Customer Reviews

Stroke: Recovery with Oxygen

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I find this book both frightening and uplifting. It brings home to us the risk we all face (just by living) of suffering a devastating cerebral accident and uncovers information that can be so very vital in recovery.
Polly was angry, as we should all be, to discover the medical establishment's reluctance to share knowledge that has been documented and used for many years. I find it shocking that the American Heart Association and the Americian Stroke Association have no interest in promoting either the use of HBOT or the development of new clot-busting drugs despite the evidence that others may be more effective and have wider "windows" than tPA.
It seems clear that much has been suppressed by those who will benefit most from the "recommended protocol for stroke victims". Since when do doctors only reveal therapies that "work for everyone"?
Polly was angry but this courageous lady used her anger to dig into the issue giving us a well-researched book that needs to be read and shared by anyone who has had a stroke or is worried about the possibility of having one.

Stroke by Polly Houston is a superb first person account of the devastation caused by having a stroke. So little is known from the patient's view, but this easily readable book describes how it feels to have a stroke, the unbelief of the seriousness of the initial stroke, and the progressive debilitation as first one and then another bodily function failed. The review of medical options, including hyperbaric oxygen therapy, is contrasted with the lack of options offered by the medical care givers, and provides a well-rounded critique of the conflict between well-meaning physicians who make choices for medical therapies that may well not be in accordance with alternative therapy wishes of a patient. The book also raises valid issues of rigidity and therapeutic orthodoxy of clinical medicine that are slow to change, despite new research data. This book will give hope to care givers and victims of stroke.

My mother recently had a stroke and we read this book together. It gave us some hope for alternative treatments. We are looking for a hyperbaric chamber in our area to be begin treatment. Reading this book was encouraging helpful to us both.

Stroke by Polly Houston is an eye opener for someone who has had a stroke or a caregiver for a stroke victim. Written by an older lady who had a stroke, it tells you first hand about the problems that a stroke victim is subjected too. Although it is not written by from a medical research point of view, it is very helpful in trying to understand the problems of a stroke victim.

I recommend it for anyone looking for solutions for stroke victims.

Doug Kincaid from Kincaid, WV.

I found this to be a fascinating and informative read. Polly shared both her personal frustrations that come from recovering from a stroke as well as useful and scientific information. We will all be touched by a stroke, either personally or through family/co-workers. We clearly need to advocate for more and alternative treatments for strokes and this book helps outline some of these options

My Grandmother suffered from a total of 7 strokes throughout her later years in life. As you can imagine this severely affected her quality of living and how she interacted with her family. After reading Stroke: Recovery With Oxygen, it gave me a sense of what it must have been like for her to go through such a hard time and to feel absolutely hopeless about her condition. Polly's first hand account was well told, and a good read for people looking for alternative medical help with stroke recovery. I highly recommend this book for all people with relatives for all people who have had a stroke.

While she speaks from experience, she is over simplifying to issue. Sure, HBO can help some and it might provide some momentum that a stroke survivor needs to work towards recovery. BUT her argument that HBO should be the first line of offense in this day and age is dangerous and libel in my opinion. For example with me, I had heart complications coming in to my stroke. The stroke effected most all motor functions including control of my tongue, which I began choking on and the control of my diaphragm which controls breathing. Additionally I aspirated vomit during the event. As a result of these few things, I needed a battery of doctors to make split second decisions. An HBO clinic just doesn't have the wherewithal to accommodate any and all potential issues that can arise from a stroke. Bottom line, dont make the HBO clinic your first stop based on this ladies biased judgment. Additionally her arguments that HBO will help your brain recanelize(grow new capilaries)to get around damaged areas is not substantiated. Our brains have to ability to do that with out HBO and there has been NO tests nor any potential proof that HBO will speed that process. At the end of the book (sorry spoiler) she admits that even if it does help, you may need to do this the rest of your life. I've thought about the value of the time I have left on this planet, do I really want to spend 3 hours a day tied to a pressure chamber?

This book was given to me by a friend after my father suffered a minor stroke. While it does have some decent information on alternative modes of treatment/therapy, I found it a convoluted read. Having been a writer and editor for more than 15 years, I find it difficult to believe that this book was even edited. I believe that the author, having suffered a stroke herself, made every effort to tell her story but the editing fell short. I would recommend it only to those with patience and only because it does contain interesting tidbits of information.