More Person Than Patient - by Gwen Mayes Hardcover

About the Book

Written with candor, empathy, hope, and humor, this book offers chronically ill patients a compassionate roadmap to strengthen emotional resilience and reclaim joy while navigating the challenges of long-term illness.

Book Synopsis

In this deeply personal and empowering book, a longtime patient and advocate Gwen Mayes reveals the hidden emotional toll of living with chronic illness--and how resilience, self-awareness, and emotional intelligence can transform the journey. Written with candor, empathy, hope and humor and drawing on her own decades-long experience with heart disease, she explores the profound mind-body connection, the gaps in our healthcare system, and the strategies that help patients stay grounded when their physical health feels unpredictable. With practical tools, journaling prompts, and inspiring patient stories, this book offers guidance for reclaiming joy, building emotional stamina, and navigating the challenges of chronic illness with courage and clarity. It is a compassionate roadmap for anyone seeking strength, hope, and balance while living with the invisible weight of long-term health conditions.

About the Author

Gwen Mayes, JD, MMSc, is a lawyer, former physician assistant, and health policy expert with forty years of advocacy and leadership that spans from "bedside to bureaucracy." She began her career in critical care before moving to Washington, DC, where she helped shape major health initiatives in transplantation and women's health, including in the Office of the Surgeon General. Born with a life-threatening genetic heart condition and told she would have a shortened life, Gwen outlived all expectations and now combines her career and personal experiences as a patient to bring a unique 360-degree perspective to the needs of those living with a chronic illness. A speaker, author, and compassionate thought leader, she serves on multiple national organizations as a patient representative, championing the belief that real-world patient experiences deserve equal consideration to regulations, research, and statistics. She lives in Annapolis and the Eastern Shore of Maryland.