Living with a chronic illness is tough. It’s even harder when your condition is rare and hard to explain. Imagine being cornered for your own health issues, with people saying something like it’s all because you’re not taking care of yourself. That kind of judgment can make you feel isolated and misunderstood. If this sounds like what you’re going through, you might find a friend in the book Some of Us Just Fall: On Nature and Not Getting Better by Polly Atkin. It’s a comforting companion for anyone who feels alone in their struggle with a misunderstood illness. This is a book about understanding who you are, even when your own health issues make life tough. It discusses finding your place in the world so you might feel like you belong somewhere.
The main point of view is Atkin’s personal experience with a genetic disorder called Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. The book shows how getting a diagnosis of rare diseases can change how you see yourself, your future, and even your past. It talks about how being sick affects your sense of time and place.
Atkin’s writing really makes me feel like I’m there with her. She writes about finding happiness in little things and learning to love in different ways when you’re dealing with a long-term illness. At some point, I am so relieve that it points out the big problems in how society handles chronic illnesses. It is time to start criticize how some people are ignored or misunderstood by the healthcare system, which doesn’t always get the right answers or give everyone fair access to the care they need.
Some of Us Just Fall isn’t just a story about sickness—it’s also about living with pain and finding your own way to tell your story. It includes a lot of references to other books that helped the author through her journey, which might help readers too.
“This book is for anyone who’s been told they’re fine when they’re not,” the author says. It’s a call to those who feel overlooked or told they’re too sensitive. It’s a powerful reminder that you’re not alone in these struggles.
Author: Polly Atkin
Publication date: 6 July 2023
Number of pages: 312 pages
