A Memoir of Healing
by
Cherie Kephart
"A powerful testimony to the strength of the human spirit and a humbling reminder of the limitations of modern medicine."
-Dr. Renate Girard, M.D.
Cherie Kephart a young woman who
longed for adventure, traveled the world from the remote villages of
Central Africa to the majestic coastlines of New Zealand until a
mysterious illness thrust her to the precipice of death. The persistent
health challenges led to years of suffering, during which her symptoms
time and again were undiagnosed by well-meaning medical doctors and
healers who were sometimes competent, sometimes careless, sometimes
absurd, and always baffled. The anguish, the uncertainty, and the
relentless pain would have caused many people to simply give up and end
their lives—and Cherie came close. Told with brutal honesty, astonishing
wit, and a haunting vulnerability, A Few Minor Adjustments is an
unforgettable memoir that will move you with its fiercely inspirational
account of one woman’s incredible journey to find life-saving answers.
In the end, she finds much more than a diagnosis.
CHERIE GEPHART
Raised in Venice, California, Cherie longed to travel and experience the
way other people lived. After serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in
Zambia on a water sanitation and health education project, Cherie
returned to the United States with an African souvenir she didn't
expect: a mysterious illness. She fell severely ill and almost died,
leaving her with symptoms that went undiagnosed for many years. This
inspired Cherie to write her memoir, A Few Minor Adjustments, taking the
reader on a powerful-but-entertaining journey through her adventures
and search for life-saving answers and a diagnosis. A graduate of the
University of Auckland, New Zealand with an M.A. in Medical and Cultural
Anthropology with First Class Honors, Cherie also holds a B.A. in
Communications from UCSD and a Certification in Scientific and Technical
Writing. A Few Minor Adjustments is a 2017 San Diego Book Awards
winner. It was also featured in the San Diego Annual Memoir Showcase and
was performed onstage at the Horton Grand Theater. Cherie's essays,
stories, and poems have appeared in publications and events such as: The
San Diego Poetry Annual, The San Diego Writers Ink Anthology, Oceanside
Literary Art Walk, Wild Lemon Project, Magee Park Poets Anthology, and
in the Transform Your Life classes. After traveling to more than forty
countries, Cherie now lives in San Diego and has been celebrated for her
holistic approach to healing, and her willingness to examine her life
lessons in her writing.
Stay connected with Cherie at HERE
MY THOUGHTS
Pain, real pain, that doesn't let go, that so many people suffer with is taken with a different approach in Ms. Kephart's book. She presents the pain but with that she gives the reader some humor, a few moments to smile, understand to a point and take that deep breathe. This story is a woman's walk through sickness and finally learning to accept and know you aren't alone. Often times, when facing relentless pain or illness, we give up. We feel we just can't go on. That's because we've lost HOPE! But Ms. Kephart puts that HOPE back in the picture and helps the reader realize that. The story will tear at your heart strings until you feel your heart is breaking. The author doesn't sugar coat. She lays it out as it is. This is the author's own personal story of her undiagnosed illness and her journey through it. You feel for Ms. Kephart and it may bring thoughts of people you know personally. You may even be able to help the person you know by adding a bit of humor, giving them this book to read and putting HOPE in their lives. Sometimes we all need a wake up call. Perhaps you or someone you know is suffering. Maybe you haven't had stopped and thought about how blessed you are. That goes in both directions. Blessed for what you have or blessed for what you don't. We need to stop and reflect. There's something good in everything we go through but we need, as the author did, put some humor in it. Laugh at yourself. Laughter is good medicine. It may seem uncaring to say that, but the woe is me attitude doesn't work very good. Take every moment and savor it. Find the good in the bad.
This journey is a warm, tender, amazing and very personal time in the life of the author. I applaud her that she has found the way to laugh at life and pass it on to others.
So if you are suffering, and it doesn't necessarily have to be physical pain, or if you know of someone who is, become a part of life and smile, laugh sometimes and think how silly life is sometimes. Share this book with others and give them a story that may help them through their pain.
I was given a copy of this book from the author and voluntarily decided to review it.
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