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Bet You Didn't Think MS Could Look This Good: The Ramblings of a Medicated Mind
Lisa had a good life; married to her high school sweetheart, two handsome sons, and a nice home Quite literally in the blink of an eye, her whole wold turned upside down. Sickness began to not only ravage her body, but also her world. In her own words, taken from her private journal, she takes you through what daily life is like when you have a seriously incurable, chronic illness. It gets even more complicated when the illness she is told she has turns out to be something else, something rare and possibly even fatal.
240 pages, Paperback
Published October 14, 2016
1 person is currently reading
263 people want to read
About the author
Lisa A. Baeringer
1 book25 followersLisa is a Philadelphia, PA native and continues to reside there with her husband, two sons, and a bunch of happy animals. She plays an active role in the advancement and well-being of her community.
She is a featured author of Cedar Loft Publishing.
Lisa was a contributing author of the collective works in the book "Something On Our Minds: Vol. 2"
She's the creator of the popular Facebook writers' group "The Writers' Plot." She has also had blog posts and articles featured on various websites and magazines.
She is a featured author of Cedar Loft Publishing.
Lisa was a contributing author of the collective works in the book "Something On Our Minds: Vol. 2"
She's the creator of the popular Facebook writers' group "The Writers' Plot." She has also had blog posts and articles featured on various websites and magazines.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 3, 2017
I BET YOU DIDN’T THINK MS COULD LOOK THIS GOOD, by Lisa Baeringer is a book full of diary entries by a woman whose life changed in one flash moment, on what would have otherwise been a normal day for her. This woman, a mother, a wife, and a hard working deli-worker, had her familiar life ripped away from her, when she began to lose her sight in one eye. This began her descent into hell, quite literally.
She traveled into the dark, tortuous world of a rare sickness, a sickness that robbed her of one eye and showed signs of stealing sight from her other eye. She lost functions in her legs, her torso and her hands, as she endured relentless testing and humiliating procedures, by callous professionals who paraded her from one specialist to another.
However, Lisa Baeringer's writing is not about her sickness, as much as her journey into the human condition of the "dark night of the soul," and her resulting discovery of universal truth. As she faced her fears and experienced pain agonizing enough to erase any chance of optimism, she questioned what faith is, and she realized a common denominator defined throughout her journal. Her equation for living is beyond religion, beyond worldliness, and is an unfathomable truth that drives generations forward.
When she was forced into a hermetic state of mind, her journal became mystical, wresting the agony of her self-worth, doubts about her purpose, and feelings of alienation from others. Throughout all this, she experienced a brush with death that defined her moment of blissful near-surrender, she saw heaven open to her in strokes of feathery clouds, and she saw mystical revelations in the flight formations of birds in pursuit.
This author hones bare truths in her poetic visions, even as she rages at the universe, she returns to one truth, chiseled out of her despair, a truth that re-directs her fate. Most of all, she gives readers a beam of wisdom powerful enough to change attitudes and lives forever.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
She traveled into the dark, tortuous world of a rare sickness, a sickness that robbed her of one eye and showed signs of stealing sight from her other eye. She lost functions in her legs, her torso and her hands, as she endured relentless testing and humiliating procedures, by callous professionals who paraded her from one specialist to another.
However, Lisa Baeringer's writing is not about her sickness, as much as her journey into the human condition of the "dark night of the soul," and her resulting discovery of universal truth. As she faced her fears and experienced pain agonizing enough to erase any chance of optimism, she questioned what faith is, and she realized a common denominator defined throughout her journal. Her equation for living is beyond religion, beyond worldliness, and is an unfathomable truth that drives generations forward.
When she was forced into a hermetic state of mind, her journal became mystical, wresting the agony of her self-worth, doubts about her purpose, and feelings of alienation from others. Throughout all this, she experienced a brush with death that defined her moment of blissful near-surrender, she saw heaven open to her in strokes of feathery clouds, and she saw mystical revelations in the flight formations of birds in pursuit.
This author hones bare truths in her poetic visions, even as she rages at the universe, she returns to one truth, chiseled out of her despair, a truth that re-directs her fate. Most of all, she gives readers a beam of wisdom powerful enough to change attitudes and lives forever.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 4, 2017
I received this book from the Goodreads Giveaway in exchange for my honest review.
That said I liked this book. I have only been diagnosed since June 2015. I was blessed with having a good neurologist. I knew nothing about MS at the time except Shemar Moore's mom has it and there is no cure. While reading this book is could totally relate to your feelings and what you are going through. Until you have that dreaded diagnosis you don't understand what your life will be like.
This book is a diary/journal and reads like one. I could relate to some of the things (the icy hot feeling). I would recommend this book to anyone who wants an insight about MS.
That said I liked this book. I have only been diagnosed since June 2015. I was blessed with having a good neurologist. I knew nothing about MS at the time except Shemar Moore's mom has it and there is no cure. While reading this book is could totally relate to your feelings and what you are going through. Until you have that dreaded diagnosis you don't understand what your life will be like.
This book is a diary/journal and reads like one. I could relate to some of the things (the icy hot feeling). I would recommend this book to anyone who wants an insight about MS.
August 3, 2017
Bet You Didn't Think MS Could Look This Good by Lisa A. Baeringer is such an incredible but heartbreaking read. I recommend giving it a read.
Special thanks to Lisa for sending me a copy of this!
While reading, I felt Lisa’s anxiety about money and her desperation as she fought to get answers. I felt her frustration and anger as she waited for a diagnosis and struggled to get doctors to listen to her. I felt her helplessness when times got really hard.
However, throughout the novel, I also felt her bravery and strength. She amazed me with her honesty and openness on every page. There was also so much love shown between her and her family and friends. And to top it all off, there was a lovely dash of humor that had me chuckling from time to time.
I did find the book as a whole quite repetitive, but like Lisa states in her intro, this is her diary. This is such a powerful read already, I can only imagine how astonishing it would be if it was edited!
My favorite passages:
“I tell myself if I have to wear an eye patch I’m getting a hot pink one with crystal studs that say “Sexy Mama” on it. I swear my thoughts are too random sometimes.”
“Thanks a lot lady. I get more concern from my dog. It’s like every doctor I’m coming in contact with has some sort of God complex. Since I’m a mystery diagnosis it’s bruising their ego and they want nothing to do with it.”
“You don’t realize the everyday blessings you take for granted until it’s gone. We go about our world worried about money and all kinds of stupid stuff then something like this happens and you see what’s really important. But life doesn’t stop and neither can I.”
“I go for walks to clear my head sometimes and I cherish each foot step I am still able to take on my own.”
“Each time I actually get a good day I begin to feel hopeful only to be let down when another bad day follows.”
“I have to stop looking at other people’s lives and getting jealous about them. I keep thinking about how much easier they have it and how they catch breaks. If I keep up this attitude it will get me nowhere. I’ll only be left feeling resentful and bitter. I need to concentrate on what is good in my life and how much worse it could be.”
“The fire in my right leg burns with such intensity with little room for neither remorse nor reprieve.”
“I hope many of you out there get to have these serene moments where life just takes a back burner and you can live in the moment. Enjoy the nature around you. Enjoy the family and friends that enrich your lives. Most of all enjoy yourself as you, a wonderful and beautiful human being.”
“Some people may scowl at the way our marriage works but I really don’t give a flying nut.”
Special thanks to Lisa for sending me a copy of this!
While reading, I felt Lisa’s anxiety about money and her desperation as she fought to get answers. I felt her frustration and anger as she waited for a diagnosis and struggled to get doctors to listen to her. I felt her helplessness when times got really hard.
However, throughout the novel, I also felt her bravery and strength. She amazed me with her honesty and openness on every page. There was also so much love shown between her and her family and friends. And to top it all off, there was a lovely dash of humor that had me chuckling from time to time.
I did find the book as a whole quite repetitive, but like Lisa states in her intro, this is her diary. This is such a powerful read already, I can only imagine how astonishing it would be if it was edited!
My favorite passages:
“I tell myself if I have to wear an eye patch I’m getting a hot pink one with crystal studs that say “Sexy Mama” on it. I swear my thoughts are too random sometimes.”
“Thanks a lot lady. I get more concern from my dog. It’s like every doctor I’m coming in contact with has some sort of God complex. Since I’m a mystery diagnosis it’s bruising their ego and they want nothing to do with it.”
“You don’t realize the everyday blessings you take for granted until it’s gone. We go about our world worried about money and all kinds of stupid stuff then something like this happens and you see what’s really important. But life doesn’t stop and neither can I.”
“I go for walks to clear my head sometimes and I cherish each foot step I am still able to take on my own.”
“Each time I actually get a good day I begin to feel hopeful only to be let down when another bad day follows.”
“I have to stop looking at other people’s lives and getting jealous about them. I keep thinking about how much easier they have it and how they catch breaks. If I keep up this attitude it will get me nowhere. I’ll only be left feeling resentful and bitter. I need to concentrate on what is good in my life and how much worse it could be.”
“The fire in my right leg burns with such intensity with little room for neither remorse nor reprieve.”
“I hope many of you out there get to have these serene moments where life just takes a back burner and you can live in the moment. Enjoy the nature around you. Enjoy the family and friends that enrich your lives. Most of all enjoy yourself as you, a wonderful and beautiful human being.”
“Some people may scowl at the way our marriage works but I really don’t give a flying nut.”
October 31, 2016
The inspiration behind having this book published was to give readers a personal inside look into the world of someone who lives with Multiple Sclerosis/Devic's Syndrome. It's meant to bring attention to this debilitating illness and the warriors who battle with it on a daily basis.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews