While illness is universal, many of us find it difficult to face its grim truths. But writers and celebrities like Susan Sontag, Christopher Reeve, and Michael J. Fox among others have tackled the subject head on through their writing. In the last 20 years, increasing numbers of patients have written crisis or illness memoirs that have far reaching ripple effects. While the writing itself can be cathartic for the authors, the act of sharing their illness narratives offers inspiration and hope to others in similar situations. The following article explores the power medical narratives have to reveal the profound dimensions of illness -- including its transformative potential.
