"My Year Off": A Must-Read for Stroke Survivors
As an author and editor of one of England’s newspapers, Robert McCrum describes his experience with stroke and subsequent rehabilitation in stylized and literary terms. In 1995, at the age of 42, Robert McCrum had a cerebral hemorrhage resulting in left sided paralysis. His account of the stroke itself, as well as his experience in hospital and rehabilitation gives the reader valuable insight into what stroke survivors think and feel and how they come to terms with their changed bodies and their place in the world.
Throughout the book, McCrum includes excerpts of the diary he kept while in hospital, as well as entries from the diary that his wife kept. These passages, more than anything else in the book, offer a unique perspective that both stroke survivors as well as their caregivers may relate to.
His account of his eventual return home also describes how his recovery continued after he was discharged from the rehabilitation hospital, and the many pitfalls, as well as victories that he experienced. Robert McCrum also describes what many “young strokes” experience – the loss of identity, career and the shunning by society. McCrum was able to find a stroke support group – something that played a major role in his recovery.
This book gives a heartfelt and realistic account of what someone experiences physically, emotionally and cognitively during and after a stroke and also what their caregivers experience. It also conveys the many stages of the recovery process and the importance of patience and never giving up.
Stefanie Conaway, MS, OTR/L
Clinical Support Specialist
Myomo, Inc.