Born in Abington, Pennsylvania, in 1946, Ms. Sherman traveled widely in her youth going to secondary schools in two states. After graduating high school, she attended a three year diploma program to train as a registered nurse. Married at 20 she had a son, Richard. She was divorced at 34. Having bipolar symptoms from the age of 10, she was not diagnosed until 1988, at the age of 42. She still sees the doctor that diagnosed her and the medicine she is on currently is keeping her relatively symptom free.