Book excerpt: CHEATING DEATH HAS MADE ME REALIZE I HAD BEEN CHEATING LIFE. DON'T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKES I DID. LET ME SHARE WITH YOU WHAT I WAS FORCED TO LEARN. MY BOOK IS ABOUT HOW WE ARE ALL CAUGHT UP IN THE RAT RACE OF LIFE, WHICH GOT ME THINKING ABOUT THE STORY OF THE TORTOISE AND THE HARE AND REMEMBERING IT WAS THE TORTOISE WHO WON THE RACE. SURE, THE TORTOISE WAS SLOW, BUT HE WAS STEADY. THAT'S WHY I ENTITLED MY BOOK "HURRY UP AND SLOW DOWN -- LAURA'S STORY". WITH A HORRIFIC YEAR IN 2010 WHEN I CAME SO CLOSE TO DEATH, I DECIDED TO WRITE MY BOOK, WHICH WAS ONE OF MY LIFE GOALS. I WANTED TO SHARE MY STORY AND WHAT I LEARNED GOING THROUGH THE MOST DIFFICULT TIME IN MY LIFE AND MY DESIRE TO SHARE THESE LEARNING WITH OTHERS TO HELP PEOPLE TO BETTER APPRECIATE GOOD HEALTH AND NOT TAKE SO MUCH FOR GRANTED.