Product Description
Stroke doesn’t happen just to an individual, it happens to families, friends, and loved ones. Both HealthSouth and the American Stroke Association have long known this encompassing of stroke—it’s pain, it’s emotional damage, it’s debilitating after effects—not only on the survivors, but the loved ones in its wake. No one knows more that when stroke strikes, you need support, information, and advice fast. Finding this information has become a reassuring reality in this newest edition of Living With Stroke: A Guide for Families. Here, stroke patients and their families, friends, and caregivers can find the newest facts and figures on cutting edge of neural plasticity, constraint therapy, and more. Here, too, in clear, easy to understand language, is the entire process of rehabilitation, as well as the mechanisms that can create a stroke. You will also find a wealth of detail on the emotional reactions families of stroke survivors experience—along with the insight, solid hope, and most important of all, hope.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 5.0 based on 6 reviews)

Detailed yet understandable by Ramona L. Voight (Big Lake, MN)

5 Stars
October 19, 2009
As a stroke survivor with a medical background, I can understand most technical texts, but this book gives such an excellent explanation of the physical functions of the brain and the symptoms of stroke, by using analogies of everyday experiences and items. REALLY helpful for anyone who's had a stroke or a family member that has. Highly recommended!

The most helpful and informative book following a stroke by Carol K. Miletti (Minneapolis)

5 Stars
March 21, 2009
I bought this book while my husband was still in the hospital after having a stroke. I could not put the book down, as it was so informative. It helped me understand why, how and what next to do for him.

Educate yourself about stroke quickly by David H. Peterzell (San Diego, CA United States)

5 Stars
July 28, 2006
Make sure to get the newer (2001) version of this text. Amazon will be more than happy to send you a "new" earlier edition (1999) if you aren't careful. Unfortunately, the 1999 cover of "Living with Stroke" is of very low contrast, and thus difficult to read. So, older folks or people with low vision may be a bit put off by the cover. (But don't let this scare you away. The text within is large and readable.) The newer version may very well contain more up-to-date info. In response to a family emergency, I ordered four books on stoke recovery. Two had been recommended to me as being helpful for lay people: (1) "Living With Stroke: A Guide For Families" (Senelick, Rossi & Dougherty, 1999) and (2) "Stoke and the Family: A New Guide" (Stein, 2004). I ordered these for my family members (and myself). Two more were written at a much more scholarly, technical level for clinicans: (3) "Recovery after Stroke" (Barnes, Dobkin, & Bogousslavsky, Eds, 2005), and (4) "Stroke Rehabilitation: A Function-Based Approach" (Gillen & Burkhardt, Eds, 2004). Each of these books has much to recommend it. I hope to write reviews of all four later. I can see why the first two are standouts, and have been helpful to so many people. They are well-written, concise books with plenty of important information. They will help you quickly become an educated consumer of medical care. (They won't always familiarize you with medical controversies and choices, but they do a remarkable job of capturing the key issues. Controversies include the use of anti-seizure meds, and the use of statins for cholesterol reduction, especially in women.). This book describes the various physical manifestation of stroke (e.g., left vs right hemisphere), types of stroke (e.g., thrombotic, embolic, hemorrhagic, lacunar), diagnosis, pharmacological treatments, risk factors, and the basic rehabilitation spectrum--from physical therapy and activities of daily living to impact of stroke on daily life. The book offers creative ideas for navigating each of the key components. I especially liked the fact that the book does a nice job of covering psychological issues. I'm not talking about old-school psychoanalysis here. I'm talking about things like behavioral, cognitive, and family systems approaches to psychological health. There are plenty of tools provided for dealing with cognitive distortion, pessimism, etc. The book is concerned with the health of the patient AND the health of family and friends. I believe that many people will be able to complete the book in a night or two. That's important when time is of the essence and you are trying to educate yourself quickly. If you are a family member and or a caretaker: This is the book to bring with you to the hospital waiting room. You are likely to be waiting for long periods between visits with doctors and nurses, and you'll have many questions. You'll learn much more detailed general information from this book than the 10 minutes you spend consulting with the doc. What this book doesn't explain is how to deal with hospital staff who are busy and not always concerned with communicating with family members. But it provides plenty more. You can use this book to educate other family members and friends who might not be as thorough and bookish as you, and win them over to a sensible and realistic agenda. If you are a professional, you may find this book helpful, for a variety of reasons. First off, you might consider recommending this book, or the book by Stein, to your patients. Moreover, you might use the language in these books to explain situations and decisions to patients and their families. The authors have taken care to discuss emotionally and cognitively complex material in a sensible and clear manner.

great resource! by Robert W. Smith (Virginia, USA)

5 Stars
May 27, 2006
this book has been fantastic for helping families and other caregivers of individuals who have suffered a stroke! this book hadn't been written back when my own father suffered his strokes. i really wish that it had been - it would have been of immense help to my own family. now, i am fortunate to be able to recommend it and lend it to families, who all find it to be well written, easy to read and understand, and full of helpful and practical advice in dealing with our loved one, protecting them, and helping us to communicate more clearly and cope more effectively. an excellent contribution to the field!

Start with this book - it should be in every ER waiting room by M. R. (Chicago, IL United States)

5 Stars
November 15, 2004
Recently, my 31 year old, pregnant sister had an emergency c-section and then had complications that resulted in her suffering TWO strokes. Doctors would not tell us anything, no one could even tell us what they thought would happen with her. Luckily I found this book. This is a primer for strokes -- it gives everything from a lesson on how the brain works to how a rehabilitation program is put together, to how to cope emotionally as a caregiver. It is a quick read, chock full of substantial information, clear and well-written. You don't have to read straight through: it is well indexed and has a clear table of contents so you can get to the information you need most quickly. The most valuable part of the book is the glossary of terms that helps you navigate the medical-speak you are going to hear. Start with this book and you'll be equipped with solid information and understanding. This book was a godsend in a time of crisis.

SIMILAR PRODUCTS

	Stroke and the Family: A New Guide (The Harvard University Press Family Health Guides) by Joel Stein M.D. (Author) " A young woman suffers a stroke; she rebuilds her career and personal life, but not before her marriage falls apart. An eighty-year-old man dies unexpectedly of stroke, leaving his grown sons to wonder whether they are genetically predisposed to stroke. A recently retired woman confronts her future with a husband suddenly disabled by stroke. How can she help her husband? Will he ever recover? How will she cope with her own emotional stress? In Stroke and the Family: A New Guide, Joel...
	Stronger After Stroke: Your Roadmap to Recovery by Peter G. Levine (Author) Billions of dollars are spent each year researching stroke rehabilitation and treatment techniques, but most are not well communicated to patients or caregivers. As a result, many stroke survivors are treated with outdated or ineffective therapies. Stronger After Stroke puts the power of recovery in the reader’s hands by providing easy instructions for reaching the highest possible level of healing. Written for stroke survivors, their caregivers, and their loved ones, the book presents a new...
	After a Stroke: 300 Tips for Making Life Easier by Cleo Hutton (Author), RN, Cleo Hutton (Author) Covers the home-recovery process after a stroke -- and no subject is off-limits. Readers will learn how to progress from patient to person again. The author shares 300+ tips she learned and used during her recovery, including information about communication, emotional liability, safety issues, rest periods, dressing, personal care, cooking, home maintenance, housekeeping skills, traveling, relaxation techniques, and sex.
	The Stroke Recovery Book: A Guide for Patients and Families by Kip Burkman MD (Author), Bob Hoganmiller (Illustrator), David Jenkins (Illustrator) More than half a million Americans suffer strokes annually. Many thousands will need rehabilitation. During such a crises, friends and families must navigate a maze of confusion and emotional upset and still try to understand stroke and recovery. Kip Burkman, MD, provides many answers in The Stroke Recovery Book. In clear language, Dr. Burkman helps readers understand the various kinds of strokes and how they can affect body functioning, including thinking and emotions. He also...
	Stroke For Dummies (For Dummies (Lifestyles Paperback)) by John R. Marler M.D. (Author) Features tons of advice for recovery and rehabilitation Get the latest on the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of stroke Have questions and concerns about strokes? This reassuring guide provides invaluable information for stroke victims and their loved ones, from what a stroke is and what it feels like to proven treatments and therapies. You'll see how to implement a plan for preventing stroke, treat the lingering effects of stroke, and maximize home caregiver...