Customer Reviews

Brain Attack

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Polly Perez has a lot to say for someone with aphasia! Join her in this remarkable journey through her stroke as she describes in detail the day-by-day events of this life-changing event. Polly is able to capture what I see so many of my patients try to describe - everything from the nurturing attitudes of the therapists to the struggles of both her and her family and friends. The uncaring attitude of some, which is too often a part of the healthcare system today is also described with emotional detail. Polly also uses some heartfelt quotations from a variety of sources which are spread throughout in the writing. I was especially touched by these quotations as they added to my understanding of what Polly must have felt as she wrote this diary. "Brain Attack" is a book which I will recommend to patients I work with. I always tell those patients, "I know some things about strokes, but you will always know more because you have experienced one first hand" I still know that to be true, but thanks to this wonderful book, I am a bit closer to understanding a stroke from the inside out.
Michael Sutherland, Licensed Massage Therapist, Recreational Therapist, Stroke Survivor Group Facilitator

Whether you know someone who has suffered a stroke, or you yourself have experienced one, OR you have never been around the effects of a stroke, this book is an absolute must-read for everyone! It's message of perseverence in the face of adversity can help anyone at anytime in their life.

While reading Brain Attack, I was overcome with emotion. All those friends/family of Polly's and how they've upholded and supported her through those tough times, was truly inspirational!

I believe this book is absolutely AMAZING!! It deserves national attention! All of Polly Perez' words are so heartfelt and sometimes sad and angry, yet so true and meaningful! I hope all people who suffer from ailments (especially strokes) get a chance to partake of this book.

I found such strength reading her words, and it made me realize how precious everything we have in our world is, and that at any given moment it could be taken away from us; that we must value our lives as we live them!

As a doula myself, the strength I gained from reading your life after the attack will help me persevere when birth takes a turn which no one expected, or when the mom needs to feel empowered. I will remember her strength and make it mine (I hope).

I want to thank you, Polly, for being strong, and speaking out about empowerment and upholding all that is dear to us poor old humans!

In the doula spirit and the spirit of humanity...

Sue Coffman

It's about time someone wrote a book about the stuggles and fears and triumphs associated with having a stroke. Paulina Perez writes from personal experience in a way that is comforting to those who have experienced the same thing. She not only gives her personal, intimate thoughts and feelings as a stroke survivor, but explores how it effects others around them and the perceptions people have of stroke survivors. This book is great for it's educational value....as well as a helping guide to others going through the same journey. This book is a must read for anyone who has had a stroke...or anyone who knows someone who had a stroke. My great grandmother had several stroks before she passed away 12 years ago....and reading this book made me look at the years after her strokes in a totally different light. It's about time this book was finally written..YEAH!

Aphasia - the inability to express thoughts by means of speech. It's often a result of a stroke. In Polly Perez' book "Brain Attack" (subtitled Danger, Chaos, Opportunity, Empowerment) she documents the first year after her stroke. She is a nurse, public speaker and educator. Her stroke left her with a severe case of aphasia. This loss of speech was particularly difficult for her as she was used to using speech to communicate with and educate others.

Her journey is a remarkable one. She moves from complete dependence to restarting her career in a year. Most stroke survivors either take much longer to restart their career, or find they must take up a new one.

Finding herself on the other side of medical world (as a patient rather than a nurse) she was surprised to find that there are different problems when seen from the patient's perspective. She struggled with medical professionals who were not sensitive to her needs. She discovered that a smaller hospital fit her needs better than larger better equipped one

She spent many months pushing herself to regain skills and to master necessary new ones. Included in the book are numerous comments from others - her family, therapists, neurologist, etc.

She has written a book, which should be read by medical professionals. With her perspective as a nurse, she is able to explain and address issues often faced by overworked medical professionals. The book also offers hope to stroke survivors and gives others a glimpse into the world of those who have experienced stroke.

Lin Wisman
VP Information
Editor StrokeNet Ezine
...

This is a wonderful book and a must read for any professional involved in stroke rehabilitation. Through Polly's words we are privileged with a peek into the daily challenges of someone with aphasia. My understanding of the determination required to recover from aphasia has improved tenfold! Polly's courage is an inspiration to all involved - professionals, family members and friends, and most of all, stroke survivors!

Polly Perez has a lot to say for someone with aphasia! Join her in this remarkable journey through her stroke as she describes in detail the day-by-day events of this life-changing event. Polly is able to capture what I see so many of my patients try to describe - everything from the nurturing attitudes of the therapists to the struggles of both her and her family and friends. The uncaring attitude of some, which is too often a part of the healthcare system today is also described with emotional detail. Polly also uses some heartfelt quotations from a variety of sources which are spread throughout in the writing. I was especially touched by these quotations as they added to my understanding of what Polly must have felt as she wrote this diary. "Brain Attack" is a book which I will recommend to patients I work with. I always tell those patients, "I know some things about strokes, but you will always know more because you have experienced one first hand" I still know that to be true, but thanks to this wonderful book, I am a bit closer to understanding a stroke from the inside out.
Michael Sutherland, Licensed Massage Therapist, Recreational Therapist, Stroke Survivor Group Facilitator

As a Holistic Nurse I was so very happy to see how another nurse would handle this situation of a Brain Attack. She clearly defined her position and was proactive from the beginning as she was involved in her own drama within the medical system. I would recommend this book to all those who work with stoke patients and also to the general public to better understand their friends and family that are going through this recovery process. Hat's off to Polly for the gift she has given us all.

Ms. Perez a nuse, an author and public speaker takes the reader on her personal journey through the effects of a brain attack and her fight for recovery and survival. Each step of the unfolding in her sudden illness gives the reader the feeling of being right there to experience the unthinkable, not being able to get your thoughts across to another in the normal means, speaking. This is particularly hard for someone who has been a public speaker for many years. What I liked most about the set up of Ms. Perez' story is the quotes from various inspirational sources. They guide the reader into what lies ahead in the paragraph. Some are thought provoking, some more inspirational and some reflect what Ms. Perez was experienceing and feeling during her brain attack. Another aspect that really guides the reader is the very practical information provided in 'Medical Facts.' Throughout the book, Ms. Perez has provided the facts surrounding a brain attack. It gives the reader practical information about what to look for; the warning signs of a stroke, testing that should be done initially after 911 has been called and the victim is in the ER. There is information provided by the doctors, nurses, and therapists who attended Ms. Perez druing, immediately post stroke and into her rehabilitation phase. Ms. Perez underscored the importance of having an advocate in the hospital, another nurse who just happened to be family. Without this persistent family member, things may not have gone as well for Ms. Perez. Out of the persistence came the proper course of treatment for someone having a stroke, tPA or tissue plaminogen activator, approved by the RDA in 1996. This drug has be a lifsaver in many instances for someone suffering a stroke. The definitions surrounding a brain attack give the lay person useful information when and if this shold happen to a loved one. The perspective viewpoint as a nurse, provides the professional reader a chance to reflect on their own past care of stroke victims. Additionally, resources of numerous organizations that support stroke victims and their families as well as Internet sources round out this informative and captivating book. It is a must for the shelves of hospital patient and health care professionals libraries alike. I highly recommend this book.

Polly Perez's experiences after her stroke are both heart-breaking and inspirational. I am finally learning about my mother and my grandmother's experiences. My mother suffered a severe concussion when I was 7 and mild aphasia is what she has experienced since then, but no one knew the name for it. My grandmother suffered a stroke several years ago, but thankfully it was very minor compared to Perez's and her speech was not impaired, it was mostly gross motor functions on her right side. She has fully recovered.

I am humbled, I am in awe of Polly's strength, I am truly inspired in everything I do and I am saddened that I didn't fully understand what Polly, and my mother and grandmother, were going through and still have to deal with on a daily basis. I urge *everyone* to read it, it truly is not a book about stroke as much as it is a book about inspiration and overcoming extreme odds to accomplish a goal.

This book really helps you know what the stroke survivor goes thru and what they are thinking even if they cannot talk to communicate. It makes you realize that they are the same person inside and shouldn't be treated any differently. My husband had a severe stroke 6 years ago at the age of 46 and can no longer speak, and this book helped me know what he's been feeling all these years. It's so hard also for the family and friends not to know what's going on in the stroke survivors head and what they are thinking and this book helped me alot. I recommend this book to every family member , friend and most especially to the doctors, nurses and therapists that work with our loved ones who have had a stroke. It is such an easy read , I read it while sitting with my husband in the hospital and had several nurses and doctors look at it while it was sitting there. I recommended it to all of them. Thank you Polly for struggling so hard to write this book for us, it has made a world of difference to me.