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 spAnd 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. After a stroke, as survivors struggle to recreate their self-image and feelings of self-worth, the quality of life is forever changed. 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.
