The Book (and a bit of an explanation)

November is National Blog Post Month.

It is also:
Native American Heritage Month
Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month
COPD Awareness Month
National Novel Writing Month
Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month
American Diabetes Month
Lung Cancer Awareness Month
Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis Awareness Month
National Pomegranate Month
National Homeless Youth Awareness Month
Movember (in aid of prostate cancer research)
and International Drum Month

Most of those are entirely beside the point, but happy November anyway.

My reason for telling you that it's National Blog Post Month is by way of explanation for what is about to happen. Those nice people over at WeGo Health have suggested 30 different health-related blog topics; one for each day of November, and still being a bit of a newby in the blogosphere, I've decided to participate.

The first challenge is to come up with five working titles for an as-yet-unwritten book by yours truly.

1. The Uncertainty Principle:
Living with chronic health problems can be an unpredictable business. Even the very best laid plans can be thwarted at the last minute by pain, fatigue, or other symptoms. A severe flare-up or hospital admission can upset plans for days or weeks at a time. Yet we live in a society that runs according to schedule, which is full of deadlines and appointments, and in which unreliability can be seen as unforgivable. This book is full of real-life examples and practical tips to help people with chronic illnesses and their families balance the varied demands of illness and the outside world.

2. The Chaos Theory:
The world of chronic illness is full of important numbers: blood test results, drug doses, hospital patient ID numbers, telephone numbers for specialists, lung function results. The world of chronic illness is also full of long words, important dates and times, and paperwork. In an emergency, or when illness impairs mental clarity, recalling all these important details can be next to impossible. This book will guide you through the process of creating your own set of detailed medical records for reference, along with a concise emergency file containing the most important medical information.

3. Thank You for Today:
In this fast-paced world it can be easy to forget to notice the people and things around us that are beautiful and special. When every day revolves around symptoms, medication, testing, appointments and all the emotions that go alongside the practical aspects of chronic illness, everything else can fall by the wayside. Taking time for gratitude, and planning pleasurable moments into each day can shift the focus away from the illness and back to the person underneath the illness. It's all about you!

4. Capturing the Moment:
Those of us with chronic illness are probably not going to get better. We are not 'out of the game' for a day or a week, but for months or years. Some of us are going to die before 'our time'. How can we find ways to participate in life as fully as possible, while still making sensible health-related decisions and managing our symptoms to the best of our ability? We may not be able to get outside to see holiday decorations, host a large gathering, or eat special seasonal meals, but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't celebrate. This book brings both ordinary and extraordinary celebrations into the home, and provides ideas and suggestions about recording these memories to create a legacy for loved ones.

5. The Gourmet Guide to the NHS:
The definitive guide to eating in the NHS. All hospitals are given a rating, based on quality, originality and presentation of the food, as well as the seasonality of the ingredients used. Special features, such as wine lists and scenic settings are given special mention. Those hospitals that provide a tasting menu (with or without paired wines) are listed separately. This guide will be indispensable for all those planning to sample NHS hospitality.

What do you think? What would your book be about? What would it be called?

This post was written as part of NHBPM – 30 health posts in 30 days: http://bit.ly/vU0g9J