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This is How I Save My Life: A True Story of Finding Everything When You are Willing to Try Anything
"Amy Scher is a brave warrior and a wonderful writer." - ELIZABETH GILBERT, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Eat, Pray, Love and Big Magic
The true story of a fiery young woman's heartwarming and hilarious journey that takes her from near-death in California to a trip around the world in search of her ultimate salvation. Along the way, she discovers a world of cultural mayhem, radical medical treatment, an unexpected romance, and, most importantly, a piece of her life she never even knew she was missing.
When Amy B. Scher was struck with undiagnosed late-stage, chronic Lyme disease, the best physicians in America labeled her condition incurable and potentially terminal. Deteriorating rapidly, she went on a search to save her own life--from the top experts in Los Angeles and the world-renowned Mayo Clinic in Minneapolis to a state-of-the-art hospital in Chicago. After exhausting all of her options in the US, she discovered a possible cure--but it was highly experimental, only available in India, and had as much of a probability of killing her as it did of curing her. Knowing the risks, Amy packed her bags anyway and flew across the world hoping to find the ultimate cure.
This Is How I Save My Life is a powerful and uplifting story of sheer determination for anyone who believes in--or doubts--the existence of miracles when it seems like all hope is lost.
The true story of a fiery young woman's heartwarming and hilarious journey that takes her from near-death in California to a trip around the world in search of her ultimate salvation. Along the way, she discovers a world of cultural mayhem, radical medical treatment, an unexpected romance, and, most importantly, a piece of her life she never even knew she was missing.
When Amy B. Scher was struck with undiagnosed late-stage, chronic Lyme disease, the best physicians in America labeled her condition incurable and potentially terminal. Deteriorating rapidly, she went on a search to save her own life--from the top experts in Los Angeles and the world-renowned Mayo Clinic in Minneapolis to a state-of-the-art hospital in Chicago. After exhausting all of her options in the US, she discovered a possible cure--but it was highly experimental, only available in India, and had as much of a probability of killing her as it did of curing her. Knowing the risks, Amy packed her bags anyway and flew across the world hoping to find the ultimate cure.
This Is How I Save My Life is a powerful and uplifting story of sheer determination for anyone who believes in--or doubts--the existence of miracles when it seems like all hope is lost.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published April 10, 2018
164 people are currently reading
2578 people want to read
About the author
Amy B. Scher
19 books106 followersAMY B. SCHER is the bestselling author of How to Heal Yourself When No One Else Can, How to Heal Yourself from Anxiety When No One Else Can, and This Is How I Save My Life. As an expert in mind-body-spirit healing, she is often lovingly referred to as an “accidental guru.” She uses energy therapy techniques to help those experiencing emotional or physical challenges to heal permanently and completely.
Amy has been featured in major publications including CNN, The Huffington Post, Los Angeles Review of Books, Cosmopolitan, and the San Francisco Book Review. She speaks at conferences, retreats, and book clubs nationwide.
Her books have been endorsed by Elizabeth Gilbert, #1 NY Times best selling author of Eat, Pray, Love and Big Magic; Pam Grout, #1 NY Times best selling author E-Squared; Bernie Siegel, MD, NY Times best selling author of Love, Medicine, and Miracles; and Sanjiv Chopra, MD, MACP, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and author of Brotherhood with Deepak Chopra.
Amy lives in NYC with her beautiful wife and two bad cats. Most importantly, she lives by her self-created motto: When life kicks your ass, kick-back.
If you'd like Amy to speak at your book club, either in person or by video, feel free to reach out to her via her website or social media.
She can be found at www.amybscher.com and on instagram at @amybscher.
Amy has been featured in major publications including CNN, The Huffington Post, Los Angeles Review of Books, Cosmopolitan, and the San Francisco Book Review. She speaks at conferences, retreats, and book clubs nationwide.
Her books have been endorsed by Elizabeth Gilbert, #1 NY Times best selling author of Eat, Pray, Love and Big Magic; Pam Grout, #1 NY Times best selling author E-Squared; Bernie Siegel, MD, NY Times best selling author of Love, Medicine, and Miracles; and Sanjiv Chopra, MD, MACP, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and author of Brotherhood with Deepak Chopra.
Amy lives in NYC with her beautiful wife and two bad cats. Most importantly, she lives by her self-created motto: When life kicks your ass, kick-back.
If you'd like Amy to speak at your book club, either in person or by video, feel free to reach out to her via her website or social media.
She can be found at www.amybscher.com and on instagram at @amybscher.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews
July 25, 2018
After years of symptoms, of being misdiagnosed, even by the reknown Mayo Clinic, Amy finally gets a diagnosis. Stage four Lyme disease, with no known cure, just a slew of drugs that leave her in a pain filled non life. Unable to work, her relationship in tatters, she learns of a stem cell treatment in India that has successfully reversed paralysis in spinal injuries. Though it has not been used for her disease, she sees it as her last hope, applies and is accepted. Accompanied by her parents, she flies from California to Delhi, a whole new and strange world.
I enjoyed the way this story was told, naturally, as if she were having a conversation face to face. Her past, her pains, the treatments and medicines that didn't work, her fears and her hope that this will work. The descriptions of India, the street scene, the busyness, the market, the food, all so strange and loud in the beginning, but embraced by the end. Her parents were wonderful, supporting, funny, though her dad suffers from depression, he is fully supportive of his daughter, enamored still of his wife.
This is the best type of mrmoir, well told, relateable to those of us who suffer various issues. A good message to remember to never give up, there may be something out there. If not now, maybe in the future.
ARC from Edelweiss
I enjoyed the way this story was told, naturally, as if she were having a conversation face to face. Her past, her pains, the treatments and medicines that didn't work, her fears and her hope that this will work. The descriptions of India, the street scene, the busyness, the market, the food, all so strange and loud in the beginning, but embraced by the end. Her parents were wonderful, supporting, funny, though her dad suffers from depression, he is fully supportive of his daughter, enamored still of his wife.
This is the best type of mrmoir, well told, relateable to those of us who suffer various issues. A good message to remember to never give up, there may be something out there. If not now, maybe in the future.
ARC from Edelweiss
June 1, 2018
Quite good.
Q:
In the past, I would have been more self-conscious about something like this, but some of my modesty has faded. Now I look at my body and I think, I cannot believe it has survived so much. This perspective is a beautiful thing. I wish I had found it earlier than now. (c)
Q:
The obstacles of this life are plentiful, but so too are the opportunities to find peace. I feel this out in the city, but even more so in the wild uncertainty of my own unsteady heart. (c)
Q:
With the suitcase on my head and this new life before me, I ask myself, How does it feel to be on my own?
The answer that comes surprises me.
It feels necessary (c)
Q:
What I discover is this: Our physical bodies are the sum of our lives. Our lives are the sum of our thoughts, beliefs, and emotions. When we suppress our emotions, it can create stress on the physical body, causing emotions to show up as physical symptoms. This is how our body communicates with us, by using its very own language. (c)
Q:
I am afraid of a million other things.
But mostly, I’m afraid of showing my feelings. I am afraid of my feelings. I am buried under them. And this has caused me to stifle my humanness—which, it turns out, is 100 percent of what I am made of.
It is impossible to be me, like this.
What I realize next is that I have needed illness. I have needed illness because it has protected me from all the things I don’t feel brave enough to say, feel, and be. It’s easier to be sick than to say no when that’s what I want to say. It is easier to be sick than to try to be perfect. It is easier to be sick and buried under emotions than to feel them. This is perhaps the hardest reality I’ve ever had to
accept, because who runs around the world looking for a cure if they really don’t want it? (c)
Q:
After just several months, I begin to sense a sturdiness inside of me that I’ve never had. I am less afraid than I’ve ever been. I am more relaxed. I start being kinder to myself. When I make a mistake, I forget about it. When I call myself a name, I stop. When I am upset, I share it, even though showing my insides is still not easy for me to do. Maybe most important, I am getting so good at being with my feelings. I do not ignore and persist. I listen. And I do it without too much judgment.
I am becoming me. It’s getting easier. (c)
Q:
It was a long, slow, burning, uncontrollable yearning to simply meet myself once again. (c)
Q:
There will be days that you’ll prevail as the hero of your own story, and nights when you’ll barely scrape yourself up off the floor. But you must take it all as necessary steps and proceed. Keep asking the questions that point to the truth of who you are. When you hear the answers, listen. This is how you own your story. This is how you transform who you think you should be into who you really are. This is how you become the path you’ve been waiting for. This is how you do it. This is how you save your life. (c)
Q:
In the past, I would have been more self-conscious about something like this, but some of my modesty has faded. Now I look at my body and I think, I cannot believe it has survived so much. This perspective is a beautiful thing. I wish I had found it earlier than now. (c)
Q:
The obstacles of this life are plentiful, but so too are the opportunities to find peace. I feel this out in the city, but even more so in the wild uncertainty of my own unsteady heart. (c)
Q:
With the suitcase on my head and this new life before me, I ask myself, How does it feel to be on my own?
The answer that comes surprises me.
It feels necessary (c)
Q:
What I discover is this: Our physical bodies are the sum of our lives. Our lives are the sum of our thoughts, beliefs, and emotions. When we suppress our emotions, it can create stress on the physical body, causing emotions to show up as physical symptoms. This is how our body communicates with us, by using its very own language. (c)
Q:
I am afraid of a million other things.
But mostly, I’m afraid of showing my feelings. I am afraid of my feelings. I am buried under them. And this has caused me to stifle my humanness—which, it turns out, is 100 percent of what I am made of.
It is impossible to be me, like this.
What I realize next is that I have needed illness. I have needed illness because it has protected me from all the things I don’t feel brave enough to say, feel, and be. It’s easier to be sick than to say no when that’s what I want to say. It is easier to be sick than to try to be perfect. It is easier to be sick and buried under emotions than to feel them. This is perhaps the hardest reality I’ve ever had to
accept, because who runs around the world looking for a cure if they really don’t want it? (c)
Q:
After just several months, I begin to sense a sturdiness inside of me that I’ve never had. I am less afraid than I’ve ever been. I am more relaxed. I start being kinder to myself. When I make a mistake, I forget about it. When I call myself a name, I stop. When I am upset, I share it, even though showing my insides is still not easy for me to do. Maybe most important, I am getting so good at being with my feelings. I do not ignore and persist. I listen. And I do it without too much judgment.
I am becoming me. It’s getting easier. (c)
Q:
It was a long, slow, burning, uncontrollable yearning to simply meet myself once again. (c)
Q:
There will be days that you’ll prevail as the hero of your own story, and nights when you’ll barely scrape yourself up off the floor. But you must take it all as necessary steps and proceed. Keep asking the questions that point to the truth of who you are. When you hear the answers, listen. This is how you own your story. This is how you transform who you think you should be into who you really are. This is how you become the path you’ve been waiting for. This is how you do it. This is how you save your life. (c)
June 17, 2018
There were certainly some great moments in this book, and I can’t say I’m sorry I read it. However, by the end, there are a few things that make someone like me (who has lived with chronic illness for 17 years) completely enraged. There’s a sense of mind over matter that she seems to be attributing her healing to, as well as moments when she is in despair at being well and how to go on in a state of health (!!!). For people who are sick and have exhausted every available means of treatment and who don’t have seemingly bottomless pools of money to draw from or family and communities who will drop everything to help you, this story can be infuriating.
January 9, 2013
Great things happen behind the scenes of our lives, often long before they become clear enough to actually see." ~ Amy B. Scher
There are many quotable statements that are so eloquently made throughout this book by Amy B. Scher. Scher opens the doors, the windows, the crawl spaces, and the attic for the reader into her life and how she went from a sick young woman, to a woman with conviction and faith. Scher brings to us her story of making a choice, and following through with it. This is not a whine party about how anybody should pity her for having a chronic illness, it is also not a sermon on why you should do just as she did and you too can find salvation. It is, an honest account of a process, that is shared in a refreshing way.
The book is segmented into three distinct parts. Part I focuses on some background information and the reasons why Scher decided to share her story. Part II, the main section is a personal journal via actual blog posts that allow us to walk with Scher on her journey. Part III is a nice wrap up, with some final thoughts. Each section is well written, and packs that proverbial punch, but in a truly refreshing way. Scher opens your eyes to new possibilities, as her eyes open to them. She brings you into her soul as she travels the bumps in the road, and the smooth sailing moments.
As someone who also suffers from a chronic illness this book was especially poignant for me, as I begin a new year with no new answers, but doctor appointments to come. I want to be able to brave these days to come with even half the strength that Scher had as she made a very difficult decision to try a radical medical solution that many would not agree with, and many fight for the end of such actions.
Bravo to Scher for...
1. Being strong enough to travel this road.
2. Have faith to try something new.
3. Share your story so others can learn.
4. Get better, and share your hope.
There are many quotable statements that are so eloquently made throughout this book by Amy B. Scher. Scher opens the doors, the windows, the crawl spaces, and the attic for the reader into her life and how she went from a sick young woman, to a woman with conviction and faith. Scher brings to us her story of making a choice, and following through with it. This is not a whine party about how anybody should pity her for having a chronic illness, it is also not a sermon on why you should do just as she did and you too can find salvation. It is, an honest account of a process, that is shared in a refreshing way.
The book is segmented into three distinct parts. Part I focuses on some background information and the reasons why Scher decided to share her story. Part II, the main section is a personal journal via actual blog posts that allow us to walk with Scher on her journey. Part III is a nice wrap up, with some final thoughts. Each section is well written, and packs that proverbial punch, but in a truly refreshing way. Scher opens your eyes to new possibilities, as her eyes open to them. She brings you into her soul as she travels the bumps in the road, and the smooth sailing moments.
As someone who also suffers from a chronic illness this book was especially poignant for me, as I begin a new year with no new answers, but doctor appointments to come. I want to be able to brave these days to come with even half the strength that Scher had as she made a very difficult decision to try a radical medical solution that many would not agree with, and many fight for the end of such actions.
Bravo to Scher for...
1. Being strong enough to travel this road.
2. Have faith to try something new.
3. Share your story so others can learn.
4. Get better, and share your hope.
April 13, 2018
I related to the stories since I accompanied my husband on a journey to the same clinic in India. Amy tells it like it is with humor, love and hope.
February 5, 2019
This book felt like an interminable tale of entitlement and cultural appropriation. I also think its dismissive attitude toward Western medicine, with the mantra of you can heal yourself, is dangerous and stigmatizing.
February 13, 2013
I bought this book hoping to gain some insight into dealing more successfully with chronic Lyme disease. I was not disappointed. I was inspired by Amy Scher's determination to do whatever it took to get well. It took her a while to embrace her Indian doctor's belief that she had the power to heal herself. When she finally knew this to be true, she was able heal. The author's life seems to have been changed forever by her healing journey. I appreciate all of the insights she shared about how she accomplished this healing of body, mind, emotions, and spirit. She now offers energy therapy for emotional healing. I have worked with her once via the phone. She was very insightful and kind. I plan to work with her more.
February 12, 2013
Amy Scher had a severe case of Lyme disease that left her in a lot of pain, with poor balance, and with an immune system so weak doctors were afraid a cold could kill her. In an effort to treat her disease, she reaches out to a doctor in India who is doing treatment with stem cells. I enjoyed reading about her journey and how she gradually noticed improvements. I also liked how she stated that this is not a treatment for everyone instead of passing off this treatment as a miracle cure-all. My gripe comes about the part when she returns to the United States. She starts seeking treatment that is so far from orthodox I'd never heard of them: she consults a psychic doctor about whether she's having a relapse, has a test that checks for "toxins" given off of her body's energy flow, and decides she's cured after "unblocking" her energy flow. The ending was really hokey to me, but prior to that, I was cheering on Amy's successes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 17, 2013
The subtitle for this book is "A true story of embryonic stem cells, Indian adventures, and ultimate self-healing." Amy Scher covers all this and so much more in this memoir of her search for restoring her health after dealing with Chronic Lyme disease.
I was fascinated at the ... well - let's just say it - the guts that it took for this young woman to take a chance on a treatment that took her all the way to India to procure, and I was equally fascinated to follow her treatements that have been a roaring success for her! Say what you will about the controversy over using embryonic stem cells - when you are in so much pain you don't know how you will live the next moment in time - you grasp for anything that offers hope. I applaud Amy for her bravery and cheer for her recovery!
Written in her own voice, this book is part diary/part travelouge - and one hundred percent entralling! I highly recommend it!
I was fascinated at the ... well - let's just say it - the guts that it took for this young woman to take a chance on a treatment that took her all the way to India to procure, and I was equally fascinated to follow her treatements that have been a roaring success for her! Say what you will about the controversy over using embryonic stem cells - when you are in so much pain you don't know how you will live the next moment in time - you grasp for anything that offers hope. I applaud Amy for her bravery and cheer for her recovery!
Written in her own voice, this book is part diary/part travelouge - and one hundred percent entralling! I highly recommend it!
April 10, 2018
I must say that this is not my usual genre of literature, but Thank You Goodreads for the ARC. I personally suffer from Trigeminal Neuralgia (a chronic illness) so reading Amy's story about advanced late-stage Lyme disease and her battle to travel across the United States to end up on the other side of the world in India in the hopes that the experimental research (stem-cell) to help her is truly inspirational and pretty accurate on what a person goes through when they feel like there is no hope for any kind of treatment and/or cure. One must find the acceptance of healing from within in order to be truly healed and I believe Amy has done that. Thank you for sharing story. You are a true warrior.
February 19, 2013
The New Eat, Pray, Love!
This book is quite simply a must read. It's a hugely inspirational and uplifting story but not in the usual sappy way you might expect-which makes it even better. Amy's voice is so unique-she'll make you laugh out loud and wipe away a tear in the same paragraph. She's down to earth, hilarious and wise all at the same time and you can't help falling in love with her and the way she sees the world.
You just feel like a better person after reading it...and you'll probably read it in one sitting!
This is a very special book and I can't recommend it enough.
Go Amy! More please!
This book is quite simply a must read. It's a hugely inspirational and uplifting story but not in the usual sappy way you might expect-which makes it even better. Amy's voice is so unique-she'll make you laugh out loud and wipe away a tear in the same paragraph. She's down to earth, hilarious and wise all at the same time and you can't help falling in love with her and the way she sees the world.
You just feel like a better person after reading it...and you'll probably read it in one sitting!
This is a very special book and I can't recommend it enough.
Go Amy! More please!
January 16, 2019
Thanks to Book Club Cookbook and Gallery books.
Imagine living a life without knowing what undiagnosed condition you had. Amy had Lyme disease and she was misdiagnosed so many times and so many tests in so many renowned medical facilities that she practically gave up until she went to India to get stem cell transplants. This was her last hope and it was successful in many ways; not only in her illness but in learning the way that these people live and the Indian food that she never enjoyed living in the U.S. but grew to love there along with the many other opportunities that India provided in the "off time" of her time in the hospital.
Her parents were supportive in going with her and her Jewish mother is so cool especially getting her nose pierced (my Jewish mother wasn't this cool) and her father was a source of support even with his own problems. I loved her family and how supportive they were in every way.
I laughed some, I cried some. My emotions were all over the place.
Imagine living a life without knowing what undiagnosed condition you had. Amy had Lyme disease and she was misdiagnosed so many times and so many tests in so many renowned medical facilities that she practically gave up until she went to India to get stem cell transplants. This was her last hope and it was successful in many ways; not only in her illness but in learning the way that these people live and the Indian food that she never enjoyed living in the U.S. but grew to love there along with the many other opportunities that India provided in the "off time" of her time in the hospital.
Her parents were supportive in going with her and her Jewish mother is so cool especially getting her nose pierced (my Jewish mother wasn't this cool) and her father was a source of support even with his own problems. I loved her family and how supportive they were in every way.
I laughed some, I cried some. My emotions were all over the place.
Read
June 6, 2021This book is beautiful. As someone who is currently fighting the same illness Amy had, I was nervous to pick this book up. Sometimes it’s hard to read about the same thing you’re experiencing because it can make you draw unfair conclusions about your own situation. All that to say, I’m glad I’m finally at a place where, mentally, I felt okay reading this and I’m so glad I did. Not only is Amy a great and engaging writer (this was super easy to get though), the story itself provides so much peace and hope to those with chronic illness (I think so at least) I will come back to this book for hope when I need it. I highly recommend reading this if you struggle with Lyme or chronic illness or someone you love does (it will help you better understand and have empathy for their situation)
June 25, 2021
This book is about how the author tries to save her own life after getting chronic Lyme disease in her twenties that left her with brain lesions, neuropathy, and bedridden. She tried to figure out how to eradicate the bacteria from her body and heal all the damage the disease had done over time. Eventually, she found an experimental stem cell treatment in India that sent her on an unexpected family trip of a lifetime and became a turning point in her healing journey. No matter what we as people struggle with—a physical illness or a mental struggle—we try to save our lives and live each moment.
One line in the book stood out; the author said, "Inside the places that no one knows but me, my heart is split in a million pieces because I am a human being who is lodged in the in-between, in between living and dying. I want to be better than good enough." Then she said, "If I don't move the goalpost for my own life, who will? I want not only to stay alive but to be alive, to lead a life. I am more afraid of living in this condition forever than I am of dying from it."
To listen to my interview with the author, go to m,y podcast at:
https://zibbyowens.com/transcript/amy...
One line in the book stood out; the author said, "Inside the places that no one knows but me, my heart is split in a million pieces because I am a human being who is lodged in the in-between, in between living and dying. I want to be better than good enough." Then she said, "If I don't move the goalpost for my own life, who will? I want not only to stay alive but to be alive, to lead a life. I am more afraid of living in this condition forever than I am of dying from it."
To listen to my interview with the author, go to m,y podcast at:
https://zibbyowens.com/transcript/amy...
January 7, 2013
From Lilac Wolf and Stuff
The book is brilliant. I'm in awe of this woman who spent so long losing a battle with Lyme Disease. She went to India for stem cell treatment. The stem cells used, are from a single embryo that was donated to the doctor from a couple who had embryos made up for fertility treatment. When they reached success, they wanted to give something back.
It's a very easy going book, being that it's mostly made up of blog entries that Amy wrote while undergoing treatment. And reading about her healing is just amazing. Why are we not doing this here???
It's also a wonderful study of the culture shock when a San Francisco gal goes to one of the largest cities in India, Delhi. I'm still in love with India, but I'm less eager to move there. lol
Amy doesn't really pull any stops. She's working her butt off to get rid of the Lyme and all the things that go along with it, and she's sharing it all right here with us.
The book is brilliant. I'm in awe of this woman who spent so long losing a battle with Lyme Disease. She went to India for stem cell treatment. The stem cells used, are from a single embryo that was donated to the doctor from a couple who had embryos made up for fertility treatment. When they reached success, they wanted to give something back.
It's a very easy going book, being that it's mostly made up of blog entries that Amy wrote while undergoing treatment. And reading about her healing is just amazing. Why are we not doing this here???
It's also a wonderful study of the culture shock when a San Francisco gal goes to one of the largest cities in India, Delhi. I'm still in love with India, but I'm less eager to move there. lol
Amy doesn't really pull any stops. She's working her butt off to get rid of the Lyme and all the things that go along with it, and she's sharing it all right here with us.
February 9, 2013
Amy’s story of healing is inspirational and her determination to overcome years of chronic illness is motivation for anyone looking to learn about and improve upon the life experience. My own life has changed for the better and beyond my wildest dreams in the short time I have known Amy. Her story has been pivotal in shifting the way I feel about my own experiences and the course my life has taken. She says it perfectly in her book- “One’s path will unfold in its own time, revealing pieces of the puzzle only as they are ready to be healed. It will not always be in your time, but it will happen.” The ups and downs in life all happen for a reason and help shape you into the person you are meant to be.
April 7, 2018
This is the second memoir I've read depicting the courage and perseverance of a woman fighting late stage Lyme disease. (The other book was by Yolanda Hadid.) Scher's journey takes her to India for a stem cell treatment. On the whole, this trip is helpful, and Scher reacts positively. Nevertheless, something about her blogs describing this Indian experience made me cringe ___not the medical but the cultural aspects.
Ultimately, Scher discovers that she has to search within for emotional as well as physical release.
Ultimately, Scher discovers that she has to search within for emotional as well as physical release.
October 1, 2019
What?
Interesting start, our Amy goes to India for stem cell treatments for...any idea of the disease? Could be Lyme, but maybe not. She has her parents with her for much of her stay in a Deli hospital where a rat shares her room, which doesn't seem to bother her much. So ok, you get better and then you don't but end up falling in love, and that addendum about her father ends the story on a tragic note. At least it seemed so to me. Weird. I have a chronic incurable condition so her treatment in India was my motivation for reading this. It wasn't worth it.
Interesting start, our Amy goes to India for stem cell treatments for...any idea of the disease? Could be Lyme, but maybe not. She has her parents with her for much of her stay in a Deli hospital where a rat shares her room, which doesn't seem to bother her much. So ok, you get better and then you don't but end up falling in love, and that addendum about her father ends the story on a tragic note. At least it seemed so to me. Weird. I have a chronic incurable condition so her treatment in India was my motivation for reading this. It wasn't worth it.
October 19, 2019
This was an enjoyable and easy read. There is a message about accepting yourself that could have been presented more strongly. It kept me engaged but it felt a little flat at the end. Although, I’m not sure what I was expecting. I did learn about India a bit from an American’s perspective. I am happy that the author “found herself” and true happiness, love and, reasonable health. The mind and spirit is truly powerful.
April 22, 2018
Scher's book is inspiring, engrossing, and a wonderful read. As someone who has dealt with invisible illness for a long time, I related to so much of her story. The travel aspect also provides the armchair reader with an in-depth look at living in Delhi, which I found fascinating as well. Highly recommended.
February 14, 2013
The author's journey of illness (Lyme Disease) and healing is sparely and beautifully written. This book is heartening and thought-provoking for anyone whose sense of self is shaken by circumstance---not just Lyme Disease and not just illness.
March 26, 2018
This book is about Amy Scher and her journey with advanced lyme disease. It takes you through the medical saga including a trip for stem cell infusions to India. Amy has a unique way of adjusting to the Indian experience and then to eventually finding self healing.
Good read.
Good read.
January 1, 2013
Review Pending release at: The Library at the END of the Universe in January 2013
November 24, 2021
I had read about Lyme Disease before reading this book. I knew it could get bad if it gets Chronic. It’s crazy how one bug bite can cause so much trouble in our bodies. If you have chronic Lyme or know someone who does you may want to read this book. If however you were just diagnosed with regular Lyme Disease you might not want to read it as it may scare you.
Amy Scher is a great author and in fact as written other books too. Her writing is captivating and I couldn’t put the book down till I finished it. Her journey to India was really interesting to read. I don’t normally enjoy travel memoirs but I do like health memoirs. This is a mixture of both but I really enjoyed it. India is so different from North America but she adapted really quickly I think. I couldn’t have done it.
Even if you don’t have Lyme, if you have any other chronic condition you will find hope in this book. Although chronic illness don’t generally have a cure, finding anything that can make living with the condition better is worth the effort. You’ll have to read the book to find out if she found a cure or not.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Amy Scher is a great author and in fact as written other books too. Her writing is captivating and I couldn’t put the book down till I finished it. Her journey to India was really interesting to read. I don’t normally enjoy travel memoirs but I do like health memoirs. This is a mixture of both but I really enjoyed it. India is so different from North America but she adapted really quickly I think. I couldn’t have done it.
Even if you don’t have Lyme, if you have any other chronic condition you will find hope in this book. Although chronic illness don’t generally have a cure, finding anything that can make living with the condition better is worth the effort. You’ll have to read the book to find out if she found a cure or not.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
October 2, 2024
Amy you are so brave and courageous for sharing your life’s story. Thank you for showing us that no one is perfect, and that we have to ability to heal when we believe in our own powerful mind. I know you through your beautiful and charming mother. I’m so glad I met her at the Little Red House in Pacific, your mom was working on her 70 new things before her 70th birthday. What luck it was to me her and fun your healing words. Next I’m going to reread How to Heal Yourself When No one Else Can.
January 3, 2019
Although Amy took a very different journey in traveling to India (read the book to find out why!), her story deeply resonated with my own story working through grief, depression, and anxiety. It was very powerful.
August 14, 2020
This book is inspirational, funny, and fun to read. Amy’s story shines a positive light of finding hope. I really enjoyed reading it.
December 30, 2021
Meh. There are many other books that do a better - more vivid, interesting and captivating - job of describing personal growth and change brought about by illness/trauma and/or a change of environment. .
May 4, 2021
A fascinating memoir of survival and finding one's way. Having traveled to the same parts of India, I loved hearing her take on things. Well written, with a unique voice. I very much enjoyed this.
April 17, 2020
Excellent perspective on healthcare and self care!
surprise ending and she realizes how mental health is connected to physical health. Excellent perspective. Great read for those with chronic conditions,
surprise ending and she realizes how mental health is connected to physical health. Excellent perspective. Great read for those with chronic conditions,
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