My So-Called Normal Life

by Erin Zammett

Twenty-three years old and fresh out of college, in love with her boyfriend Nick, and having just started a great new job as assistant editor at Glamour magazine, Erin Zammett was looking forward to a future of unlimited promise - until she was confronted by the one experience that no person, young or old, is ever prepared to face.  A routine checkup by her doctor seemed to indicate that she was in perfect health, until she was called back just a day later to be told that a blood test revealed she had a type of cancer, Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia, the only known treatment for which was a bone marrow
transplant; without treatment, she had roughly five years to
live.

After the initial shock wore off, and with the support of her family and friends, her own inner strength, and a recently
approved experimental drug, Zammett immediately began the journey that would lead her to recovery.  She began to document her experiences to provide an outlet for the thoughts that came rushing to confront the brave new world she had entered, and the result, My So-Called Normal Life, is a memoir of unparalleled candor and poignancy, encompassing much more than leukemia and the battle to overcome it.  Above all, it's the story of a twenty-something living her dream life amid the unlimited excitement and adventure of Manhattan and confronting the challenges of life and her new job - battling cancer-with unbounded courage and optimism.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction

270 pages, Hardcover

First published April 21, 2005

Reviews

[Petra X · Rating 1 out of 5]

Self-obsessed woman from a well-off family with a fab job gets cancer that has no symptoms (and remains asymptomatic) and experiences a very difficult year getting it treated. I was getting into the book, despite the rather unattractive personality of the author from whom we suffer her extremely high self-esteem. But then, she became a fund-raiser and began to name-drop and write about what a celebrity she herself has become (I've never heard of her though, have you?) and I stopped being into it. She writes in a boring way stories about her deadly dull family whose most interesting member, the father likes doing the house-decorating and repairs himself despite his wealth. Oh please, yawnnnnn. Since when does that count as interesting? Then sister gets cancer too and also has a difficult time. There is a wedding about here if I remember correctly. Sister has recurrence of it. Another wedding? I forget. Book ends.

I'm not being callous. I feel for anyone who has cancer. I nursed my late mother, and my niece died leaving a four-year old little boy, both in the last few years. But having cancer and its treatment doesn't, without a great writer or more to the story, make a great book. And this one was awful. But I do wish the author and her sister health and happiness.

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and how honest and raw the Author was. I wish we knew more about the years after and how she and her sisters were doing.

[eRin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zammett is 23-years-old, has a great (though very low-paying) job at Glamour magazine, has a wonderful boyfriend, and on a Tuesday afternoon, finds out she has cancer. After going to a new doctor for a routine visit, she is diagnosed with a chronic form of Lukemia. One that if she is lucky, will go into remission, but will never be cured. We follow Zammett through the initial diagnosis, to the meetings with specialists (believe it or not, she's got connections and they may have literally saved her life), the treatment, and all the emotions in between. She writs a column for the magazine documenting her experiences and soon turns into the media poster woman for the disease. She is frank, candid, honest, and sometimes funny. She's not afraid to write about her anger or her fears, but she does an exceptional job of detailing her hope and optimism.

I'm still convinced that I have ovarian cancer, so again, probably not the best time to be reading this book (gyn appointment is on Wed, thank heavens). I found myself tearing up many times throughout the book (and let me tell you, there's a big movie-type twist mid-way through the book). The writing is decent and her story is interesting. I just really enjoyed it (in between the crying, of course).

[Auntkel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I figured this was going to be kind of sad because of her having cancer and everything. Actually its really inspiring how she keeps a positive attitude and remains determined not to let having leukemia stop her from living her life to the fullest. I like the way she makes sure the reader understands you can take good care of yourself and follow the doctors orders but still have the life of a regular 24 year old (going out with friends, dating her boyfriend, working at Glamour). Also she shows us its ok to be scared, its a part of life to be apprehensive when something like getting told you have cancer happens to you.

[Krissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished this book this morning - I really enjoyed it. Not only because I can relate to what the author went through a little bit (my cancer isn't nearly as bad as hers), but because she mixed it with humor so some parts were pretty funny. And then her sister gets sick, too, which must be just awful to deal with, on top of work and relationships and everything else. It must have taken a great deal of courage to go through something like that and think you're going to die, but to still be able to put things in perspective, so I commend her for that. And it does have a happy ending, so that's good. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone. I thought it was awesome.

[Ed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book despite the grim subject matter Erin remains fairly upbeat. She is fortunate to have parents with the funds to help her in her dire time of need,but cancer is cancer and it is super scary.
Erin lets us see her fear and her anguish... warts and all this is refreshing in that it lets us know that cancer does not care who you are are where you spring from. It can and will rear its ugly little head and tear your life apart as well as the lives of your loved ones.

[Joanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

About a young leukemic who works for Glamor Magazine in NYC and has to deal with this life changing diagnosis. True story. Interesting for us people who like to know how people cope with disease in everyday life.

[Knancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

She was a whiny complaining sometimes difficult cancer patient...exactly how I would be under the same circumstances.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

nothing too much to say. an ok book if you've followed her blog, thanks to my free time at columbia i have.

[Rachael · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a total guilty pleasure-- just what I needed to read hungover on New Year's Day. The author is an editor at Glamour, so it was the same fluff as the magazine. It was still entertaining.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Erin's story is amazing. I loved her book and admire her for her strength. She is an incredible person and her writing really showcases that.

[Lesli · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not finish.