A Physician's Personal Journey
Nonfiction
Date Published: June 14, 2021
What do you do when the skies in your life turn dark?
There are many struggles in this difficult world that can darken our skies. It may be ongoing health issues, depression/anxiety, relationship struggles, financial calamity and so much more.
Andy Laurie, MD, had seemingly the perfect life. He had a successful medical practice. He was starting a second career as a pastor. He was young and healthy. He had a beautiful, loving wife and four small children. His life could not have been better. It was nothing but blue skies.
Then, the unthinkable hit. He was struck with a devastating illness. The skies of his once-wonderful life became dark, very dark.
Dr. Laurie has been battling illness for nearly two decades. He has now courageously shared his story with you. Relying on nearly thirty years of medical practice and over twenty years in the ministry, Dr. Laurie has written prescriptions for you to find hope, strength, contentment, joy, and even victory when the struggles of life have darkened your blue skies.
Interview with Andy Laurie, MD
Introduce yourself and tell me about what it is that you do.
My name is Andy Laurie MD. I am a recently retired physician and also a Pastor at The Bridge Christian Church in Tucson, Arizona. I practiced emergency radiology for nearly 30 years before illness (see what the book is about) caused me to retire about a year and a half ago. I have continued to serve as a Pastor as my health has allowed for over 20 years as well. I have been married to a wonderful lady (Cyndi) for 31 years and we have four now grown children. We have a new (and first grandchild) who we think is just awesome :). Cyndi and I live in Tucson, Arizona with our beloved dogs. We have two German Shepherds. We keep busy with church related activities and of course the book. But we are tying to do some traveling in our RV and enjoy life some. Of course, my health struggles put a limit on much of what we can and cannot do.
Tell me more about your journey as an author, including the writing processes?
The idea for the book…When Skies Aren’t Blue…is one that I have been thinking about for a number of years now. I got sick in 2003 and have been battling a pretty awful chronic illness (POTS/gastroparesis/dysautonomia) this entire time. Obviously going from health to sickness was life changing and devastating to say the least. Through this process over the years I have learned much, both as a MD and as a Pastor, on how to approach life when battling these chronic struggles that so easily darken our skies. Over the years I have had the chance to teach and counsel others who have been suffering and have been quite helpful. So, about 3 years ago it really hit me that I might be able to help others beyond just those at the church by putting my story and all that I learned into a book and then market it to others whose skies have been darkened by those struggles (focused on health) of life. And thus my journey of writing this book began. The writing process involved both sharing my personal battles with this disease and then also what I have discovered along the way to be helpful in brightening my skies that had been so darkened by this lousy illness.
Tell me about your Book (that you want to talk about)
The book When Skies Aren’t Blue is my personal journey from health to sickness and the battles (both physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual) that came about because of it. Much of this is shared in the book. And then the book goes over 10 steps (prescriptions) that we can put into place to combat the darkness that can come about when battling these struggles of life. While the book focuses on the struggles that arise from chronic health issues…the prescriptions can certainly be applied to anything that is darkening our skies (mental health struggles, financial struggles, relationship struggles, grieving issues etc.).
This is both a book of medicine and faith. The answer to those dark skies is found in both and I rely on both my background as a physician and as a pastor to bring those out in the book.
While I understand that there are many other books of both faith and medicine available that deal with coping from tragedy…I do believe there is a uniqueness to this as I am a Christian MD who has personally gone through this and shared my story.
The book has been out for about 9 months or so…a few thousand copies have been sold. I have had a wonderful response so far. I have had many people reach out to me from all over the country sharing with me their story and how the book has helped them in coping. There is sadly just so much suffering in this broken world on so many levels. So, this book is ultimately about my desire to take something awful that happened to me and allow God to use it ultimately for some good and to be helpful to others.
Appropriate age for readers
The book really is a fairly simple and short read. It would apply to anyone I would say 16 and up…although I am not sure how many teenagers are spending much time reading. But I would say that my particular disease (POTS) is one that effects about 1-3 million Americans and the majority of them are younger females (12-30 years old). But the book really would be useful for anyone suffering from the struggles of life (focused on health) and I think that tends to be a bit of an older population.
So, I guess I am saying teenage on up could read and understand the book.
Any message for our readers
I understand full well having lived through it how easily our lives can be rocked by the struggles that we battle. I understand how quickly our skies can be darkened by these struggles. But there is hope. God is very real, and He has this amazing way of being able to brighten even the darkest of skies. Please give this short book a read and take those “prescriptions” that you will learn and put them into place…and then watch those skies brighten in ways that perhaps you did not think possible.
Any hashtags you would want me to use while promoting your book and Interview
I am new to all this so you will have to help me with that…not sure what that all means
5 or more quotes/oneliners from your book
I have images and memes etc. for each of these oneliners that can be used…
The starting point of healing when our skies turn dark is understanding that our God is very real.
It is the battles that we do not see coming that are the most devastating.
Our skies will never turn blue if the specter of our old (healthy) life keeps us from living our new life.
Contentment will happen by choosing to have victory over the day.
God has brought me back from the edge so many times over the years.
It is astonishing what God does if we only open our eyes enough to see Him at work.
We tend to get locked into our own myopic world of sickness.
Do not let what you Can’t do stop you from doing what you Can do.
Depressions draws us towards isolation. That is where the enemy wants us-alone. Resist that.
If we forget what God has done for us, we will condemn ourselves to that cycle of panic and worry.
The absence of hope is despair. It takes a dark sky and turns it black.
Avoid dwelling on the scary “what ifs” of life.
In life sometimes our skies are both blue and dark at the same time.
We can have peace even in the darkest times. The key is what you choose to dwell on.
Keep your focus on your final home.
Do not worry about tomorrow. Just find victory for today.
We must actively fight that tendency that wants to blame God for our suffering.
Story (that you want to highlight)
Bottom of page 58-61 in book PDF attached
Purchase links for your book
can use amazon or my web page
web: www.whenskiesarentblue.com or www.doctorandylaurie.com
Social Media profile links
https://www.facebook.com/DrAndyLaurie facebook
https://gab.com/WhenSkiesArentBlue gab
developing now twitter and Instagram and youtube
Website link
www.whenskiesarentblue.com or www.doctorandylaurie.com both to same place
About the Author
Dr. Andy Laurie is a board-certified radiologist who received his medical degree from UC San Diego. He did his post graduate residency at the University of Arizona. He practiced emergency radiology for nearly thirty years before illness caused him to recently retire. In addition, he has been a pastor at The Bridge Christian Church in Tucson, Arizona, for nearly twenty years. For much of this time, he has courageously battled a devastating disease of the autonomic nervous system. Dr. Laurie and his wife, Cyndi, were married in 1991 after he graduated from medical school. They have four grown children and make their home in Tucson with their beloved dogs.
Dr. Andy Laurie suffers from POTS which is a devastating disease of the autonomic nervous system. He wants to take you on his journey from health to sickness. Come and feel what he has gone through in battling this disease and the dark skies that have gone with it. Come and learn from his over 30 years of medical practice and over 20 years as a pastor. Come and experience the joy as you put his prescriptions into place and see those dark skies in your life begin to turn blue.
Come and take the journey with Dr. Laurie.
Contact Links
Purchase Link
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