I Should Be F'n Dead!: Staying Positive Through a Sh1t Load of Health Challenges by Emmilia O'Sullivan

This review first appeared on Reader Views. Read the Reader Views version here. 

Emmilia O’Sullivan has survived one medical problem after another after another after another (and more still than that). I Should Be F'n Dead! starts in 2022, but then jumps back to her birth and subsequent hospitalization. The narrative then takes us through O’Sullivan’s life up to the present day. Her journey has been harrowing, to say the least, but throughout it, she has managed to maintain hope, important relationships, and a sense of self. “I Should Be F’n Dead!” is a memoir that will shock you with the sheer strength of its author.

O’Sullivan should be admired for her positive mindset despite the immense medical difficulties she has faced. I Should Be F'n Dead! will thus be enjoyed best by those seeking a story of perseverance and who can handle medical details—though it should be noted that O’Sullivan does an excellent job explaining all medical jargon while maintaining a clear voice and a sense of humor.

The title, or similar phrases, appear throughout the memoir to help emphasize the utter absurdity of the situations that O’Sullivan found herself both in and surviving. It becomes a resounding chorus that will have readers relating to O’Sullivan for both her issues and her ability to overcome them again and again.

A few times throughout I Should Be F'n Dead! O’Sullivan makes mention of some important trips she took that helped her get through the difficult times in her life. These were small bright spots in the story, they could have been beacons if they were explored a little more in-depth. Due to the rapid pace of the memoir overall, a few moments to slow down and relax with O’Sullivan could have provided a respite. However, overall, the quick pace of I Should Be F'n Dead! is welcome and it is impressive that O’Sullivan can share her harrowing story in such detail so clearly.

Readers who want a true story of survival despite immense and harrowing medical difficulties should turn to I Should Be F'n Dead! This book manages to pack medical clarity, humor, and love into what could be an unbearable story to read. While some additional moments of levity would have been welcome. In short, O’Sullivan has done an impeccable job.

I Should Be F'n Dead!: Staying Positive Through a Sh1t Load of Health Challenges by Emmilia O'Sullivan, Emmilia O