AUTHOR’S NOTE

Not all medical professionals agree that Epstein-Barr can in rare cases lead to infertility. However, some do. I experienced firsthand what this ugly, misunderstood virus can do. Twenty-four years ago, the EB virus wreaked havoc with my autonomic nervous system, my blood pressure plummeted and my heart reacted. I was thumped in the chest until I revived and paramedics arrived. Four years of seeking medical help followed with no avail until a brilliant doctor at Johns Hopkins correctly diagnosed me. To my benefit, he was conducting studies on EB and the numerous ways it can harm the human body. My lead character, Serenity Miller, knows all too well what it’s like to be seriously ill and to be told that her sickness is in her head. Because of the long timeline she suffered before finally being correctly diagnosed, she’s extremely health conscious for fear of EB’s possible reoccurrence. Now more people are aware of EB. Unfortunately, however, much more research needs to be done.