Pulling through : help for families navigating life-changing illness

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Acknowledgements -- Introduction -- One: Beginning. -- Two: A Diagnosis. -- Three: A Matter of Life and Death. -- Four: A Whole New World. -- Five: Hospital Hacks: The Practical Stuff. -- Six: How It All Works: The Mechanics of a Hospital. -- Seven: All Hail the Hospital. -- Eight: It's a Family Affair: Talking and Listening to Children, Siblings and Parents. -- Nine: You've Got a Friend in Me: Assembling an Army. -- Ten: Reasons to be Cheerful: How to be Happy in Hard Times. -- Eleven: Crazy for You: The Mental Health of the Patient and the Carer. -- Twelve: Using the Outside to Help the Inside: The Healing Power of Nature. -- Thirteen: Recovery: Normal Service will not be Resumed. -- Fourteen: Help!. -- Fifteen: The Big Questions. -- Sixteen: One Day More: The Future. -- Appendix One: A Medical Jargon Buster. -- Appendix Two: Sources of Help and Support -- References, Bibliography and Further Reading -- Index.

"And at that exact moment, the earth tipped, and we all slid into a parallel universe..." On Christmas Day 2016, the Jessops were just an ordinary family, but on Boxing Day, one near-death experience swept them all into the bewildering world of hospitals and serious illness, and their lives changed forever. Pulling Through is a handbook of everything Catherine has learned on their journey. It covers many practicalities, such as explaining hospital tests and scans, jargon-busting medical terms, finance, rehabilitation and more. But it also illuminates the emotional aspect of illness and how massively it affects family and friends. There are chapters on the power of nature, music, counselling, optimism and humour, and how to look after the mental health of both patient and carer. This is a book of hope, help and reassurance on every aspect of coping with life-changing illness in the family: the good, the bad, the funny, the sad, and the useful. If you, or someone you know, has a life-changing illness, then this book is here to help.