What you've been through makes you who you are. But you can also become the person you want to be by being active in your growth.

Author Lori Lewicki grew up the daughter of a Vietnam vet, had a baby fresh out of high school, and searched for love, acceptance, and a place where she could help others heal while healing herself. Her path has taken her through divorce, disease, and despair, but it has also led her to hope, love, and happiness.

Lori's tale isn't unusual among nurses, the men and women who hold our hands through our worst, uplifting us, caring for us, and helping us transition to another realm. These people are often the givers, those who give and give and give until there is nothing left for themselves.

Or even their families. Surviving Shit Creek is about the hope that guides us and how we navigate the rough waters to get to where our dreams happen, often without a paddle.

As the Lighthouse Nurse, Lori provides a light to guide other nurses through those rapids, showing them that getting through the toughest times can lead us to a peace that we deserve, if we know the path to take. We all need to do our own healing so we can enjoy our lives and give more when we want to, but nurses especially need to step into their role as healers for themselves so they can love being a nurse, even on the toughest days.

Lori's real and raw account of her personal journey lays open the challenges of her profession and the people who live it while demonstrating her determination to live her dreams. .