Stroke Survivors

The Story

A life-altering stroke attacks its victim with a frightening suddenness. During the long and often painful recovery process, feelings of frustration, anger, depression, and anxiety are common to both the victim and caregivers. Stroke Survivors gives first-hand, intimate accounts of the terrifying experience of having a stroke and the subsequent complex and challenging process of recovery. Based on an extensive three-year study of seventy stroke survivors, the book gives voice to the stroke survivors as well as to health care professionals, caregivers, and family members, revealing how the survivors faced the daunting task of reclaiming their lives after a stroke. At the heart of the book is coauthor Rod McLean's personal journey from despair to triumph. At age twenty, he suffered a massive stroke, underwent brain surgery, and drifted in and out of a coma for twenty-one days. The professionals predicted that McLean would spend the rest of his life confined to a wheelchair with limited ability to move or speak. But, he refused to let the so-called 'experts' dictate his future. Twenty-five years later, Rod McLean lectures in classrooms around the country about his experience of being a stroke survivor. McLean's profound story and the stories of other stroke survivors recount the agonizing process of relearning how to talk, walk, make love...and live. Survivors and their often fatigued and distressed caregivers are sure to gain a new understanding and appreciation of the skills, attitudes, and knowledge necessary to emerge from the life-changing stroke experience.