Carla Ulbrich considers herself a bit of a professional smart aleck. She’s a singer, comedian and has added a new title to her roster — author.

In her new book, “The Singing Patient: How Can you Not Laugh at a Time Like This?” Carla weighs into the sometimes wacky world that is the American healthcare system.

It’s not a way of life she ever expected to live. In 2002, Carla fell ill with several autoimmune diseases. She even suffered a stroke on the way to a gig — and still went on with the show.

Eventually, she learned she had lupus.

At first, she didn’t see anything very funny about her illness or her new way of life, which included congestive heart failure and many health issues.

But a conversation with another patient eventually helped open her eyes to the absurdity of healthcare and living with a long-term illness.

Carla explains how the places she now finds humor, from hospitals to the things people say to someone with an illness.

And find out how she’s created a new genre of music — medical pop.

Carla says she wants people to know that laughter really can change your outlook, no matter what you’re going through in life. 

Click here to visit Carla’s website and learn more about her book and watch video clips from her performances.