Sickened: The Memoir of a Munchausen by Proxy Childhood by Julie Gregory

The website http://www.goodreads.com/ gives the synopsis like this: "From early childhood, Julie Gregory was continually X-rayed, medicated, and operated on; in the vain pursuit of an illness that was created in her mother's mind. Munchausen by proxy (MBP) is the world's most hidden and dangerous form of child abuse, in which the caretaker (almost always the mother) invents or induces symptoms in her child because she craves the attention of medical professionals. Many MBP children die, but Julie Gregory not only survived, she escaped the powerful orbit of her mother's madness and rebuilt her identity as a vibrant, healthy young woman."

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For me, this book was a little disappointing. More than following the issues of Munchausen by Proxy, the author reveals more about the emotional and physical abuse she and her younger brother received from her mother and father. Her parents also deceived the system and fostered children and veterens for extra money. This is the second book that I've read in the last few months that has talked about the very inappropriate placing of foster children in homes. It seems that more investigating needs to be done in this foster homes before children are placed.

I was expecting more detail (and I guess more Munchausen issues) then was given. Her mother had MANY issues (anger management, shopaholoic, etc.) that all played a part in the authors abuse. There were quite a few unanswered questions for me as well.

Overall, I would give this book 2 1/2 stars.

Happy reading!!!