Lydia Slaby, Author of Wait, It Gets Worse Book

Lydia Slaby was 33 years old and had everything she believed would make her happy: three fancy private school degrees, a successful husband who was in the inner circles of Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, a high-paying job as an attorney—even an enviable yoga practice. But under the surface Lydia’s life was in free fall. Her new marriage was one argument after another, she had a job she never wanted, and for some reason she had begun to rapidly lose weight, eventually turning a strange shade of yellowish-green. When she made a doctor’s appointment to talk about the toll of extreme stress, she was instead admitted with a diagnosis of lymphoma. As a cancer survivor, Lydia tries to piece back together her marriage, her career, and her own worth. The story she tells in Wait, It Gets Worse, is of an imperfect rebirth, but perfection is something she must abandon if she is to find a new, calm, healthy life.

Lydia Slaby is an advocate, speaker, and writer focused on empowering people, communities, and organizations faced with daunting change. She is an advisor to Chicago’s 2nd Story; serves on the board of I AM THAT GIRL, an organization that helps young women around the world take ownership of their self-worth; and was a board member of Critical Mass: The Young Adult Cancer Alliance. She lives in Rhinebeck, New York, with her husband Michael Slaby and their two beautiful cats.