Diseases in Fiction with Janet W. Ferguson
Bad things happen in life. Fictional stories would be pretty boring if nothing bad ever happened there too. I like fiction that leaves me with a good feeling at the end, though. So, in my stories, people have accidents or injuries or fires or hurricanes—you name it—that affect their lives. Some of the characters also end up with an illness or disease. But all in all, the characters learn through their trials, like I aspire to do.
Giving my characters these issues requires a great deal of research. My father and nephew were cancer survivors, thankfully. But I lost my grandmother and another dear friend to ovarian cancer, and I have lost friend to breast cancer. I’ve been acquainted with someone who lost their battle with pancreatic cancer. I used the back story of losing a primary care-giving grandmother to pancreatic cancer in my heroine’s life in Leaving Oxford. That loss profoundly damaged Sarah Beth’s faith, but eventually she comes around. In my novel Magnolia Storms, my heroine, Maggie, lost her mother to cancer after losing her father in Hurricane Katrina. She grapples with God not answering prayers the way she wants Him to answer.
In Going Up South, a secondary character has a mystery illness which turns out to be lupus. This was modeled somewhat after my own struggle with what was determined to be a connective tissue disease which was like a “mild case of lupus.” It was not mild to me!
I’ve had characters who’ve dealt with sports concussions, a serious infection after knee replacement, Alzheimer’s (my mom had), and terrible anxiety (I suffer from), as well.
In Star Rising, the hero’s mother had severe rheumatoid arthritis that caused some heart issues. His father had died from complications of the flu and strep. I actually knew a case of this happening.
I need more diseases for future books. My question to you is what disease do you think would be interesting for back story or main story? If you chose one, do you know a good place to find resources for research about the disease?
Janet W. Ferguson is a Christy Award finalist and the FHL Readers Choice Award winning author of realistic inspirational fiction. An avid reader, she loved books so much she found a job as a librarian so she could be around them all day. Then she turned that love of story into writing faith-filled novels with characters who feel like best friends. You’ll laugh and cry as the quirky heroes and heroines chase their happily ever after. Janet and her husband live in Mississippi where they say y’all a lot, and she forces him to visit the beach as often as possible. They have two grown children, one really smart dog, and a cat that allows them to share the space. Connect with her at http://www.janetfergusonauthor.com/
Having a character with Lupus would be interesting also MS would be good as it can go into remission for years. Also Alzheimer’s my penpal got early onset Alzheimer’s at 54 so am interested in those stories,
Sports concussion is interesting as so many people who have suffered concussion and/or neck injuries have ended up with constant migraines and many have Occipital Neuralgia. This causes 24/7 pain and possibly not the easiest to put in a novel except there is a surgery in the states that helps people go from 9 out of 10 pain to almost no head pain. I have this but no hope of the surgery in Australia.
(I can give you links to info and testimonies from people about the surgery)
Parkinsons would be interesting also. Also illnesses that are managed like Diabetes, Celiac disease, that are manageable by diet and lifestyle.
What could be good is a syndrome my friend has turners syndrome I don’t know much about it but she is a nurse and often advocates for it and would be more than willing to give info on it. (sometimes its books that can give get the news out about these sorts of issues)
I have just finished an historical novel where scarlet fever was rife. Very interesting.
Hi Janet! Interesting question during this pandemic. My mom’s side of the family had cancer – breast and ovarian. My aunt had Lou Gehrig’s disease. Knew of friends with MS. My husband’s side of the family has diabetics and Alzheimers. While it would depend on the age of your characters – menopause (hot flashes), thyroid disease (I was diagnosed at 50) and heart disease. I am a third generation with heart disease. My paternal grandmother had heart disease, my father did as do I. The treatment from the 1960s have change a lot. Grandma spent time in bed – no exertion. My father had his first bypass surgery at 59, second bypass surgery at 71, he had angioplasty, and seven stents – lived to be 96 years old. I started heart meds first for high blood pressure, than cholesterol, and irregular heart beat at fifty. My sons started heart meds in their thirties. We are type A personalities, but a lot is genetics. My husband has heart issues. Heart, diabetes, and thyroid problems are interrelated. Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic are great resources – as the American Heart Association. Best wishes. Happy writing.
Thanks so much for all the input!! I’ll have to look into that!
That would be interesting!
Thanks so much for the resources!
Yes, genetics is such a big factor.
I have thyroid issues too :) And also have battled cholesterol since my 20s. Sorry you are dealing heart disease.
It’s always good to here from you!
Blessings,
A great resource is learning hospitals! The son of our Minister of Education was diagnosed with leukodystrophy years ago, nothing was known about it. I ended up contacting Shands Hospital in Gainesville and received a ton of information that I passed on to his parents. He’s far exceeded the doctor’s expectations, and has lived much longer than they said he would. He also had surgery by Dr Ben Carson, yes, the Ben Carson who ran for president! So, I’d say leukodystrophy. Also, just a badly broken bone can change your life, as I’ve found out. My right wrist had to be fused after I broke it. If it ever moves again, it means I’ll be having another surgery on it. My family has dealt with diabetes, high blood pressure, which led to dialysis. Also, melanomas run in my family. If there are medical issues, I google (and make sure it’s a reliable source) but I also worked in the medical field, so I have plenty of doctor’s and nurses I can ask questions of!
That was so kind of you to find information for them! How amazing that Dr. Carson helped them. So sorry about your wrist! I currently am writing a book where the heroine breaks her ankle. Great minds…
Thank you for the other great ideas!
Allergies can create conflict as sometimes they can be so difficult to identify. Most countries have allergy associations and asthma foundations that support sufferers, their families and anyone who is interested.
With an increasingly older population you might consider expanding from diseases to how to prevent diseases or care for people’s wellbeing, like additional protein for seniors, cognitive improvement for both younger people and elders with dementia, diabetes prevention and the challenges for the younger generations in understanding and coming to terms with the changes.
Oh thanks! These are great ideas, Dianne!
Oh, for broken bones, add in pins, external fixators, metal plates. I had a plate and an external fixator after my first surgery. After the 2nd, where we had to re-break, I had a plate. After the plate was out, and my wrist started to curve downward, we had to go in and put an internal fixator in. Eight years later, we went in and took that hardware out, but my wrist is still fused. I can say it’s rather scary to wake up with the external fixator on your arm!
Oh that sounds so painful!
I think a good disease to write about would be Guillian Baree Syndrome. My dad had it and it is a neurological disorder. He was a machinist and he had a hard time later on holding tools that he had been so used to holding and it was difficult for him to do a lot of things with his hands. It just attacked him one day after he had had a bad cold. Have a Great week. You can probably research it on the Mayo clinic.
I lost a sister to ALS. She lived a lot longer than normal. By the end, she could barely talk and the only thing she could move was her head. But she kept her sense of humor, she had everyone around her in stitches all the time. She had a visor with some kind of light she could maneuver on a computer, kept up with things and played Words With Friends a lot. The ALS Foundation had just made her a custom wheelchair she could control the same way when she died. Miss her so much, she was in her 50’s.
Oh, I’ve heard that is bad! I don’t think they have a treatment either.
What a sweet sister. I’m so glad you have the memories. I’m sure you miss her.
Hugs,
Janet
My mom had cervical cancer almost 40 years ago when she was pregnant with my younger sister. Of course, they had to wait until she safely delivered her before they could do anything. My mom ended up having a complete hysterectomy. That was probably the norm treatment back then. I know medicine has come a long way to treating this kind of cancer.
Let’s see, I’m reading a story right now where the heroine has an autoimmune disease. It affects her to where she sometimes has non-epileptic seizures, extreme fatigue, muscle weakness & tremors, short-term amnesia after a seizure (she can’t remember what happened during one), and the inability to think straight. She’s especially vulnerable to seizures if she gets overly tired. She’s never taken any kind of medicine ( I don’t think) so I wouldn’t know how Dr’s would be able to treat something like that. I suppose you could find out more about autoimmune disease on the web or from medical professionals; I’m not sure too much is known about it even in today’s world.
I’ve also head about rare cases where a person doesn’t feel pain at all, even when they are severely wounded. I read an article in my Reader’s digest where a man had this disorder (can’t remember the name of it) and played some kind of sport (maybe football?) and obviously this would be very dangerous because he wouldn’t know if he was hurt or not because he wouldn’t be able to feel pain. I think he also was into extreme sports. I would think he would be so susceptible to injury more because of this & avoid those kinds of things. But I guess he felt invincible and took risks anyway, that’s just crazy to me!
Funny how when you read something in a story that you really don’t think about medical stuff until someone points it out like you have Janet! It would be interesting, and probably very challenging as an author to research various diseases & disorders when you have no knowledge of it. But I bet it would be helpful to know someone with that particular thing to ask a myriad of questions :-)
This is a very informative post today & definitely gives me another glimpse into a writers life!
Lou Gehrig’s (or Motor neurons as we call it here) is a really nasty disease. We had a few friends with it. It strips a persons dignity and is cruel.
Hi Trixi!
Sorry about your mom dealing with that.
Autoimmune diseases are super frustrating. I’ve dealt with a taste of that.
I forgot Reader’s Digest is a wealth of ideas! Thank you!
Yes, it’s interesting and challenging to research. I usually end up interviewing a number of people once I hone in on a disease or accident.
Blessing :)
I have fibromyalgia and it is a battle that no one knows you are fighting as you look healthy..
I have a friend with that. So sorry you are dealing with it.
Blessings,
Janet
My comment ended up below this for some reason. Ooops
Actually that is a great point and could create interest and/or conflict in a story. The assumption that because people appear healthy the invisible diseases and disabilities are often dismissed and ignored.
I think going to a legitimate nonprofit which supports finding a cure is a great place to find information on a disease.
Depression is one of the “invisible” illnesses. Since there are many different causes and varying degrees, you can choose the amount that you need in order to control the level of conflict it creates. It can serve as an on-going challenge for a character. You can also have depression as a secondary condition for something like another illness or injury. Depression can have both medical and behavioral (counseling) types of therapy.
So true! It’s sad. When I was first ill with a lupus-like illness, I could barely make it from the parking lot into a grocery store, I had so much overwhelming fatigue and joint pain.
Hi Denise,
That is good information!
I do want to explore depression in my novel I’ll start after I finish my WIP. It’s a difficult and painful disease. Do you have a good resource?
Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your perspective), my primary resource is personal experience. However, the following may be helpful, depending on the kind of depression or how it is expressed in the individual.
https://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/depression_support_resources
https://www.amenclinics.com/conditions/depression/
https://www.samhsa.gov/serious-mental-illness
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/depression/index.shtml
Hope that helps.
Thank you!!
Lyme disease. It is rampant, usually mis-diagnosed and usually wrong meds given. You have to fend for yourself or find a good natural doctor to get relief, at least for most of the people I know and for myself with it.
Katie, I’ve heard so much about this. It’s scary how doctor’s have dismissed it at times when if treated early on could make such a difference. I’m so sorry you are dealing with it!
There are great thoughts here – lots to think about! I have read a ton of books where cancer is prevalent in one of the character’s stories, either a family member or friend suffering from cancer profoundly affects their life and drives some of the story. There’s a fantastic and very emotional novel where one of the heroine’s best friends and support systems deals with cancer. It had me in tears.
What I’d love to see more of is other diseases including mental health issues. I think these things are not nearly so prevalent in christian fiction. I’m writing 2 stories – one with a character who suffers from anxiety and depression and one who suffers from pancreatitis which can be either acute or a chronic condition. That was an interesting thing to research .
I think lesser known diseases like lupus definitely, or even disabilities, should be mentioned more in christian fiction, and provide amble opportunities for conflict and story. Just as there are a plethora of diverse people groups, there are just as many people suffering from disabilities and invisible diseases all around us. I think our very diverse world deserves to be a little better represented from a Christian world view :)
Great thoughts! Yes, some lessor known and chronic conditions affect so many! Plus the Christian worldview.
I would love to see characters with Endometriosis and/or autoammui sadieme disorders. Any chronic pain issues. I suffer from both as well as IBS and Interstitial Cystitis so seeing characters with similar issues would be nice.
Those are such difficult issues. I think Kara Isaac has one with Endometriosis. So sorry you have to deal with all that. It really can disrupt your life and be painful!