Fred Rutman is a medical phenomenon. His medical conditions confuse and befuddle doctors and other medical professionals. Especially when they engage in cognitive rigidity or the inability to transition from thinking about things one way to thinking about or considering them from a different perspective. Thankfully, the author is more than his medical conditions. He is a "Chief Lemonade Officer - I always try to take those lemons – and there have been many – and make lemonade." And he does share some small pearls of wisdom like how patients can follow their instincts and the importance of having an advocate.
This story is interesting. I like the pseudonyms he uses for people that remind him of who they are, where they're from or what they've helped him achieve.
But the book is definitely challenging to read. As the author notes early in the book, "I go on tangents. It’s part of having the “gift” of being a divergent thinker." And he uses flashbacks and flashforwards rather than telling the story in chronological order, which is confusing. Also, he mentions intermittent fasting multiple times but doesn't explore that topic much.

This book could have benefited from some serious editing. It was all over the place. I am sure it would be a good book if it had been arranged better.

**The Summer I Died Twenty Times is a gift of hope and inspiration. I deeply appreciate receiving an advance copy. My review is a reflection of my honest feelings and opinions.

Interesting, wonderful story of strength and survival.

Fred endures so much trauma but remains positive and funny while awakening his frustration just enough to stand up for himself when the system lets him down. I've been sick for 30+ years and I always tell people how important it is to be your own advocate, which is a point Fred makes clearly and often. I tell a clear message...you hire doctors to do a service for you, therefore you're the boss, and you must act accordingly to get the best care you can. If a doctor isn't helping you in a way you feel is necessary, fire that doctor and find another one. This is basically Fred's message, too...stand up for yourself and your Healthcare, which is my favorite part of his writing. Also, Fred's humor adds sweetness to his story and made me care about him. The way Fred describes his friends shows a deep fondness for them, and that he truly appreciates the way they are always there for him. It's quite remarkable. I found joy in knowing he has such a big circle of support.

Overall, The Summer I Died Twenty Times is a wonderful story of positivity and willingness to never give up. While it's very obvious Fred isn't a writer (he even says as much), I found it easy to look beyond the errors and repeated descriptions. Fred doesn't hide his tangents, which is due to the trauma, but I never felt frustrated when he sometimes went into a new story while telling another. I actually found it endearing that he warns us ahead of time and laughs at himself when it happens.

Fred is a very likeable person. I never felt pity for him because his ability to withstand his medical situation jumps off the page. Instead I felt happy for him, because sinking into bitterness only adds to health issues, staying positive is part of the healing process. And, it's very obvious Fred heals more and more with every passing day. His fight is far from over, but it's a fight he's never going to back down from. I like that.

I recommend this book, especially to anyone struggling with a medical problem. Fred will inspire you and help you find a bit of peace in your journey, as well as the strength to stand up for yourself.

I truly wish Fred the very best. I appreciate that he shared his story with us and strongly believe he will inspire others to live in positivity. Fred's message is an important one, so I hope others will take time to read The Summer I Died Twenty Times. You'll be glad you did.

Finished ✔️ The Summer I Died Twenty Times by Fred Rutman and it was a very interesting story! 🤩
5 ⭐️’s
Publish Day: March 9th, 2023
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
A true story of Fred Rutman’s medical trauma
2009 through 2018, he’s faced continuous life of death situations
Reading this I didn’t know lightning could strike a person twice
Brilliantly executed, written, told
Beautifully written and told
I was engrossed through the whole thing
It was intriguing to read everything that happened to him.
I just couldn’t believe some of the things that happened to him.
Uniquely made me feel empowered reading this book in ways I’m not sure how to describe without giving parts of the book away
Yes, I’d highly recommend to others
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Sadly, this book just wasn't for me. I tried to get into it several times because it seemed to be something that I would really enjoy. It was just too all over the place for me and confusing at times. Thank you for the opportunity to review.