Guest Book Review: This Is How I Save My Life

By Sara Steven

What would you do (and how far would you go) in order to save your life?

In Amy Scher’s debut autobiographical novel, This Is How I Save My Life, she asks that very question, detailing her battle with Chronic Lyme Disease and the many health issues that come from it. A good friend of mine is currently living with Lyme Disease, which made me all the more eager to read this book. I wanted to learn as much as I could, to better understand the complex intricacies of such a little known disease.

Amy shares with us excerpts from her personal blog, taking us on an emotional and spiritual journey from her diagnosis, to seeking salvation in India. She discovers the power of embryonic stem cells, a much debated and controversial form of treatment for Lyme Disease, and yet she pushes through those boundaries anyway. I felt as though I was right there with her during her treatments, seated bravely in the dusty rooms at the Indian hospital, praying for a miracle and hoping for the best.

She decides that there is more to healing than simply the physical. In many ways, Amy feels she has found herself through her medical journey. There is an element of self-healing that plays a very important role. As she puts it: “I now realize that the actual stem cell treatment has become a smaller part of my story than I ever imagined. In the end, it was not necessarily the cure, but the catalyst for my ultimate healing.”

While I enjoyed the book, I think I would have preferred less blog entry posts from the past, and more recent writings from Amy. There is a clinical point of view to this book, yet it provides the reader with an in depth description of what one goes through when dealing with Lyme Disease, not just the symptoms but also the treatments for it. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who is currently living with chronic illness, knows someone who is, or to anyone who is in the market for a very inspirational story. I will pass this book along to my friend, confident she will find a wealth of information and knowledge to help her with her own personal journey.

“When life kicks your ass, kick back.” – Amy B. Scher

Thanks to BookSparks PR for the book in exchange for an honest review. For more information about Amy Scher and her book, visit her website and check out the trailer while you're there.

Sara Steven is a wife and stay-at-home mother of two rambunctious boys in Bellevue, NE. When she’s not running marathons, getting certified in group fitness instruction, or working on her novel, she takes a break and opens up a good book (or turns on her Nook). Find her at her blog.

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