Thanks for opening my book. On Instagram I'm @chronically_fab and let me just clarify a couple of things. Kids do get Arthritis, people die, this is true, however much of the medical stuff I wrote is complete crap.
I do have Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, but this story is not an accurate representation of my life. Parts of everything I based off of things that happened to my fellow spoonies, or that I read about. A lot of the "deep" moments in this book really did happen however. I began to write this book when I was only 14. At this point in my life I'm not exactly open with my illness to other people.
Sure my best friends and family know, but writing this has been helpful to me to rant about things and share my feelings with myself, The only person who really understands who I am. My friends that know about my illness I didn't exactly tell, they either overheard or deduced it. I missed a lot of school for infusions and appointments and injections and sick days, it honestly wouldn't take Sherlock to find out that something is wrong with me.
I have swollen knees, IV injection spots, thinning hair, a pass to get out of just about anything and I feel sick a lot. But arthritis amongst middle schoolers isn't exactly expected. If people knew that kids get arthritis, maybe more people would notice.
Most of the characters are based off of real people. Emily is a mix between my friend who I've known my entire life,but also Emily who I grew up with in the suburbs, and had to move away from. Emily also is a slice of Taylor who passed away from Leukemia in the early 2000s. Rest in peace Taylor.
Please read and share my story to spread the word about arthritis, this book is a little peek into the life of someone who faces similar life challenges.
ALSO AS FAR AS RATINGS GO: I'm trying to keep this pretty standard PG-13 if context is coming up that is a little more scandalous I'll mention it in the authors notes. Otherwise I'm trying to write at the same intimacy of divergent, light swearing, but maybe a bit more relationship details
XOXO chronicallyfab
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