A Vexation of the Spirit

About the Book

Sheila W. Mooney has written a book about the effects of chronic illness on the mind and spirit. She has eight chronic illnesses and talks about her own experiences with refreshing candor. There's no self-pity here, just an honest account of her illnesses and what she has come to know about mind and spirit. You'll read about her growing up in a small farming village in Maine, then on to her own family and ultimately, several psychiatric hospitalizations. After losing her career to Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome, she faced a great change in her life.

Chronic illness brings a new life, and suddenly leaves an old one behind. One may look normal, but on the inside is suffering and pain. The great accumulation of suffering includes:

• Grief

• Isolation and Loneliness

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Economic Stress

• Pain

After the author chronicles her story, she has some basic suggestions to help those who are suffering invisibly. She intertwines two stories, her private subjective thoughts with a concise presentation of ideas. She writes with compassion and imagination. This book is a must-read for those and their caretakers facing chronic illness, such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, arthritis and brain injury.

About the Author

Sheila W. Mooney is a native of Northern Maine. She attended Colby College in Waterville and received her bachelors and masters degrees from the University of Rhode Island.

She is the mother of three children and seven grand children. As an artist she has exhibited her work and won several awards in juried shows. Recently, she started an on-line company, FreshAire Notecards, showcasing her watercolor note cards.

She and her husband, David, live in Rhode Island with their four cats: Bonnie, Cher, Ollie, and Archie. This is her first published book.