No Pressure, No Diamonds - by Teri A Dillion (Paperback)

About the Book

At 35 and newly married, psychotherapist and Buddhist practitioner Teri Dillion suspects she knows most of the answers to a satisfying and meaningful life. But once diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS) and told to get her affairs in order before facing total paralysis and death, she finds herself pertly booted off all lofty perches of smug psychology and easy equanimity. In the months that follow, she sets out in dizzying pursuit of an unlikely cure, traveling deeper into the byzantine landscapes of alternative medicine and self-help in hopes of being a rare and miraculous survivor. As she grows increasingly disillusioned with toxic positivity and bypassing spiritual gurus, she is forced to knock ever-louder at the door of her own knowing---and attempt to define her own deepest faith. In this inspiring and entertaining memoir about living with (and at times railing against) terminal illness, written to appeal to the healthy and the ill, disfigured, or downtrodden, Teri reclaims the mysteries of grace while gently reminding us of the fragile blessings of embodiment. Join her for the journey as she explores whether the most brilliant jewels of meaning can be found not in conventional narratives of triumphant recovery, but in what we painstakingly and lovingly carve for ourselves out of life's roughest blows. Can we ultimately lay claim to hope, resilience, self-love, and healing when the only way "out" is through? -- Publisher description

Book Synopsis

How do you define hope and healing when faced with an early death?

At 35 and newly married, psychotherapist and Buddhist practitioner Teri Dillion had tidy answers on offer for creating a meaningful and beautiful life. But once diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS) and told to get her affairs in order before facing total paralysis and death, she finds all smug psychology and easy equanimity no match for her new harrowing prognosis.

With a humorous exploration of the current landscapes of alternative medicine and self-help, No Pressure, No Diamonds recounts Teri's powerful journey while shedding light on the fragile blessings of embodiment in general. As she grows increasingly disillusioned with toxic positivity and bypassing spiritual gurus in her determined pursuit of a miraculous cure, she's forced to examine her deepest beliefs and define her own faith about hope, and healing.

Inspiring, entertaining, and deeply moving, this memoir will resonate with anyone forced to grapple with chronic or terminal illness. Teri's story teaches us how the most brilliant jewels of meaning and resilience can be found not in conventional narratives of triumphant recovery, but in what we painstakingly and lovingly carve for ourselves out of life's roughest blows.