Stroke Diaries

A woman recounts the horror of waking up paralyzed, unable to call for help. A man has a mini-stroke and refuses to listen to his doctor, only to suffer a disabling stroke soon after. A physician recalls watching a tiny baby in the throws of a stroke, convulsing violently. A survivor rejoices after finally crossing the street before the pedestrian lights change back. Blending such highly personal and moving stories with crystal clear medical commentary based on first-hand clinical experience, Dr. Olajide Williams demystifies this potentially devastating illness and provides a roadmap to recovery. Indeed, Dr. Williams shows that the majority of strokes are not only preventable, but also treatable. Through compelling stories of patients, survivors and caregivers, woven together by easy-to-understand medical explanations, Dr. Williams provides practical tips on preventing strokes with specific lifestyle prescriptions, on recognizing the different forms of strokes, on managing symptoms after stroke, and on overcoming the psychological burden of stroke. He also reviews the new clot-busting treatments, which have dramatically improved the recovery rate of stroke victims. Combining cutting-edge medicine with the gripping stories of patients, survivors, family members, and physicians, Stroke Diaries strikes a blow against the current public health crisis in stroke.

This is the true story of Canadian stroke survivor Peter Fee, a mature, professional businessman whose life was drastically impacted when he suffered a stroke in his 50th year. Peter has since been undergoing the process of rehabilitation at a few Toronto area hospitals, including programs of traditional physiotherapy. Having been discharged from outpatient rehab programs, Peter had reached a plateau in his recovery. He then began and continues his quest for alternate and further possibilities of rehab and recovery. After being home for nearly two years since his initial admission to hospital, Peter began researching numerous other avenues, techniques and equipment for self-therapy and recovery which include acupuncture, TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), Taoist Tai Chi and other miscellaneous traditional aids. He continues with these options to this day. This is the story of his life including his youth, maturing and growth, professional career and near-death, as well as his physical recovery progress and experiences to date. Peters story is not complete as of the printing of this book because he is continuing his recovery efforts. For this reason, Peter has already started writing his second book. He continues to make daily progress. He is determined.

Stroke and brain injury resulting in aphasia and losing the ability to read, write, or speak is a devastating disability. This primer provides an array of tools for aphasia therapy and rehabilitation that spur learning for recovery, and to regain those lost skills. On September 26, 2011, Tom Broussard, a recent Ph.D. with an emphasis on helping people with disabilities get work, experienced his stroke in the area of the brain called Broca's area rending him unable to read, write or speak well. Aphasia, the impairment of language, was the result. He kept a diary using drawings, charts and graphic representations including using mostly real words that didn't make much sense. Losing his language meant losing his grammar and syntax. Writing his diary, recording his voice and studying his brain for 9 months, he experienced what the scientists call, "spontaneous recovery." In addition to his own voice, he developed another "voice" (or two) that helped him understand the condition of his thinking and how thinking works. Broussard has been speaking to hospitals, clinics and a wide audience of people with strokes, caregivers, students, and medical professionals with an interest in how our brain works and how recovery is accomplished by someone who saw his brain from the inside. It is a valuable resource with an inspiring story that touches everyone connected to strokes and aphasia.

From mind numbing boredom one moment to being absolutely scared to death the next Life at sea is always interesting! The men and women of the Navy's HC-5 "Providers", Detachment 4, while deployed on the T-AE-26 Kilauea, set records, got awards, and had some fun too! Start with helicopters hovering with explosive cargo, mix in some truly lunatic fork lift drivers, maybe grab a couple hours of sleep, if you're lucky, have some great food and terrible coffee, grab your Walkman and your gas mask, we'll enjoy surreal sunsets, and oh yeah, don't forget we're in a War Zone! Its an Adventure, just like the Navy promised! Told from the perspective of an aircraft mechanic who was just doing his best to hold things together, you'll feel the salt spray on your face as the rotor wash threatens to blow you over the edge. This book is dedicated to all the people back home, who wrote the letters and let us know they hadn't forgotten us. Thanks for the mail!

The C.D.C. states that someone in the United States has a stroke every 40 seconds, and someone dies of a stroke every 4 minutes. It will touch your reader's lives. This book provides essential information on strokes. This book also serves as a historical survey, by providing information on the controversies surrounding its causes. Compelling first-person narratives by people coping with strokes give readers a first-hand experience. Readers will learn from the words of patients, family members, or caregivers. The symptoms, causes, treatments, and potential cures are explained in detail. Alternative treatments are also covered. Each essay is carefully edited and presented with an introduction, so that they are accessible for student researchers and readers. First-hand accounts include a young mother who suffered a stroke, a man who survived a stroke at age 10, and a brain scientist who suffered and learned from a stroke.

Strokes afflict thousands of people every year. Yet, for every fatal case, many more victims survive, often going on to live long, productive lives. Of course, none of it is simple-not preventing a "brain attack," nor survival, rehabilitation, or living with cerebrovascular disease. The key is education, for both the moment of crisis and the long term. Navigating the Complexities of Stroke provides a practical guide for the lay public and medical professionals. Dr. Louis R. Caplan, one of the world's leading experts, guides readers through the subject in a straightforward and accessible manner. He examines the anatomy of the brain, explaining the specialized functions of different regions, and describes the flow of blood from the heart. He turns to the mechanics of the stroke itself, clearly discussing the complexities of the two major kinds-the ischemic and hemorrhagic-and the resulting damage. Most helpfully, Caplan offers information and advice that readers will find immediately useful: the medical conditions and other factors that create risk, stroke symptoms, abnormalities that doctors look for, tests available to evaluate strokes, complications and disabilities that can result, and the paths of treatment and rehabilitation. He offers real-life cases of victims and their families that demonstrate successful recovery, but also reveal the sometimes troubling impact of strokes on survivors and their families, who can suffer frustration and demoralization that the medical profession often overlooks in its biological focus. Caplan also examines strokes in children and young adults, who are often neglected in literature that is largely aimed at seniors. Navigating the Complexities of Stroke empowers victims, families, and general medical providers. It puts in readers' hands the knowledge necessary to avoid strokes, address them quickly, and effectively recover, so they won't lose heart when it is needed most.

The author had a stroke with brain injury and disability from aphasia. His rehabilitation included a diary about having lost his language and aphasia therapy leading to his recovery. Neuroscience and Neurology are studying the nervous system and the enriched environment that provides improvement.