Kindle Price:	$9.99
Sold by:	Amazon.com Services LLC

Read with our free app

You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.

Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

There was an error. We were unable to process your subscription due to an error. Please refresh and try again.

Follow the authors

Rough Waters: From Surviving to Thriving with a Progressive Muscular Dystrophy Kindle Edition

by Heather C. Markham (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

5.0 7 ratings

See all formats and editions

Competitive ParaSurfer Heather C. Markham is no stranger to rough waters.

At age thirty-four, Heather received a life-changing diagnosis: she had a progressive muscular dystrophy and would eventually need a wheelchair. Her walking days were going to end much sooner than she’d expected.

Despite her body’s betrayal, Heather fearlessly leaned into adventures—performing as a belly dancer, falling in love, becoming a ParaSurfer, winning Ms. Wheelchair Kentucky, and pursuing her lifelong passion for photography.

With humor and heartbreaking candor, Rough Waters chronicles Heather’s slow decline in mobility and her determination to live an extraordinary life—one full of laughter and joy, sand and salt water. Rough Waters is both an inspiring memoir and a courageous call for more empathy from medical professionals, care attendants, and anyone who knows and loves someone with a disability. Limits are only in your mind, Heather says, and nearly anything is possible with the right tools, help, and perseverance.

From the Publisher

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Heather's story is a captivating exploration of how living with a disability is like looking in a mirror showing the unfiltered truth of who you are. Heather defied all expectations by believing in herself." —Peta Hooke, host of The I Can't Stand Podcast

"In Rough Waters, Markham takes her readers on a journey of loss, transformation, and growth. Her wit, dark humor, and intelligence shine in this memoir about thriving with a progressive disease. Rough Waters is for anyone who wants an equally authentic and hope-filled story." —Jenny Smith, author of Live the Impossible: How a Wheelchair Has Taken Me Places I Never Dared to Imagine and blogger at Jenny Smith Rolls On

"Rough Waters is the memoir of a young woman who spent years seeking a diagnosis, then continued fighting to survive it with a zeal most of us could not muster. Heather is annoyingly persistent, shamelessly bold, and a tireless advocate for those with disabilities, even as her own body betrays her. The book was impossible to put down as I had to know what new and amazing thing she would accomplish in the next chapter. A story of faith and resilience to inspire us all." —Ranette H. Halverson, PhD, professor emeritus, Midwestern State University, Texas

"I've been an occupational therapist who has worked in assistive technology with thousands of clients with all kinds of disabilities for over forty years. Part of the job is to get to know people's "stories," so that you know what direction to go in with your recommendation (so the technology will actually work the way the client needs it to). This story, the way Heather writes it, is so moving, so funny, so real. She takes us on a journey and shares the lessons she learned. She slowly builds upon her inner conversations and experiences as her physical body fails her in a way that allows the reader to understand the turmoil they might never outwardly see in a person living with a disability. I highly recommend this story!" —Susan Johnson Taylor, occupational therapist, ISWP certified, SJT Consulting

"Heather has a way of writing that draws you in not only to her inner thoughts but to the whole feeling of the situation and setting. In sharing her memoir, I felt all the feelings: frustration, laughter, sadness, excitement, and love. For those who may not be familiar with what it's like to live with a disability, don't think for a second that you can't find common ground or relatability. Anyone can get a lot out of reading Heather's memoir. Through sharing her story, Heather allows us all to glean a greater understanding and empathy for anyone who has a disability. As a medical professional, I feel that by reading Rough Waters, I have learned so many things that a degree can't teach you. Thank you, Heather, for taking yet another exciting risk in your life and making a positive impact through your book!" —Kelly Twichel, licensed occupational therapist, CEO of Access Trax

"[Markham] writes with humor and exuberance. An honest and encouraging narrative about seizing life, no matter your limitations." —Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Heather C. Markham is an engineer, assistive technology professional, educator, ADA architectural barriers specialist, golfer, competitive ParaSurfer, public speaker, and award-winning international photographer. Brushing aside the label "disabled photographer," Heather says that her power wheelchair affects how she moves through and views the world, as well as providing a steady surface from which to photograph it. She currently lives in Phoenix, Arizona, with her supersnuggly Maine coon cat. --This text refers to the paperback edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BTRPC9ZN
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Making Waves for Good Publishing (July 11, 2023)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 11, 2023
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 6648 KB
Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 376 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #1,098,189 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #1,041 in Biographies of Medical Professionals (Kindle Store)
- #1,724 in Biographies of People with Disabilities (Books)
- #3,454 in Medical Professional Biographies

Customer Reviews:
5.0 7 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

About the authors

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Heather Markham
Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.
Heather C. Markham is an engineer, assistive technology professional, educator, ADA architectural barriers specialist, golfer, competitive ParaSurfer, public speaker, and award-winning international photographer. Brushing aside the label “disabled photographer,” Heather says that her power wheelchair affects how she moves through and views the world, as well as providing a steady surface from which to photograph it. She currently lives in Phoenix, Arizona, with her supersnuggly Maine coon cat.
See more on the author's page
Heather C. Markham
Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.
Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more
See more on the author's page

Customer reviews

5 out of 5

7 global ratings

5 star

100%

4 star

0%

3 star

0%

2 star

0%

1 star

0%

How customer reviews and ratings work

Sort reviews by

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

N. Trick

Human, imperfect, joyful

Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2023

Verified Purchase

Read this book for one human's set of experiences and insights about this society, disability, and the continued choices we continue to make (or not) regardless of who we are.

I am a little bit better, more aware, and brave having exposed myself to this story.

*I know Heather IRL when she joined one of my classes after an introduction by a mutual.

Buy for others

Buying and sending eBooks to others