Customer Reviews

If I Only Had a Brain Injury: A TBI Survivor and Life Coach's Guide to Chronic Fatigue, Concussion, Lyme Disease, Migraine or Other ''Medical Mystery''

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If I Only Had a Brain Injury is a delightful, powerful and highly informative book. Beautifully written, Laura Bruno draws upon her experiences with her own Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) from a car accident. Her descriptions are vivid, deeply and personal. The book is very supportive and is an excellent resource for those dealing with Traumatic Brain Injuries and their caregivers. The book is also vitally important for those dealing with challenging and mysterious health issues like Chronic Fatigue, Lyme Disease and Migraines.

Bruno tells her own story while expertly weaving her insights within the context of the Wizard of Oz. I loved the humor, playfulness and utter seriousness in the book in the chapter titles and content. In the chapter, Somewhere Over the Rainbow Bruno states that her aim is, "...to inspire you and to guide you to resources that will empower you to take control over your own health and wellbeing."

Gradually after Bruno's own accident she began to realize that she had entered into a new land, and needed to learn anew. She recounts these realizations in the chapter, We're not in Kansas Anymore. Bruno says, " Like Dorothy, I knew I could not return the way I arrived. Like Dorothy, I eventually found my way "back home," but I took the Technicolor journey with me. I wrote this book to help others to do so, to."

And, like Dorothy following the yellow brick road to find her way back home to Kansas, the book emphasizes actions you can take in your recovery from the symptoms of these various illnesses that are so mysterious to the medical community. Bruno says in the chapter titled "Glinda," that "This chapter suggests ways to find the Glinda's along your journey...Even in the Wizard of Oz, Glinda prefers to help Dorothy help herself." She includes an excellent listing of resources to contact. For instance, she notes that you might want to contact a Behavioral optometrist that specializes in connections in mind, body and vision because "...a majority of people with neurological issues suffer from visual impairment. <and,> If you have any of the flowing symptoms, you may benefit from visual therapy or prism lenses: Concentration problems; Double vision; Headaches; Difficulty reading; Balance disorders; Clumsiness; Eyestrain; Intolerance of flickering lights; Intolerance to varied backgrounds; Panic Attacks; Easily becoming overwhelmed; Vertigo.

If I Only Had a Brain Injury is like a breath of fresh air as it offers hope where typically there is none. As Bruno notes, so many head injuries and their effects are not detected, diagnosed or treated. Many people are told that they do not show any medical evidence of a medical injury even though they are experiencing severe difficulties in daily functioning since the time of their accident or since the onset of their illness. And, even when a brain injury and trauma is recognized, there have been very limited resources to assist in continued rehabilitation.

My level of awareness about the nature of head injuries and its effects has risen dramatically from reading this book. This includes helping me to understand some of my own experiences from knocking my head with numerous falls off of horses, minor car accidents and some of my own hard to diagnose symptoms. I now keep this book by my bedside for personal quick reference and I also have a copy available in my office for those clients who have had head injuries.

If I only Had a Brain Injury is an excellent resource that I very highly recommend for anyone who has experienced a Traumatic Brain Injury as well as their family members, caregivers, medical professional and therapists. For anyone whose life has been touched in some manner with a Traumatic Brain Injury or by any illness that has been a medical mystery, this book will be of great value.

Laura Bruno's book, If I Only Had a Brain Injury, is meant for people like herself who survived brain injury or similar conditions. Even though I never had a brain injury, I read this book with great interest. Laura uniquely organized her personal account of her injury using the Wizard of Oz story as a metaphor. Her striking sincerity together with her superb literary skill make this book into an inspirational journey. Dozens of practical helpful tips are included for brain injury survivors. In addition to her own case, the author included several testimonials from other survivors of traumatic experiences, some of them world renowned individuals. As a nutritionist myself I can testify that Laura's nutritional suggestions are well researched and represent the newest scientific discoveries in healthful living. This book will provide guidelines not only for persons recovering from brain injuries, but will help anyone turn difficult times into joyous living.

TBI, FMS, CFS... For some of us, these are only random groups of letters. For others, they represent acronyms for "mysterious" diseases, conditions or syndromes. Sometimes, the way Traumatic Brain Injury, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome manifest in patients brings up more questions than answers; therefore, it's not uncommon for even medical practitioners to misdiagnose them.

But these "mysterious" conditions have the power to challenge and forever change the lives of those they touch.

TBI, FMS, CFS also Lyme disease and brain cancer affect many individuals, famous and not so famous, on a daily basis. These diseases, syndromes and conditions pertain to the life-challenging and life-threatening experiences that can turn individuals into surrenders or survivors.

For Laura Bruno, an intuitive life coach, Reiki Master Teacher and writer, her TBI diagnosis--the result of a seemingly insignificant car accident--changed her life from the path of achieving her doctoral degree and a successful career to the path of recovery. Laura Bruno's TBI diagnosis didn't only show her what's most important in life, but also helped her discover her own "yellow brick road" to recovery and to a relatively normal life.

Indeed, parallels to the Wizard of Oz and Dorothy's story are many and throughout the book. They help readers better understand Bruno's personal experience, the reasons behind her decisions dealing with complex issues like treatments and doctors, insurance and lawyers. In this sense, "If I Only Had a Brain Injury" is an inspiring, informative and educative read, and also a wonderful narrative. By sharing her story, Bruno opens the doors to the world of so-called mysterious conditions so many of us have to live with, sometimes misunderstood.

"If I Only Had a Brain Injury" gives readers a chance to better understand not only the syndromes and conditions, but also the persons behind the medical diagnosis, the very individuals having to live daily with these syndromes and conditions. And by doing so, the book represents an irreplaceable resource for patients, caregivers, families and friends and also medical practitioners.

The book is exceptionally well structured and organized, while easy to follow and understand. It offers an amazing number of personal stories and experiences, interviews with experts in the field, as well as useful sites, statistics and hands-on advice--given by professionals and also tested and tried by Bruno and other patients. "If I Only Had a Brain Injury" is a page-turner and a must-read. It is a testimony of the power of believing in oneself, a true survival story.

I got this book yesterday afternoon and I have been gobbling it up! Right from the start I identified with the writing. I, too, had a feeling that my evening at the outdoor amphitheater that July 26th night in 2005 could change my life. I didn't know how and so I ignored my irrational feelings. I went to the ballet and although we were sitting inside I must have picked up the tick as we walked across the lawn to the amphitheater. 10 days later, almost to the hour, I was very, very sick. The Lyme crossed the blood brain barrier and I have had neurological and emotional problems. My stupid neurologist says I am "in the normal range" even when I have vertigo and was falling back on my head walking down the street, have huge memory gaps, sometimes make no sense, etc. I told him it wasn't normal for me, but ended up getting nowhere and leaving his office in tears.
My boyfriend of 12 years (with whom I attended the ballet that night) became very frustrated and angry. I am no longer the same woman he signed up for. We separated in the Fall of 2007. He felt I was not "trying hard enough" to get better.
My family thinks I am mentally ill. In fact over the last 9 months I have been misdiagnosed with either depression or Bipolar II disorder and mis-medicated, which DID make me pretty crazy. I am now convinced I ought not to be on any medications but treat myself holistically. I have been medication free for one month and that has made a huge difference for me.
So, I am so thankful for the book! I am finding out that I need to listen to myself and not depend on doctors to be able to fix me or even diagnose me correctly. I have been changing my diet and using it as my medicine. I have been making sure to get outside and walk or recently I can bicycle again! Soak in some sun. Surround myself with positive people--no angry boyfriend--as much as possible. I am painting again.
I think I was already headed in this direction -- after 11 months of putting my hope and trust in, then floundering in, medical offices, hitting my head against (figurative) wall after wall. Laura Bruno's book gives me such strength and hope for this journey.

Injury took some mental abilities away.
Through that loss, author Laura Bruno,
finds an alternative path to health and
trusting herself. She demystifies many
medical mysteries all the while reassuring
those in similar situations not to suffer alone the
embarrassment and self consciousness of a
brain that is learning to function again -
perhaps differently. If I Only Had a Brain
Injury is a compendium of spiritual and
emotional support. It includes 52 healing
hints while leading its readers to become
wizards of their own healing. It offers
support to the caregiver and acknowledges
how events changes all involved.
Ultimately Laura Bruno wants everyone
to find their own deeper meaning of
injury - an opportunity to connect the
mind and heart - to live deeply, meaningfully,
and creatively through one's
essence.

After reading Head Cases: Stories of Brain Injury and Its Aftermath I realized the extent of brain injury epidemic, and the later chapters got more and more depressing several including suicide and war. The conclusions did not give much hope.

In contrast, Laura's book is full of optimism. She had a terrible injury and healed completely. No- more than complete healing, she actually gained better eyesight than pre-injury. Her philosophy includes the idea, things that appear to be terrible setbacks are ways to redirect your path so that you will gain wonderful gifts, grow spiritually, find joy and fun.

Laura is a fun person. Just reading her stories is fun.

As an educator for massage therapists, I'd like to see this book as required reading in massage schools, like Job's BodyJob's Body: A Handbook for Bodywork (Third Edition) once was.

Not only for healers, this book is for anyone who finds difficulty making physical, personal or spiritual progress with all the obstacles! Especially if someone has some kind of strike against them, allergies, fatigue, TBI, stroke, etc. it can seem like a wall with no way around. Laura gives you dozens of ways around.

This book is not only full of great information, it is well-written. Laura's master's thesis on symbolism and angels in literature, won her a fellowship. I can hardly wait for her upcoming novel.

Laura Bruno has written a well-documented, fascinating book about her recovery from a serious brain injury. Sharing her story in an intelligent, light-hearted way, she shows brain injury sufferers and many others how to locate support within their personal lives, their families and the medical community. In so doing, she offers universal guidance to anyone seeking an improved quality of life. I strongly recommend this book to all those interested in healing and humanity.

If I Only Had a Brain Injury is a beautifully conveyed book that is not only practical, simplistic, and full of easy to apply tips and tremendously helpful, thorough resources, but is also an artistic expression of genuine experience and compassion that takes one on a journey through Oz. Utilizing Dorothy and her friends' experiences to illustrate our own unfolding life processes creates a tangible and easily understood analogy, and coupled with Laura's own personal experiences, truly hits home and creates a relateability that transcends all boundaries. This is not only helpful for those with TBI and medical challenges as listed, but truly is a guideline and means of support for any and all challenges in life that can be simply applied. Finding myself challenged in overly mental focusing and truly not having the desire to do so either, I found Laura's book wonderfully supportive to this. It was easy, quick, and very clear, with nothing to have to read between the lines or mentally figure out. One can open the book to any page and find something valuable easily without it feeling out of context. This works well for people like myself who either don't have time to read, don't have much desire to read, or little focus to do so. You can pick up and leave off at any point and never feel lost and get exactly what you need at every turn. Laura is a beautiful example and expression for us all and one can only look forward to more wonderful books to come from her.

I wish I'd had this book when I was searching for my road to recovery from CFS! It is an excellent resource for people with TBI, MS, CFS, FM, Lyme Disease or other debilitating "mysterious" chronic illnesses and injuries. It's also an excellent resource for care givers and health providers.

It doesn't take long to discover that this book offers than tips for feeling better. Using The Wizard of Oz story as an extended metaphor for finding and taking the road home to recovery, author Laura Bruno presents a "traveler's guide" with 52 suggestions for the journey from disease to integrated healing on the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual levels of our being.

The book is user friendly, especially for people with brain fog that impairs their ability to read and comprehend written material. Laura's writing style is straightforward, concise, and easy to digest. The chapters are short and can be read and absorbed as units within the whole. Key points are presented in bold type, suggestions are in "bullet" format.

With compassion, warmth and humor, Laura tells her story and invites readers to follow our "Yellow Brick Road." She points out some of the bends along the way, turns that may seem scary but are actually opportunities to change aspects in our life that no longer work and may be hindering recovery.

The book includes special sections for health providers and caregivers, and some great inspirational stories from survivors of these kinds of life-changing illnesses and injuries.

I highly recommend this book!

If I Only Had A Brain Injury by Laura Bruno, M.A. is a compelling story for everyone who desires to create profound changes in their life. It is a book filled with inspiration, encouragement and guidance beautifully written from a heart filled with deep compassion and love. Laura shares a brilliant guide on how to transform and live a life that is authentic and fulfilling not only for the individual but for all. Embracing our essence and our true life's path is what this book is all about. I highly recommend it to everyone.