Today we’d like to introduce you to Iris Waichler.
Iris, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I have been a medical social worker and patient advocate for 40 years. My work primarily focused on hospitals working with people with catastrophic illnesses. I counseled them and their families helping them to cope with the life changes the medical issue created. I saw the family of one of my patient’s sobbing in a hallway and asked them what was wrong. I looked in my patient’s room and he was simply getting a routine EKG test. They had thought it meant he was dying. The medical resident had not stopped to explain what he was doing. The family was so intimidated by his doctor status they were afraid to ask. I realized how vulnerable patients and family members are in this crisis state. If they only knew what to ask and how to navigate hospital settings much of this anxiety could be alleviated. I wrote my first book, Patient Power How to Have a Say in Your Hospital Stay in 1988 to help them. I struggled with infertility for 3 years. I promised myself that if I was lucky enough to have a child I would help others who battled infertility.
On my final attempt, I had a healthy baby girl. I was 45 years old. I started doing crisis counseling for RESOLVE, a national infertility organization. I also led support groups for them. I wanted to reach more people and decided to write a book combining my personal experience with my professional expertise. My book, Riding the Infertility Roller Coaster: A Guide to Educate and Inspire, won 4 major book awards. It also launched my career as a freelance writer. Hundreds of articles on health related issues have come from this.
In 2016, I decided to write a book as a tribute to my father who was 90 years old and a wonderful father. During the course of writing this book, I came in contact with so many people who found themselves suddenly in a caregiver role with their parents. The uncertainty of this role reversal for the sandwich generation impacts 45 million people. The original idea for my book expanded. Again, I reached into my personal experience and blended it with my professional background. The book became a memoir about my dad and a guide for caregivers. It also included my father’s voice. He had written a brief autobiography. It garnered 8 major book awards.
Unfortunately, he died before it was published but he knew I was working on it. I am so proud it has been warmly received and gotten critical praise. I love how my readers responded to his story and that his voice and story will live on. He will touch many lives. Most importantly, I have heard from many caregivers. It launched my career making speeches and doing workshops on aging and caregiving topics. I also speak about infertility topics. My freelance writing continues. I am a guest blogger on 3 sites. I write for Path2parenthood.org, http://www.intentionalcaregiver.com/, and http://thecaregiverspace.org/. I also have a Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/RoleReversal1/ and a twitter site @ https://twitter.com/IrisWaichler. My goal is to continue to educate, support and share resources with my readers. I post articles I have written and discovered to help people struggling with infertility and caregiving on these sites. My hope is that people will feel less alone and empowered with the information I share.
Has it been a smooth road?
It has not always been a smooth road. It is not easy getting published. My infertility book received 40 rejections from agents and publishers. I was told people don’t care about infertility. I refused to accept that. I had a similar experience with my book, Role Reversal. It got about 60 rejections. I was told by many that since my dad was not a celebrity people would not care about his life or story. His story had universal themes I knew would feel familiar to my readers. Many have told me he story moved them tears and they loved reading about him and his life.
My advice to women who are interested in writing and publishing is to not give up on this dream. If you feel passionate about the work you have created don’t let a rejection letter stop you. The publishing world has really expanded since I wrote my first book. There are opportunities for you way beyond the traditional publishing world. You should do your homework and learn about publishing paths like Indie Publishers and Hybrid publishers if the traditional route is not proving fruitful. Make sure you have a quality product that has been well edited. Consult and network with others. There are numerous sites online offering lots of great information on what you need to know. The connections and relationships I have made with other women authors have been inspiring. I continue to learn from them and we support each other and collaborate. Find other women or men to work with who can critique your work and help you on your journey to writing. Don’t let others tell you it is not possible. Believe in yourself and the story you want to tell. Take writing workshops and be open to opportunities that may be available. You will be glad you did!
We’d love to hear more about Iris Waichler, MSW, LCSW.
I do counseling, write books and articles, blogs, and, speeches, and workshops. My areas of expertise are infertility and aging and caregiving. My books are a unique blend of my personal experience and professional expertise. They all have advocacy themes because it is important to me to help others who find themselves overwhelmed in the midst of a health crisis. I always do research before I write a book. It doesn’t make sense to write a book if someone else has said what I want to say. My book Role Reversal was unique because it had my voice and my dad’s voice. Perspectives from the caregiver and the person being cared for. Also, it combined a memoir with a self-help theme offering a wealth of resources and information on key topics and caregiving challenges.
The thing I am most proud of is some of the responses I get from the readers of my books. I got an email from a woman in Shri Lanka who told me there was nobody there she could talk to about her infertility. She cried when she read my book because she had thought she was alone. She realized what she was experiencing was normal and there were things she could do to help herself survive, move forward, and cope. I have had similar reactions from people who read Role Reversal. People need to know they are not alone in their experience. They need hope and help to get through these devastating challenges that life throws at all of us. As an author, there is nothing more satisfying.
Do you feel like there was something about the experiences you had growing up that played an outsized role in setting you up for success later in life?
My parents were very supportive and loving as I was growing up. The message they gave me was a good education was crucial. My dad always said he didn’t care what we chose to do. But we should do the best job we could at our chosen profession. Neither of my parents went to college so my siblings and I attending college were huge for them. I felt a responsibility to succeed in school because I sensed how important it was to them. My father sacrificed a lot to make college possible for my siblings and I. He did a job he hated to earn money for our college education. He was a role model in that sense.
There was a hospital not far from where I lived. I decided someday I would work there. I was not sure what I would do but that was my goal. It just seemed like an amazing place where people would get help when they needed it the most. I got a job as a social worker in the rehabilitation unit at that hospital a few years after I got my masters degree in Social Work. I worked with people who had strokes, amputations, head injuries, burns, neurological diseases, and cancer. I also covered the emergency room. I later became the Director of Social Work at another hospital. It was an incredible experience and honor to work with these people. I learned that people can overcome challenges they never would imagine through the power of determination. It was inspiring to watch and be a part of that process.
Pricing:
- Role Reversal How to Take Care of Yourself and Your Aging Parents paperback $16.95
- Role Reversal How to Take Care of Yourself and Your Aging Parents kindle edition $8.50
Contact Info:
- Website: iriswaichler.wpengine.com
- Phone: 773-368-8230
- Email: iwaichler@sbcglobal.net
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RoleReversal1
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrisWaichler
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
