There I Am

The Journey from Hopelessness to Healing - A Memoir

By: Ruthie Lindsey

Narrated by: Ruthie Lindsey

Length: 8 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

Brain on Fire meets Carry On, Warrior, in this inspirational memoir and “testament to the things that break us, heal us, and make us who we are” (Glennon Doyle, number one New York Times best-selling author) that explores one woman’s journey from chronic pain and hopelessness to finding joy, redemption, and healing.

At 17 years old, Ruthie Lindsey is hit by an ambulance near her home in rural Louisiana. She's given a five percent chance of survival and one percent chance of walking again. One month later after a spinal fusion surgery, Ruthie defies the odds, leaving the hospital on her own two feet.

Just a few years later, newly married and living in Nashville, Ruthie begins to experience debilitating pain. Her case confounds doctors, and after numerous rounds of testing, imaging, and treatment, they prescribe narcotic painkillers - lots of them. Ruthie has become bedridden, dependent on painkillers, and hopeless, when an X-ray reveals that the wire used to fuse her spine is piercing her brain stem. Without another staggeringly expensive experimental surgery, she could well become paralyzed, but in many ways, she already is.

Ruthie goes into the hospital in chronic pain, dependent on prescription painkillers, and leaves the same way. She can still walk but has no idea where she's going. As her life unravels, Ruthie returns home to Louisiana and sets out on a journey to learn joy again. She trades fentanyl for sunsets and morphine for wildflowers, weaning herself off of the drugs and beginning the process of healing - of coming home to her body.

Raw and redemptive, There I Am is not just about the magic of optimism, but the work of it. Ruthie's extraordinary memoir is “like going on a walk with a best friend and listening to a life-changing speech at the same time: it’s equal parts familiar and profound, warm and insightful, comforting and challenging, relatable and unlike anything you’ve read before” (Mari Andrew, New York Times best-selling author).

©2020 Ruthie Lindsey (P)2020 Simon & Schuster Audio

amazing book

amazing book. I dont visualize but I could see everything she was reading. great writing.

Great listen!!!

So good!! Definitely worth the listen!!! A very profound perspective of her story, well spoken!!

Inspirational and moving

Ruthie is such a gifted story teller. Her story is so moving and inspirational! She has a way of making you feel as though your own personal journey relates to her harrowing unbelievable one. This book is so beautiful.

Life changing

Ruthie tells her story so beautifully. It’s so accessible and relevant. I read it at the most perfect time in my life and was able to push through some chronic pain. Grateful for her and her willingness to share this story. Highly recommend.

Such a heart opening story.

It was beautiful. Sometimes a little too heard to bear all the sadness and pain. I had to take breaks from time to time. So worth it, though, to find the healing and joy in the story too. Thank you for sharing your journey Ruthie!

Beautiful

Wow. What a wonderful example of a heartfelt journey of finding yourself. Or. As she said. You are already there. There I am.

Fulfilled

This book was like traveling through the journey of Ruthie’s heart. Throughout this book I celebrated with her and cried even more with her pain. This book was written so well that I almost felt like it was my journey, while I listen to it. My soul felt like it’s just experience an awakening. So much of my struggles for giving a new light for reading this book. It is almost like I can see them correctly for the first time. Thank you Ruthie for sharing your most deepest brokenness with us. Your pain, your suffering, allowed me to see insights into my own pain and brokenness that I hadn’t seen before. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. ❤️

Beautifully written

I loved this book so much! Not only is Ruthie's voice enjoyable to listen to, her story is impactful and the realness is her is unmatched!

Intimate and moving experience

Hearing this powerful story read by Ruthie Lindsey herself was so intimate and moving. I felt it ALL right along with her and couldn’t stop listening. Thank you Ruthie for the courage and vulnerability it must have taken to share your story. It leaves me feeling a deep sense of love, hope and resilience that’s possible for all of us.

Completely Wonderful

Ruthie’s story is beautiful, raw, and honest. Her journey to find healing is one that everyone can relate to and with so many people struggling right now, I think it’s so timely to listen to. I’m so grateful Ruthie read her own story for the audiobook. It was like listening to a new best friend open up after a few glasses of wine sitting next to a river in the mountains. What a gem. I hope she writes more.