Life Interrupted: It’s Not All About Me
Chris M. Tatevosian

Tate Publishing & Enterprises, 2008
ISBN: 9781606045633
Reviewed by Dawn Janine Mitchell for ReviewYourBook.com, 01/2009

A quote from the book…”If the writing of this book helps just one couple save their relationship, it will have been time well spent.”

Life Interrupted: It’s Not All About Me, by Chris Tatevosian, is an autobiographical account of the author’s life with Multiple Sclerosis; it is written from the heart. The author shares how he was diagnosed at a time in his life when he had dreams and expectations for his future, how his life was affected by MS, and his struggles to remain a healthy and active individual. That’s just the beginning of the book. The second part of the book focuses on how MS affected not only him but his relationship with his wife at the time.

Mr. Tatevosian shares the mistakes he made and describes his “poor me attitude”. The author does not gloss over his mistakes but is brutally honest with his emotions, thoughts and behaviors. This is a book not only for those with a chronic illness or disability but for anyone who needs to gain a better understanding of how words and actions can destroy relationships. Mr. Tatevosian makes a great impact on addressing the “poor me attitude” in a book of only 147 pages. It seems like a short read, but there is so much insight from the author that it is a must have.

Thank you, Chris Tatevosian, for sharing your life story with us.

"I Laughed & Cried" 3/15/10

The book moved me in more than one way emotionally. I laughed and cried aloud while reading it but, most of all it gave me the tools to reexamine my "poor me attitude" and how it might be affecting my relationship. If you want to know what particular moved me and what happens to Chris and how he turned his poor me attitude around, you'll have to read the book! ~ Gloria Prater ~

Reviewed by Stephanie Rollins for ReviewYourBook.com 1/2009

A Humbled Man
Reader Rating 5 Stars

Posted January 23, 2009: Life Interrupted, It's Not All About Me
Written by: Chris M. Tatevosian
Published by: Tate Publishing and Enterprise
Reviewed by: Stephanie Rollins for ReviewYourBook.com 1/2009
ISBN: 978-1-60604-563-3

A Memoir of a Humbled Man 5 stars:

Chris was an active college student. Then, the symptoms of MS hit him. He finished his education, married, and became a step-father.
 
His disease worsened. He wanted to continue his normal life. His mind was willing, but his body was too weak. He became angry and lashed out at others. His wife ended up leaving him because of his bitterness and anger.

Chris now realizes that the break-up was his fault. Even with MS and its horrible effects, you have to treat others as you want to be treated. He hopes this book is a beacon to others suffering from MS or any other life-altering disease. This book is a compassionate kick in the pants to those suffering and taking it out on loved-ones.

A Honest Opinion

I just finished reading a great book for persons with physical disabilities written by Chris Tatevosian. Chris lives with the stresses of Multiple Sclerosis and his book is a memoir about his personal experience with MS and how it affects relationships. It is more that just a regular memoir, Chris shares what he has learned through his own personal mistakes so that you can apply them to your situations and prevent the destruction of a loving relationship. Being in a wheelchair myself, I can understand the stresses that a chronic physical disability can cause to any relationship, especially when your spouse or the person you love becomes care giver by default. Lets face it, in our society it isn't practical and affordable to hire care givers and due to the needs required of a physical disability, the responsibility often falls on the spouse. It is easier to recognize the difficulties of the person with the disability but we fail to see the stress that this causes on the care giving spouse. Chris's book openly and honestly discusses these issues and shares many personal examples to support his ideas in the book. I thought this was a uniquely written book on disabilities and relationships as this is the first I have encountered in all the reading that I do. It is well-written and worth reading, even if you are sitting there thinking, hmm, "This doesn't apply to me." Unfortunately depending upon our attitudes, anyone of us can find ourselves following in Chris's path. You can obtain this book by contacting Tate Publishing or directly from Chris's website at:
www.lifeinterrupted-nolonger.com.
I was provided this book free for review. I was not obligated to write a positive review and the review that I have written is strictly my opinion.

Wheels Have Eyes Book Review

January 17, 2011 - CBM Christian Book Reviews

Title: Life Interrupted “It’s Not All About Me”
Author: Chris M. Tatevosian
ISBN #: 978-1-60604-563-3
Date Reviewed: January 17, 2011
Reviewed by: CBM Book Reviews
10.0 stars on a scale of 10.0

Author Chris M. Tatevosian in his book, “Life Interrupted, It’s Not All About Me” chronicles his bout with Multiple Sclerosis “MS”. Giving an inside look into his diagnosis and progression of the disease, Chris thought he was unstoppable as a young college student. Chris, early in his freshman year of college, started coming down with strange symptoms that the doctor’s could not diagnose. Shortly after a visit to another doctor that summer break, while at home, the author re-tells the story of how he realized that he did actually have MS when his father broke him out of his denial by telling him, “You have MS.” At such a tender age, only a freshman in college, Chris had realized that his life had forever changed.

Until then Chris had high hopes for his life and this story is an example of how one man’s life has been interrupted and dramatically changed by the disease known as MS. The author in his book illustrates that dealing with a chronic illness can not only disrupt one’s life, but also can become a chronic issue in a marriage. The author takes a hard look at what attitudes and actions can affect one with a chronic illness, while shedding light on what it can do to a marriage.

The author candidly describes situations, circumstances, and actions that arose within his own marriage, that caused misery to his spouse and eventually ended in the divorce of a marriage that everyone thought would never end. The author humbly admits that many actions were of his own doing. The author whole-heartedly writes about his own “poor me attitude” and openly shares his thoughts, emotions and reactions in his own life due to MS. I find this book to be so earnestly honest and refreshing, in that, the author does not hold back in an attempt to save face. This work from the author does a superb job of capturing the confusion, loss, anger, and frustration that a person can go through while fighting a chronic illness. Thank you Chris for sharing your struggles with us.

The author’s purpose in writing this book is to help others dealing with chronic illness and how their attitude towards their spouse can be destroying their marriage or relationships. This book gives the reader a pro-active approach and helps them identify their own behavior as positive or negative. This book will encourage anyone, chronic illness or not, to consider their own relationships and shares how to deal with poor attitudes and actions pro-actively before it grows like a cancer and destroys a marriage or relationship.

Several vitally important key techniques characterize the book; one being that open communication is a must between spouses and especially to a couple dealing with a chronic illness. The author illustrates that recognizing the other’s need just as much as the disabled person can be a marriage saver. The author so humbly admits that, “It’s Not All About Me.” This book will encourage you to open up to your spouse and give you the knowledge of how to go about communication in your marriage when dealing with chronic illness.

The author continues to make a profound statement in that, “Awareness of, and providing attention to, your relationship-destroying actions are the keys to saving your relationship.” (P.79) Whatever your situation may be, we can all learn from our own mistakes and the mistakes of others. If we were to think about the above quote and put it into motion into our own lives, just think of how many relationships could be saved. This book will impact your life on a highly positive level.

This well written book offers encouragement to any who are dealing with a chronic illness or who might have a loved one affected by any disease. Life is not easy, especially when dealing with the roller coaster ride of a day-to-day illness. You will find out that you are not alone and there is hope beyond a chronic illness.

“Life Interrupted, It’s Not All About Me” is a recommended must read for anyone with a chronic illness. Kudos to you Chris for writing this heart rendering and honest memoir! As one with a chronic illness myself, you caused me to look at my own reactions to my loved ones. This book will open your eyes to see any damaging behavior in your own life and give you the courage to do something about it. I find this book profound in that it is a gentle nudge (or rather gentle slap in the face) to others to look at their own actions in their lives and remember, “It’s Not All About Me.”

Title: Life Interrupted Its Not All About Me
Author: Chris M. Tatevosian
ISBN #: 978-1-60604-563-3
Date Reviewed: January 17, 2011
Reviewed by: CBM Book Reviews
10.0 stars on a scale of 10.0