Click Here To Purchase From Amazon Laughing Sickness (A Medical Mystery)

Author: Ann Black Gray

Publisher: Bridgeway Books

ISBN: 1-933538-93-7

Anne Black Gray grew up in semi-rural West Virginia and studied physics at Carnegie Mellon before migrating to Southern California to find a career in aerospace engineering. After Gray retired from aerospace she began to write novels at the same time as she was studying the plights of victims who were suffering rare, hard-to-diagnose diseases. The needs and desires of these patients inspired Gray to write Laughing Sickness. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two beloved cats.

Jessica Shephard has lived the perfect Southern California dream. She has a wonderful boyfriend, Fernando, who is a young doctor and has great friends and family. Even her career is wonderful. Suddenly, quite without warning, Jessica collapses. Unable to move she is gripped by a total paralysis. Scared, confused and frightened Jessica starts to seek medical advice and finds herself moving from one doctor to the next, all of which tell her they simply do not know what is causing her symptoms. Some even go as far as to say it is all in her head and tell her to get a grip. Surely there is a rational explanation?

Soon she is forced to live a very different life. Recent car journeys to and from her work gradually become more difficult. Is it safe to drive when she could relapse into a paralysis, her Mum and friends ask. Jessica reassures them she is capable, that she has these episodes under control but as time goes on, she questions her abilities over and over again.

Her relationship with Fernando is also put under pressure, arguments are not far from the surface and Jessica’s patience with Fernando’s constant nagging and fussing around her, is tested time and time again. She feels he is just treating her as one of his subjects and one row too may spark the end of a once happy relationship.

Jessica’s mother is also growing more anxious by the day and even work mates begin to look at her differently. Will she ever regain her independence or has this terrible illness won? Eventually the once happy, joking Jessica realises that ironically laughter is the key to her illness that has taken hold of her young life.

A tale that has you gripped from page one. It requires a lot of knowledge of this illness to write a book about it but Gray has managed and succeeded in doing so. Let’s just hope it opens more people’s eyes to this awful disease people suffer with. After reading this emotional book you realise it is not wise to snigger at those unfortunates blighted by this illness, instead you should offer help and support in abundance. A truly engrossing book that offers light on today’s medical system and just how these patients tend to be treated.

Definitely worth reading.