Blog: My Life After Stroke, by Gary Gray

 

I have read many books over the past nine years since my stroke. Among the books that I have read are some personal stories of having experienced a stroke, having survived and the long road to recovery.

I have  just completed another story of stroke by a survivor.. It is titled “Life After Stroke” and it was written by Jeff Kagan who lives in the Eastern United States. Jeff claims to have written his book to help other survivors, family members and care givers find the answers to the questions that come after a stroke. He says that he had the questions but found that in general there was very little by way of satisfying answers that anyone could provide..

Having personally experienced stroke and now seven years of rebuilding his life as a survivor, who better to answer these burning questions.

Jeff takes us through the journey of stroke beginning with a life that is good with career, family and friends to the play by play stroke experience.

He explains what it is like to experience stroke from the inside out. What you know and what you don’t know. Who can help and who may not be even aware that a problem even exists. What medical professionals may know and what they may not know. Even how your life can disappear and your family is left with a stranger in their midst.

He talks about wanting just to get back to normal and how it makes him feel to suddenly not be the caregiver in the family. He talks about the importance of having a positive attitude, being patient with yourself and recognising that you and everyone else are working through the fact that you have had a stroke.

He talks about how strange it is when one part of your brain works as it did but another part has died and along with it went all of it’s associated functions. This strange situation can present a challenge not only for the survivor but for every one who comes into the survivors life like family, friends, caregivers and medical professionals. He says that there is no one size fits all since the effects of a stroke is simply the result of whatever parts of the brain are damaged.

Jeff’s book is also one of encouragement as well as answering the burning questions. Jeff becomes a stroke coach with a “you can do it” attitude.

All in all, this 100 page book is a wonderful look into the world of stroke from the inside out. I highly recommend it to anyone who has been touched by stroke whether as a survivor, a family member, a caregiver or even a health care professional.

Thanks for putting pen to paper this way Jeff and I look forward to learning more from you as well as sharing experiences and stories in the days and months to come.

Gary Gray

Stroke Survivor since 2002

Jeff Kagan just wrote his new book "Life After Stroke, On The Road To Recovery."

It is written for stroke survivors, their caretakers, family and friends.

Kagan had a stroke in 2004. He has been through the same long recovery process many others now find themselves in. He is a stroke survivor.

He learned so much about recovery by living through it, and he wants to help others understand what is coming next.

Whether one is a stroke survivor, a caretaker, family member or friend, there are questions that need to be answered. These are the same questions Kagan asked, but did not get answered from doctors and counselors.

He tells the story of a successful man who had his world ripped out from under him, and what the next five years of recovery were like. He talks about his family and friends and especially his remarkable wife. He talks about what they did right, and what they did wrong because they didn't know better.

He talks about what they needed to do and what others affected by a stroke need to do.