!!

Your blog looks great honey!! (In response to your post in which you are wanting to change the layout)...I like it!!

Gentle Hugs to my blogging-nurse friend----<3 I hope your day is full of low-pain hours!!

Heather said...

I will have to get that book. thanks for letting me know about that book! I hope today is a better day for you!

Diana Lee said...

I loved it, too. I'm giving away at copy at my blog, Somebody Heal Me, if anyone wants to come enter to win a copy!

Jessica said...

Hey Shauna! I'm not officially a part of Jennette's book tour...I just decided to write a little review on my own because I related so much to her struggle with not headaches...but one constant headache that never goes away. So much of what she talked about sounds exactly like me and what I've gone through. I have taken such drastic measures to ease my pain, including severing nerves in my head for goodness sake! I've said it before...I hate the fact that others go through what I go through...but it is also comforting to know so many of you understand...and knowing we are not alone helps tremendously!

Heather said...

GREAT book! I interviewed Jennette last week and I'll be posting it tomorrow. Jennette is an amazing writer and it was refreshing to talk with someone going through the same thing as me. I hadn't read many, if any, "memoir" type headache books before this one but I'm going to have to start reading more of them!

Jessica said...

Heather...read "All in My Head"....it's pretty good too!

Photos By Mamie said...

love that cupcake. before i was sick i looked down on people that were addicted to pain/rx meds. now i totally understand.

Jessica said...

Becoming chronically ill and having the need to take pain medication definately opens your mind to alot.

Jennette Fulda said...

Thanks for the great review, Jessica! I'm glad you liked the memoir, though of course I'm sad you've had experiences that made you relate to it. Thanks for supporting the book. Take care!

Sue said...

I'm about half way through the book and I LOVE it. It's so honest and, yes, it makes me feel so much less alone in the fist of the Headache Monster.

thanks for this review!