Learning to live with an autoimmune disorder – A mosaic of my journal
Cathy Beesey Founder Stories Connecting Us
I’m publishing my memoir one chapter at a time. I published Chapter One on the sixth anniversary of my diagnosis with Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) formerly known as Wegener Anca Vasculitis.
I share with you the contents of my memoir. The first draft of contents came as, and after I read my journal for the first time; themes emerged. The chapters have changed dramatically as I shared pieces of my memoir with my writing group, re-ordered my story and edited what I had written. This is version five.
The link to published chapters is at the end of this post.
Contents
Part 1: Wegener Anca Vasculitis, A Rare Autoimmune Disorder
Chapter 1: Diagnosis Day
Chapter 2: So Many Drugs
Chapter 3: The Colours Are Vivid
Chapter 4: Kindness Surrounds
Part 2: My Once Strong Healthy Body
Chapter 5: Slowly Taking Over
Chapter 6: Crickets, Sleep, Temperature, Bowel Movements
Chapter 7: Noticing, Wondering
Chapter 8: Always Something
Chapter 9: It Is What It Is
Part 3: On A Treadmill
Chapter 10: Give Me the Serenity
Chapter 11: Within Dark, Thick Walls
Chapter 12: Drugs to Treatment
Chapter 13: Do I Have a Disability?
Part 4: Choosing Families
Chapter 14: The Family I Didn’t Choose
Chapter 15: My Other Families
Chapter 16: My Gibson Family
Chapter 17: I Will Love You Forever
Part 5: Kindness, Compassion, Connection
Chapter 18: A Gift, Friends
Chapter 19: My Darling Cousin
Chapter 20: Compassion, My Brother
Part 6: Abandonment, Anguish, Anger
Chapter 21: This Isn’t a Fairytale, Or Is It? Part 1
Chapter 22: This Isn’t a Fairytale, Or Is It? Part 2
Chapter 23: Forgiveness
Part 7: A Passion For
Chapter 24: I Am a Writer
Chapter 25: I Am an Artist
Part 8: Thinking, Feeling, Some Philosophising
Chapter 26: Values – Dignity, Curiosity
Chapter 27: Mind Swirling, Heart and Spirit
Chapter 28: Moments of Joy, Times of Despair
Chapter 29: Suspended in Time
Part 9: Sitting With Death
Chapter 30: I Could Have Died! I Could Have Died!
Chapter 31: My Family, Death
Chapter 32: My Mantra Is Simple – I Am Grateful to Be Alive, I Will Live
Part 10: Remission
Chapter 33: Crying in the Car Park
Chapter 34: With the Pop of a Champagne Bottle
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
Appendices
Appendix 1: Writers, Books
Appendix 2: Ted Talks
Appendix 3: Memoirs I Read
Appendix 4: Daily Captions
About the author
About this book
The words below follow the contents.
WARNING! I write my story not as an expert but as someone surviving a life and death health condition. I am not a psychologist, sociologist, nurse or medical technician, doctor or specialist. You will read my interpretation of what I heard, read and felt. I imagine there will be times when these experts are impressed, and other times amused at my interpretations. I strongly suggest you do your own research.
Copyright Cathy Beesey, February 2025. All rights reserved; this intellectual property belongs solely to Cathy Beesey.
These are the links to my memoir published chapters.
Part 1: Wegener Anca Vasculitis, A Rare Autoimmune Disorder
Part 2: My Once Strong Healthy Body
Part 3: On A Treadmill
Stories Connecting Us 
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