Songbirds Keep Singing
A Memoir of Healing from Autoimmune Brain Inflammation
by Lisa Lauter

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In 2017, forty-five-year-old Lisa Lauter experienced mysterious neurological symptoms. For months, she didn’t feel like herself and doctors had no answers. A mother of three preteen boys, Lisa had many reasons to explain away her odd symptoms. In her situation, what parent wouldn’t be tired, forgetful, and sleep-deprived? But that didn’t explain the weakness in her left side, the tingling feeling, and numbness. It didn’t explain why, on a relaxing summer day, Lisa had her first tonic-clonic seizure. Songbirds Keep Singing: A Memoir of Healing from Autoimmune Brain Inflammation blends personal accounts, research, and the author’s public health background as she searches for answers following her first seizure. Using her experience as both a survivor and nurse, Lisa explores the value of applying holistic concepts such as mindset, nutrition, exercise, gut health, hormones, and the environment alongside conventional medicine treatments to recover from a rare autoimmune disease. This book is a valuable resource for anyone navigating a complicated diagnosis who is curious about taking a multi-targeted approach to healing autoimmune inflammation comprehensively. Empowering and informative, Songbirds Keep Singing is a must read for people with brain injuries and autoimmune diseases, caregivers and health care professionals. It offers a roadmap to robust health for anyone seeking to balance their immune system and improve brain health.

www.lisalauter.com

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"Songbirds Keep Singing is a unique and thought-provoking memoir that moves beyond the traditional illness narrative, offering an innovative and deeply inquisitive exploration of one person’s journey through LGI1 encephalitis. With curiosity at its core, it courageously examines complex and emerging ideas—from women’s health and hormones to the environment, the gut–brain axis and holistic approaches—in a personal quest to make sense of illness and recovery. While this is an individual story (…), the curious questioning provides a compelling and reflective account that will resonate with many navigating their own path to understanding and healing." —Dr Ava Easton, MBE, Chief Executive, Encephalitis International "In Songbirds Keep Singing, Lisa Lauter beautifully weaves her journey through autoimmune encephalitis with stories of family travels, life’s unexpected challenges, and the unwavering love, support, and inspiration of those around her. From the earliest mysterious symptoms to a devastating decline, and ultimately a powerful recovery, Lisa remains grounded in what matters most: her family and her determination to heal, one step at a time. Through her storytelling, Lisa offers a meaningful window into the complexities of this often misunderstood disease, while highlighting the critical role of support systems and perseverance in the healing process. Her insights and personal reflections provide both comfort and practical guidance for patients, caregivers, and clinicians alike. The Autoimmune Encephalitis Alliance is proud to support and elevate stories like Lisa’s, which foster greater awareness, understanding, and hope. This book is a valuable resource for anyone navigating an [autoimmune encephalitis] diagnosis or seeking to better understand the patient experience." —Meg Poe, Executive Director, Autoimmune Encephalitis Alliance "Songbirds Keep Singing is a moving memoir of healing from autoimmune encephalitis by survivor Lisa Lauter. Affecting both body and mind, this devastating illness is explored here with clarity, intelligence, and compassion. Beautifully written and thoroughly researched, the book speaks not only to survivors, but also to the families, friends, and caregivers who support them through recovery. The narrative unfolds along two compelling tracks. One serves as a practical and thoughtful guide to the many challenges of healing and rehabilitation. The other is a personal memoir tracing Lisa’s remarkable life journey, including her experiences living and traveling beyond the United States and Canada. Together, these threads create a deeply human story of resilience, adaptation, and hope." —Nesrin Shaheen, past president, Anti-NMDAR Encephalitis Foundation, Canada

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Lisa Lauter, BNSc, MPH, is a health advocate, a retired nurse, and a survivor of autoimmune encephalitis. Her career in public health has taken her around the world, from Beijing, China, to Houston, Texas. Since 2020, Lisa has served as a support group leader for the Autoimmune Encephalitis Alliance. In 2021, she received a service award for Most Inspirational Survivor in Autoimmune Encephalitis from EUROIMMUN, a global leader in the medical diagnostic testing of autoimmune and infectious disease. During her recovery, Lisa wished for a guidebook on recovery. Inspired by this, and driven to raise awareness for autoimmune encephalitis, Lisa wrote Songbirds Keep Singing: A Memoir of Healing from Autoimmune Brain Inflammation. This is her first book. Outside of her advocacy work, Lisa enjoys cooking, skiing, and getting out in nature. She lives in Nelson, British Columbia, with her husband. www.lisalauter.com Facebook and Instagram @lisa_lauter_journey_to_health

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Lisa Lauter