Beyond my Control: One Man's Struggle with Epilepsy, Seizure Surgery & Beyond [Paperback]

Stuart McCallum (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 059548705X | ISBN-13: 978-0595487059 | Publication Date: May 9, 2008 | Edition: 1

Stuart Ross McCallum shares a true account of his battle with epilepsy-beginning with the peculiar sensations he experienced as a teenager that led to his diagnosis and concluding with his eventual recovery from a temporal lobe lobectomy.McCallum vividly describes his twenty-year journey of living with epilepsy and how this unpredictable disease has not only impacted his life but the lives of everyone around him. For years he operated a business and managed his staff while battling an ever-increasing number of seizures. As his condition worsened and his postseizure responses became more intense, he was often prone to violent outbursts that threatened his safety as well as the safety of those in his inner circle. McCallum shares how the perception of the disease and the socially unacceptable behaviors that occurred as a result of his seizures eventually forced him to risk everything-he made the life-altering decision to undergo two brain operations that he hoped would provide freedom from a life of instability, danger, and stares from strangers.Beyond My Control provides an honest, emotional look into a highly complex and often misunderstood condition and how one man's perseverance helped him break through the darkness to find hope on the other side.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Stuart McCallum was born in England and now lives in Melbourne, Australia, with his wife and two children. After successful seizure surgery, he is now working as a freelance journalist. In his spare time, he enjoys studying health issues and volunteering to help the needy and underprivileged.

Product Details

• Paperback: 106 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse; 1 edition (May 9, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 059548705X
• ISBN-13: 978-0595487059
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #844,997 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #82 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Disorders & Diseases > Epilepsy

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pure Reading Enjoyment, May 5, 2009

By 

Dee Marie (New York) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Beyond my Control: One Man's Struggle with Epilepsy, Seizure Surgery & Beyond (Paperback)

I originally purchased "Beyond My Control," by Stuart "Ross" McCallum, thinking it would be a casual, yet interesting read. However, once I started reading the first chapter, I literally could not put it down until I had finished the book.

Although the book is a biographical, and at times harrowing tale, of Ross' struggles to find normalcy within an anomalous world of coping with epilepsy...the story flows with the feeling of a well-organized novel, rather than a dry, retelling of factual events.

Upon finishing his story, the realization that Ross survived his life-struggling ordeal (and lived to write about his experiences in an intellectual, often humorous manner)...is a miracle in itself. His story is more than an account of how Ross and his family, friends, and co-workers dealt with his epileptic episodes; it is also a fascinating look into the often misunderstood side-effects of the illness.

Ross' story is filled with heartache and hilarity; written in an educational and entertaining manner. "Beyond My Control" is a must-read, not just for the informative aspects of coping with a disabling illness, but more importantly for the pure "reading enjoyment" of his story.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Inspirational Journey, December 12, 2009

By 

J. Knox "JK" (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beyond my Control: One Man's Struggle with Epilepsy, Seizure Surgery & Beyond (Paperback)

Epilepsy is a condition I've read personal accounts of in the past, most of which have been vague or difficult to fully grasp; it seems there are few more difficult topics to (successfully) communicate than a neurological disorder and many personal a...more Epilepsy is a condition I've read personal accounts of in the past, most of which have been vague or difficult to fully grasp; it seems there are few more difficult topics to (successfully) communicate than a neurological disorder and many personal accounts end up vague or overly-clinical. This is why Stuart McCallum's book is so incredible.

While reading Beyond My Control, I felt the transcendence of a good book--it was as though I entered another world, a world in which I felt I understood what it was like to be at the mercy of this confounding neurological disorder. Stuart McCallum vividly recalls his life before his diagnosis and the confusion of Epilepsy's onset, but he doesn't cower. In fact, Stuart doesn't spend his pages wallowing in self-pity or asking "why me?" but instead inspires his readers with his courage and strength.

This is a story about one man's battle with Epilepsy, but it is a story for anyone who knows what it feels like to have life uprooted in an instant, who know the shock and helpless feeling of entering the unknown, but who refuse to be defeated by it.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thanks for Your Story Stuart!, February 4, 2009

By 

R. Owen (Orinda, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beyond my Control: One Man's Struggle with Epilepsy, Seizure Surgery & Beyond (Paperback)

McCallum's story is remarkable and completely engrossing. Reading it is much more like hearing a good story being told rather than reading it on the page. It was an excellent education for me -- to get the perspective that he communicated. I have no personal experience with epilepsy, but I felt that I could relate to his story. It is not an uncommon experience among human beings to find yourself in a situation where you have no control. I think it is an experience we all share, and knowing that helps us all understand and identify with what it means to struggle with epilepsy. He does an amazing job of bringing humor into a decidedly not funny situation, at one point, comparing his behavior to Basil Fawlty's. His pre- and post-surgery experiences were harrowing, getting through that part is hard to imagine. The short-term and long-term support that he received from other people was truly amazing -- and his story makes it so clear how crucial that support was. To sum it up, I'm very glad to have read it.