Why Not Me: Learning to Live Fully with Invisible Illness

In this candid memoir, Lindsay Ireland evolves from an eleven-year-old girl, grappling with a devastating autoimmune diagnosis, into a young woman struggling to love a body that has continuously failed her. As she navigates adulthood, she confronts the compounding challenges of an invisible illness, ultimately receiving a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS). Despite her health struggles, Lindsay emerges as a mother and wife fighting to reclaim her sense of self and visibility in a world that often overlooks those suffering in silence.

Lindsay Ireland enjoyed an idyllic childhood, including summers in Vermont with her movie-star aunt and uncle, Jill Ireland and Charles Bronson. One day, everything changed when Lindsay noticed blood in her stool. Suddenly, Lindsay found herself confined to a sterile hospital room, enduring invasive tests, intravenous treatments, and, ultimately, a life-saving ostomy surgery.

Through honesty and courage, Lindsay's story sheds light on the hidden costs of sickness and the importance of embracing vulnerability and help. This memoir of resilience is a call to recognize the unseen struggles of those battling chronic conditions and to foster compassion and understanding for the intersections of physical and mental health--and where their limits lie.