Success doesn’t always look like a polished resume or a straight path through university. Sometimes, success looks like getting out of bed during a flare-up. Sometimes, it looks like going to class with a migraine, working full-time through pain, or earning a master’s degree while managing seizures and hospital stays. In The Shit People Say!, Marie Ciampa redefines what it means to achieve in the face of chronic illness—and she does it with humor, honesty, and grit.
Marie’s story doesn’t begin with a triumphant graduation cap toss. It begins with confusion, misdiagnoses, and doctors who insisted her symptoms were “all in her head.” At fifteen, her body began to betray her in subtle but alarming ways. Stiff joints, chronic pain, fainting episodes, and seizures began to disrupt what should have been the most carefree time in her life. But rather than being met with support, she was met with disbelief. A therapist accused her of faking it. A neurologist told her to just “open her eyes” during an episode. For years, her symptoms were treated as emotional problems instead of real medical concerns.
Despite that, Marie kept going.
One of the most powerful moments in her book is when she reflects on finishing high school. Her principal suggested she take her final year over two years due to her condition. Instead, Marie finished it in one. Then she earned a degree in social work. Then a master’s degree in peace and conflict studies. And now, she’s preparing for a PhD.
All while living with an autoimmune condition that impacts nearly every aspect of her life.
To many people, this might seem impossible. But that’s the exact point. People living with chronic illness are often underestimated—not just in medical settings, but in schools, workplaces, and society. There’s an unspoken assumption that being ill means you are incapable. That success is out of reach. Marie shatters that narrative, not to prove others wrong, but to live fully on her own terms.
The key message from her journey? Success is not one-size-fits-all. It’s not about perfection. It’s about persistence. It’s about managing your reality and still finding meaning, growth, and satisfaction.
Marie also reminds us that we need to shift how we define productivity. People with chronic illness often achieve more than what’s visible to the eye. Just surviving the day, showing up to class or work, managing medication schedules, and advocating for themselves in medical systems takes a huge amount of energy. And yet, they’re told they’re lazy or exaggerating.
That’s why her story resonates. It’s not just about a woman who earned degrees. It’s about a woman who fought to be heard, who didn’t give up when her body—and the world—made everything harder than it needed to be.
If you’ve ever been underestimated, dismissed, or told your goals are too ambitious for someone like you, this book is for you. If you’ve ever felt like your success doesn’t fit the traditional mold, this book is for you. And if you’ve ever needed proof that chronic illness doesn’t mean giving up on your dreams, Marie Ciampa is living it.
In the end, The Shit People Say! is not just about what not to say. It’s about what to believe. That your story is valid. That your goals are worth fighting for. And that success is not about perfection, but about perseverance.