Incurable Optimist:

Yes! My previous speaking topics include moving forward with uncertainty to find joy, employee empowerment and connection to purpose, and the road to resilience. I have spoken to Fortune 500, health care and pharmaceutical companies, international conferences, medical schools, and nonprofit organizations. If you’d like to inquire about booking me as your speaker, let me know via email. I’d love to learn more about your event!

First off, I never deny difficulties and suggest, hey, just be happy! That doesn't work. It isn’t helpful to suggest we can happy away our hardships. I suggest reserving a special notebook (or section of your notebook) to vent. I call this a dammit dump. Spill the noisy contents in your head. Write them down. Exhaust their energy. This helps to untangle your difficulties a bit to free up valuable mental space.

I’m a half full gal. But I’ve also come to realize this age-old question isn’t the right one. Is the glass half full or half empty? It assumes the most critical of things—you have a glass. The glass is life. It’s everything, so I guess ultimately, I remind myself to be grateful for the glass.

It's a process to strive for acceptance, savor small joys, and hang on to hope. I have tremendous gratitude for the people who've helped me, so I channel that back into the kidney health community. This advocacy boosts me.

I'm thrilled to serve as the 2023-26 Board Chair for the local National Kidney Foundation, work as a National Patient Mentor, and help kidney patients share their stories. Besides that, it's a bonus that my daughter makes me laugh at the drop of a hat, my husband is my steady Eddie, and my pup Penny wags with delight every time I enter the room.

Yes! Audiobook and e-book versions are widely available through Amazon and other retailers.