“One of the problems with invisible illnesses is that they are hard to see, hard to measure,” says Meghan O’Rourke. “People want to forget about the most vulnerable among us. It’s challenging to think about vulnerability, on an existential level and a practical level.”

Today, Wednesday host Ali Muldrow is joined by Meghan O’Rourke to discuss her new book, The Invisible Kingdom.

The book is not the traditional narrative of being sick and then getting better, says Megan O’Rourke. It’s about “accepting that I was going to live with these diagnoses for the rest of my life and learning to not be so hard on myself.”

She and Ali spend the hour talking about the American healthcare system (which privileges crisis care over chronic care), how autoimmune diseases like Lyme are in many ways a feminist issue, and practical tips for people living with chronic illness about taking notes, learning what works for your body, and finding the right doctor.

Meghan O’Rourke is a writer, poet, editor, and podcaster. She is the author of the The Long Goodbye: A Memoir (Riverhead Books, 2012) and The Invisible Kingdom: Reimagining Chronic Illness (Riverhead Books, 2022).

Cover photo by Carolina Heza on Unsplash

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