Different Strokes: An Intimate Memoir for Stroke Survivors, Families, and Care Givers

256 Pages·2011·3.323 MB·English

by  Steven Boorstein, Jie Mao

d i f f e r e n t
s t r o k e s

d i f f e r e n t
s t r o k e s
An Intimate Memoir for
Stroke Survivors, Families,
and Caregivers
Steven BoorStein
skyhorse Publishing
Copyright © 2011 by Steven Boorstein
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.
iSBn: 978-1-61608-471-4
note: this book is not intended as a substitute for the medical advice
of physicians. the reader should regularly consult a physician in matters
relating to his/her health and particularly with respect to exercises and
physical therapy.
Although the author and publisher have made every effort to ensure that
the information in this book was correct at press time, the author and pub-
lisher do not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for any
loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such
errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause.
Printed in the United States of America
to my wife Barbara — my Florence nightingale — and
my sons Ben and Bryan. i would not be where i am
today without their love and constant support.
i would also like to acknowledge my fourteen new
friends and stroke survivors, as well as their spouses and
partners, for sharing their stroke recovery stories with me.

ContentS
introduction by Dr. Jie Mao ................................................................ix
Foreword by John newcomb .............................................................xiii
PART ONE: My Story .................................................................5
Chapter 1: tiAs (April 2, 2008) ..........................................................7
Chapter 2: rehabilitation and Getting Back on the Slopes:
Week Before the Stroke ....................................................15
Chapter 3: emergency room (April 2, 2008 – Day one) ...................19
Chapter 4: Life as i Knew it “Pre-Stroke” ..........................................27
Chapter 5: Surgery Day—the Actual Procedure
(April 3, 2008) .................................................................31
Chapter 6: Assessing the Damage .......................................................35
Chapter 7: iCU—Day two ...............................................................41
Chapter 8: the rehab Wing ..............................................................47
Chapter 9: Home At Last ...................................................................55
Chapter 10: the easiest things Made Difficult ..................................61
Chapter 11: Back to Business .............................................................71
Chapter 12: My Hands! .....................................................................77
Chapter 13: Good Days and Bad Days ...............................................81
Chapter 14: it’s time to Drive! .........................................................89
Chapter 15: traveling ........................................................................97
Chapter 16: the next Level .............................................................103
Chapter 17: Wimbledon ..................................................................109
Chapter 18: Getting Back to it! ......................................................115
epilogue ..........................................................................................125
vii
viii •  DiFFerent StroKeS
PART TWO: Interviews With Stroke Survivors ........................135
interviews with Stroke Survivors .......................................................137
PART THREE: Glossary and Resources ..................................231
Glossary ...........................................................................................233
exercises for therapy .......................................................................239
Links and Statistics ...........................................................................240
introDUCtion BY
Dr. Jie MAo
in my line of work, i see numerous stroke victims. Katelyn
is one example. Katelyn was admitted to the emergency
room with a very bad sore throat. She’d had tonsillitis before,
but this time the pain was particularly bad. She was coughing
up blood, sometimes a whole cup at a time. Her ent doctor
suspected an infected blood vessel; a subsequent Ct angio-
gram confirmed a pseudoaneurysm— a false aneurysm or bruise
from a leaking hole in an artery—actively bleeding next to
her right-side tonsil. Surgery was considered, but would have
been dangerous. the amount of bleeding would have most
likely hampered our visualization during surgery. Any attempt
at clamping off that false aneurysm may have been futile, and
could have resulted in damage to other surrounding structures
such as the main carotid artery. i was called in to perform a
catheter-directed angiogram, with intention to treat—mean-
ing to embolize, or plug up, the false aneurysm from the in-
side. What we found was jaw-dropping.
Katelyn’s right-sided middle cerebral artery, which sup-
plied blood to half of the right side of her brain, was completely
blocked! the tonsil infection had weakened her carotid ar-
tery, and had caused her to sustain a massive stroke. A physical
exam performed immediately on the table confirmed complete
left-sided hemiplegia (total paralysis) and an inability to speak.
this lively, walking, talking nineteen-year-old girl with full po-
tential was now looking at severe, permanent, life-threatening
disabilities. eight hours into what was an intense, adrenaline-
pumping procedure, Katelyn’s bleeding pseudoaneurysm was
ix