Grandpa's Crooked Smile


Book Description

"My Grandpa is my best friend. After Grandpa had a stroke, mom taught me the Smile-Reach-Speech Test. It's an easy way to know if someone may be having a stroke and that you should call 911 right away. I'm glad that's what we did because now Grandpa and I are back to doing fun stuff together." Anyone can have a stroke. With the Smile-Reach-Speech Test, parents and children will learn to recognize the signs of a stroke and call 911 right away. Knowing what to do in an emergency is just as important as learning to whistle or catch a ball. It's easy to learn. Just ask Grandpa. Grandpa's Crooked Smile includes games and activities to help your whole family learn the Smile-Reach-Speech Test.




A Stroke of Faith


Book Description

Mark Moore always believed he was in charge of his life. All that changed on a beautiful Saturday morning in May 2007. Suddenly he was no longer in control of anything. Though his life will never return to his pre-stroke normality, through this crisis, he has gained a deeper understanding of the centrality of God's role in his life and in all of our lives. A Stroke of Faith tells the story of moving from acceptance to surrender and from hope to faith. It reveals God's work in Mark's life as He transformed him from thinking he had everything under control to knowing God has had control all along.




Surviving Stroke


Book Description

In October 2016, Udo Kischka suffered a severe stroke. A large intra-cerebral bleed, a bleed deep in the right side of his brain. He was not a typical stroke patient: Professor Kischka was a neurologist and specialist in stroke rehabilitation. Like all stroke patients, he embarked on a journey of recovery. In his case, it was a re-education in his field of expertise. When he uttered the words, 'This is a life changing event' to his wife a few hours after the stroke, he had no idea just how life changing it would be or that there would be still be a good life to be had. Written by experts on both sides of the fence - a stroke victim who is a stroke specialist, and a psychologist who helps others and now has to help herself and her family - this is a personal and brutally honest story of a family's survival. This accessible and relatable book provides insight and realistic hope about what might lie ahead following a stroke, as well as offering both practical and emotional support.




Healing the Broken Brain


Book Description

Three experts on stroke recovery share their knowledge and advice for stroke survivors and their families. Dealing with the onslaught of information about stroke can be confusing and overwhelming. And if you happen to be a stroke survivor with newly impaired language skills, it can be especially hard to comprehend everything your doctors, nurses, and specialists are telling you. This book consists of the top 100 questions that survivors and their families ask, with answers from the top physicians and therapists in the country. The questions start out basic but then get more specific to address different areas of recovery. And, for stroke survivors still struggling with reading comprehension, or for family members who are simply too tired to read long passages, there are Takeaway Points at the end of each chapter to help simplify everything. Includes answers to frequently asked questions such as: · What is a stroke, and who is at risk for one? · What is the best diet for a stroke survivor? · How does group therapy compare to individual therapy? · What should a stroke survivor look for in a therapist? · How long will it take to recover, and how can stroke survivors maximize their recovery? · What can someone do to prevent having another stroke? In this book, you’ll gain a wealth of information, inspiration, advice, and support as you navigate your journey through stroke recovery.




My Stroke of Insight


Book Description

"Transformative...[Taylor's] experience...will shatter [your] own perception of the world."—ABC News The astonishing New York Times bestseller that chronicles how a brain scientist's own stroke led to enlightenment On December 10, 1996, Jill Bolte Taylor, a thirty-seven- year-old Harvard-trained brain scientist experienced a massive stroke in the left hemisphere of her brain. As she observed her mind deteriorate to the point that she could not walk, talk, read, write, or recall any of her life-all within four hours-Taylor alternated between the euphoria of the intuitive and kinesthetic right brain, in which she felt a sense of complete well-being and peace, and the logical, sequential left brain, which recognized she was having a stroke and enabled her to seek help before she was completely lost. It would take her eight years to fully recover. For Taylor, her stroke was a blessing and a revelation. It taught her that by "stepping to the right" of our left brains, we can uncover feelings of well-being that are often sidelined by "brain chatter." Reaching wide audiences through her talk at the Technology, Entertainment, Design (TED) conference and her appearance on Oprah's online Soul Series, Taylor provides a valuable recovery guide for those touched by brain injury and an inspiring testimony that inner peace is accessible to anyone.




Relentless


Book Description

An Incredible Journey of Determination and Recovery In 2005, Ted W. Baxter was at the top of his game. He was a successful, globe-trotting businessman with a resume that would impress the best of the best. In peak physical condition, Ted worked out nearly every day of the week. And then, on April 21, 2005, all that came to an end. He had a massive ischemic stroke. Doctors feared he wouldn’t make it, or if he did make it, he would be in a vegetative state in a hospital bed for the rest of his life. But miraculously, that’s not what happened . . . In Relentless, Ted W. Baxter describes his remarkable recovery. Not only did he live, but he's walking and talking again. He moves through life almost as easily as he did before the stroke; only now, his life is better. He’s learned that having a successful career is maybe not the most important thing. He’s learned to appreciate life more. He's learned that he wants to help people—and that’s what he does. He gives back, volunteering his time and effort to help other stroke victims. ​Relentless is a wonderful resource for stroke survivors, caregivers, and their loved ones, but it is also an inspiring and motivating read for anyone who is facing struggles in their own life.




So, You've Had a Stroke


Book Description

During her career as a clinician and researcher, Christine H. Davis has worked with and written about the phenomenon of aphasia. Aphasia leads to word- and sentence-formation difficulties and is associated with damage to the left hemisphere of the brain often from strokes or tumors. Davis was urged by stroke survivor, Michael W. Maher, to write these stories as a valuable contribution to the aphasia literature as experienced by her patients. These stories are from the survivor's perspective as they struggle to express themselves. Their battle to join their families and communities says much about what is crucial about language and the meaning of being human. The book is divided into sections by aphasia type: anomic, Broca's, Wernicke's and mixed aphasias. Within each section survivors and their families explain their recovery from the onset of the stroke through discharge home and into a meaningful life forward. Through the testimony of thirteen stroke survivors and seventeen of their family members, you gain an understanding of aphasia and the remarkable resilience of these survivors and their families.




Conquering Stroke


Book Description

"A true story of triumph over tragedy, this book is a must-have guide for anyone affected by stroke." —William S. Maxfield "Valerie Greene's courage, persistence, and willingness to search for the healing energies within her have shifted her body, mind, and spirit. Her story is an inspiration to all." —Donna Eden Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States today and the leading cause of adult disability. Now Valerie Greene, a stroke survivor whose recovery surpassed even the most optimistic expectations, uses her own dramatic, inspiring, and eye-opening story to illustrate and deliver the important practical information you and your loved ones need to prevent, recognize, minimize, and recover from stroke.




Tell Me Everything You Don't Remember


Book Description

A memoir of reinvention after a stroke at age thirty-three. Christine Hyung-Oak Lee woke up with a headache on the morning of December 31, 2006. By that afternoon, she saw the world—quite literally—upside down. By New Year’s Day, she was unable to form a coherent sentence. And after hours in the ER, days in the hospital, and multiple questions and tests, her doctors informed her that she had had a stroke. For months afterward, Lee outsourced her memories to a journal, taking diligent notes to compensate for the thoughts she could no longer hold on to. It is from these notes that she has constructed this frank and compelling memoir. In a precise and captivating narrative, Lee navigates fearlessly between chronologies, weaving her childhood humiliations and joys together with the story of the early days of her marriage; and then later, in painstaking, painful, and unflinching detail, the account of her stroke and every upset—temporary or permanent—that it caused. Lee illuminates the connection between memory and identity in an honest, meditative, and truly funny manner, utterly devoid of self-pity. And as she recovers, she begins to realize that this unexpected and devastating event has provided a catalyst for coming to terms with her true self—and, in a way, has allowed her to become the person she’s always wanted to be.




My Stroke of Luck


Book Description

My stroke taught me so much, and for all that it stole, it gave me even more. In the process of healing, my life has changed for the better. Now I want to share what I have learned. In this vivid and very personal reflection upon his extraordinary life as an actor, author, and legend in his own time, Kirk Douglas offers a candid and heartfelt memoir of where it all went right in his life -- even after suffering a debilitating stroke. Revealing not only the incredible physical and emotional toll of his stroke but how it has changed his life for the better, Douglas shares the lessons that saved him and helped him to heal. Alongside his heartfelt advice and insight, he also recalls warm memories of some of the most famous figures of our time -- including Burt Lancaster, Michael J. Fox, and Gary Cooper -- as well as others who have soared to greatness in the face of adversity. Charming, soulful, and filled with personal photographs, My Stroke of Luck is an intimate look at the real person behind the fabulous talent -- and at a life lived to its very fullest.