Carla Ulbrich

The Singing Patient (Carla Ulbrich) is a touring American comical singer-songwriter and a member of the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor. And of course, she is also now an author.

When the humorous songwriter fell ill in 2002, she used her wit and off-center perspective to cope with the many obstacles in her path. Carla suffered two strokes and kidney failure, along with accompanying anemia, hair loss, weight loss, congestive heart failure, pleurisy, fever, migraines, and fatigue.

Because of the strokes, she had to re-learn the guitar from scratch that year. She spent her many hours in doctors' waiting rooms writing humorous song lyrics about her malady and the absurdity of the health care system. Under the stress of constant "care," Carla finally snapped and became "The Singing Patient" with her third CD, "Sick Humor."

This collection features songs such as "What If Your Butt Was Gone," "Prednisone," "Sittin' in the Waiting Room," and "On the Commode Again."

On Feb. 1, 2011, Tell Me Press released Carla's book of humorous essays about her adventures as a patient (sometimes singing, sometimes not): "How Can You Not Laugh at a Time Like This?"

Carla performs for nursing and patient gatherings as well as folk clubs in the Eastern US and occasionally the UK.

(Carla has taught guitar at colleges, music stores and summer camps, and is also the author of "Theory for the Young Musician: Notespeller.")

visit her at www.thesingingpatient.com