Into the Shadows is a story of survival and recovery from a traumatic brain injury. Dr. Krista Breithaupt was enjoying a family vacation when she suffered an aneurism that left her hospitalized for months. This book is an account of brain injury and her long journey of renewal, rediscovery, and growth. This story lends special insight and an intimate voice to a very common but misunderstood condition which changes the lives of the sufferer and those who care for her. Into the Shadows is a touching true story that will inspire the reader to examine their own sense of self and the strength we draw from the habits of life, work, and love that define us.
Into the Shadows is a story of survival and recovery from a traumatic brain injury. Dr. Krista Breithaupt was enjoying a family vacation when she suffered an aneurism that left her hospitalized for months. This book is an account of brain injury and her long journey of renewal, rediscovery, and growth. This story lends special insight and an intimate voice to a very common but misunderstood condition which changes the lives of the sufferer and those who care for her. Into the Shadows is a touching true story that will inspire the reader to examine their own sense of self and the strength we draw from the habits of life, work, and love that define us....
The dramatic story of one man’s recovery offers new hope to those suffering from concussions and other brain traumas In 1999, Clark Elliott suffered a concussion when his car was rear-ended. Overnight his life changed from that of a rising professor with a research career in artificial intelligence to a humbled man struggling to get through a single day. At times he couldn’t walk across a room, or even name his five children. Doctors told him he would never fully recover. After eight years, the cognitive demands of his job, and of being a single parent, finally became more than he could manage. As a result of one final effort to recover, he crossed paths with two brilliant Chicago-area research-clinicians—one an optometrist emphasizing neurodevelopmental techniques, the other a cognitive psychologist—working on the leading edge of brain plasticity. Within weeks the ghost of who he had been started to re-emerge. Remarkably, Elliott kept detailed notes throughout his experience, from the moment of impact to the final stages of his recovery, astounding documentation that is the basis of this fascinating book. The Ghost in My Brain gives hope to the millions who suffer from head injuries each year, and provides a unique and informative window into the world’s most complex computational device: the human brain.
Intriguing Book of Poetry Published by a Brain Injury Survivor Gray Matters, Brain Injury: The Inside Perspective is a book filled with poetic insights of a woman who lived through a near-fatal brain injury. Her intimate knowledge and sense of humor can help survivors cope, as well as better understand their injuries and themselves. This book gives a personal sense or Inside Perspective of brain injury, thus enabling readers to better understand brain injury survivors. Brain injury occurs around the world in a variety of circumstances; in sports events, motor-vehicle accidents, terrorist attacks & war (and the list goes on)... According to the International Brain Injury Association, head injury is the leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Thirty percent of the soldiers that have returned from Iraq and are returning from Afghanistan have Traumatic Brain Injuries; more than two percent of the United States' population has sustained a Traumatic Brain Injury. Even with brain injury being so widespread, it is still hard to identify people living with the complications of this “invisible disability.” Ms. Lerner knows that the lack of awareness regarding brain injury makes survivors’ lives quite problematic. Writing Gray Matters was aimed at easing the integration of survivors back into the community. With a creative flair, she informs her readers about brain injury; she strikes a chord by sharing personal changes, loss and challenges, thus giving readers a sense of what it is like to walk in the shoes of a brain injury survivor. The chapters of the book cover topics including: brain injury, the symptoms of injury, rehabilitation, the brain, academic rehab, recreational therapy (including nature & the ocean's healing influence) and brain injury peer support. This book will considerably help brain injury survivors to better understand their injury and themselves, it will also aid them by being better understood by others. Gray Matters has helped family members and friends to better understand their loved ones. This book can also be a great asset to rehab professionals, by giving them a more intimate understanding of the dilemmas of a brain injury; for only when you know what an individual’s problem is, can you treat it. Gray Matters offers an articulate, introspective and sometimes humorous view of what it is like to suffer a near-fatal blow to the head and live with its complications. The author presents a thorough, subjective viewpoint as well as a professional and objective understanding of brain injury. Gray Matters presents a deeper understanding of the inner-workings of the mind and how in many ways, brain injury effects life as we know it.
This memoir details Marc's life and experiences before and after an illness which left him severely brain-injured and quadriplegic at the age of three. His hospital experiences and life at home with his family, his sister, and his brother show how his family deals with stressful situations. The choice to go to a residential care home and the consequences of leaving home eventually lead to some positive re-awaking of his mental abilities
Sean Dwyer's small car was demolished in a rear-end collision. At the same time, Sean's brain was severely injured. This is the story of loss, despair, hope, and ultimate recovery.
Ted Goodrich had everything going for him at age twenty-three, but he didnt realize it until it was all taken away. He had just finished playing in a softball game when he went home to get changed before meeting some friends. His friends wondered why he never showed up. They found out why when they learned hed been found unconscious at the bottom of his apartment stairs. He had a fractured skull, severe brain swelling, and bleeding in and around his brain. Everyone thought he would die, including doctors who told his mom she may want to consider taking him off life support. But instead, she approved a risky surgery, and ten days after his accident, he woke up from a coma. But life was different: Goodrich had no memories and had to learn how to walk and talk again. His life became a never-ending series of sessions with physical therapists, speech therapists, and other specialists. Very few people are able to survive the type of accident that Goodrich endured, and those who do must learn to live a new life. Find out how he has endured in this story defined by faith, courage, love, and family. Forword Clarion Review: Goodrich's rocky road to recovery was miraculous. He died four times in the ambulance, and the doctors said the would either be in a coma forever or have significant brain damage. While he was unconscious, his mother approved a risky surgery to remove part of his skull; this left him with post-traumatic amnesia and years of therapy ahead of him. The story, which has all the makings of a Hollywood tearjerker. Kirkus Review: In telling his story, Goodrich has a tendency to overemphasize, unnecessary information, relating extensive medical explanations and tiny details from the scenes her re-creates. When those scenes of non-recognition and personal struggle get going, however, they can be candid, heartbreaking, and exceptionally insightful. His lucid descriptions often reveal an unexpected range of emotions that go far beyond the expected despair or determinations found in similar stories.
Discusses the current epidemic of sports-related concussions, including true-life stories of victims and the ongoing research to unravel the mysteries of concussions, as well as the crusade to prevent these types of injuries.
In 1992, Ferdinand Ortiz Jr. known by his family and friends as Tito was in a car accident and he uses the principles taught to him early in life to deal with the repercussions of his injury. His appreciation for life increased and he is sharing his zest for life in his memoir, Putting the Puzzle Together.
