Book Review and Giveaway: How Can You NOT Laugh at a Time Like This? by Carla Ulbrich

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If the picture of the bunny slippers doesn't catch your eye and make you stop and look at this book, the chapter titles (like 'Pick Your Poison', 'Don't Blame the Salad' or 'A Good Vein is Hard to Find') will have you laughing and picking it up to read!


How Can You NOT Laugh at a Time Like This cover
Synopsis: Having a sense of humor is essential to health, says singer-songwriter Carla Ulbrich, who has found laughter to be a lifesaver during tough times. Under the stress of multiple illnesses and constant health ''care,'' Ulbrich one day snapped and became the Singing Patient. She channeled her hard won victories, set about reclaiming her health, and penned this book: a collection of short, inspiring, funny essays that help people thrive and celebrate life despite illness.


About the Author: When Carla fell ill in 2002, she used her wit and off-center perspective to cope with the many obstacles in her path. She suffered two strokes and kidney failure, along with accompanying anemia, hair loss, weight loss, congestive heart failure, pleurisy, fever, migraines, and fatigue. 

Because of the strokes, she had to re-learn the guitar from scratch that year. She spent her many hours in doctors' waiting rooms writing humorous song lyrics about her malady and the absurdity of the health care system. Under the stress of constant "care," Carla finally snapped and became "The Singing Patient"  Carla has taught guitar at colleges, music stores and summer camps, and her whimsical songs are now heard on numerous radio stations, including Sirius XM radio, the syndicated shows "Bob and Sherrie in the Morning" "Housecalls radio show" and "The Dr. Demento Show."  Visit her at www.thesingingpatient.com



Here's a sample of one of her funny songs: "Sitting in the Waiting Room"- if it doesn't leave you smiling, you haven't sat in a waiting room for more than an hour!






Review: I wasn't sure how this book would be when I started to read it, but I finished it in 2 sittings, mainly because it was SO comical! If you've been through any type of doctor's visits requiring followups and tests, you will relate to much of the book! Carla puts a very funny spin on common fears, like is Lupus contagious?, and prejudices about illness (Lupus? no it must be something else!, say most doctors). She both exploits, and understands, the workings of our traditional medical system (ever asked YOUR doctor how THEY are doing? You might be surprised at the response!), and offers some truly wonderful (and funny) advice for navigating it. She also gives some really great info on alternative therapies! She also brings together info from different doctors/authors that helped her get thru her illnesses.


Carla gives us some very candid insights, handy lists (her list of what NOT to say to someone going thru a severe illness where so right, they need to be posted outside hospital rooms!), and humor as she guides families and friends who wish to help their loved ones. By the end of the book you will have felt like you've learned a whole lot about modern medicine, the best ways to help you and/or your loved ones who are ill, and what to do to STAY healthy! In fact, I was quite reassured that her recommendations for boosting your immune system matched that of what my doctor had just told me this past week (a combo of fish oil, flax seed, uber multivitamin high in A,Bs,C and D), as she has had great success with it! This is a great little book and I highly recommend it for everyone!

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Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this book, free of charge, from 
JKSCommunications, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it.

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