Barbara D. Webster holds a degree in anthropology from George Mason University. She is employed as a paralegal specialist with the federal government and lives in Reston, Virginia. She was first diagnosed as having multiple sclerosis at age 37.

This incredibly personal book deals with the attempts of a young multiple sclerosis (MS) patient to come to terms with her disease. If you or someone you know has a chronic disease, wants to know more about the American culture of illness, or is an observer of the American scene, this is a must read book. American Anthropologist

• ForewordAcknowledgmentsChapter 1. Wrestling with a PhantomChapter 2. Multiple Sclerosis: The DiseaseChapter 3. Experience in Conflict with Received WisdomChapter 4. After the DiagnosisChapter 5. Beyond the Self: The Cultural FrameChapter 6. Uncertainty and ProcessChapter 7. Chronically Ill in AmericaChapter 8. Beyond Acceptance

Barbara D. Webster holds a degree in anthropology from George Mason University. She is employed as a paralegal specialist with the federal government and lives in Reston, Virginia. She was first diagnosed as having multiple sclerosis at age 37.

This incredibly personal book deals with the attempts of a young multiple sclerosis (MS) patient to come to terms with her disease. If you or someone you know has a chronic disease, wants to know more about the American culture of illness, or is an observer of the American scene, this is a must read book. American Anthropologist

• ForewordAcknowledgmentsChapter 1. Wrestling with a PhantomChapter 2. Multiple Sclerosis: The DiseaseChapter 3. Experience in Conflict with Received WisdomChapter 4. After the DiagnosisChapter 5. Beyond the Self: The Cultural FrameChapter 6. Uncertainty and ProcessChapter 7. Chronically Ill in AmericaChapter 8. Beyond Acceptance