Stroke Diaries: A Guide for Survivors and their Families

A woman recounts the horror of waking up paralyzed, unable to call for help. A man has a mini-stroke and refuses to listen to his doctor, only to suffer a disabling stroke soon after. A physician recalls watching a tiny baby in the throws of a stroke, convulsing violently. A survivor rejoices after finally crossing the street before the pedestrian lights change back. Blending such highly personal and moving stories with crystal clear medical commentary based on first-hand clinical experience, Dr. Olajide Williams demystifies this potentially devastating illness and provides a roadmap to recovery. Indeed, Dr. Williams shows that the majority of strokes are not only preventable, but also treatable. Through compelling stories of patients, survivors and caregivers, woven together by easy-to-understand medical explanations, Dr. Williams provides practical tips on preventing strokes with specific lifestyle prescriptions, on recognizing the different forms of strokes, on managing symptoms after stroke, and on overcoming the psychological burden of stroke. He also reviews the new clot-busting treatments, which have dramatically improved the recovery rate of stroke victims. Combining cutting-edge medicine with the gripping stories of patients, survivors, family members, and physicians, Stroke Diaries strikes a blow against the current public health crisis in stroke.

Table of Contents:
FOREWORD INTRODUCTION PROLOGUE PART 1: Causes, prevention, and emergency treatment of Stroke. Episode 1: The stroke that came between them. Comment: definition of stroke, main subtypes, risk factors, and primary prevention. Episode 2: The man who did not take his medicine Comment: Cardinal symptoms of stroke, Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA), recurrent stroke and secondary prevention. Episode 3: A wise man fails to recognize the signs. Comment: Emergency treatment of stroke and missed opportunities, certified stroke centers. Episode 4: A stroke saved his life Comment: The relationship between drug abuse and stroke Episode 5: A stroke that occurred during sex. Comment: Red flag symptoms of headaches, brain aneurysms, arterio-venous malformations (AVM) and stroke. Episode 6: The aftermath of her life-threatening stroke Comment: Causes and treatment of spontaneous hemorrhagic stroke not due to aneurysms or vascular malformations. INTERLUDE PART 2: Unusual and under-recognized Stroke syndromes: clinical manifestations, causes and treatment. Episode 7: Ondine's Curse Comment: Sleep-disordered breathing and their relationship with stroke Episode 8: A stroke that exiled her left side of space Comment: Neglect of space and the unconscious inability to recognize stroke symptoms. Episode 9: An Unknown White Male that could only blink his eyes. Comment: Locked-In syndrome, vascular dissection, and stroke Episode 10: A stroke that turned him into a living statue Comment: Akinetic Mutism - explaining a syndrome of whole body inertia caused by stroke. Episode 11: Man in a barrel Comment: Man-in-a-barrel syndrome and border zone strokes Episode 12: The circle of dementia Comment: Vascular dementia, silent strokes and whispering strokes. INTERLUDE PART 3: Psychosocial and physical challenges after Stroke. Episode 13: Sex after Stroke Comment: Resuming sexual activity after stroke Episode 14: The terror of crossing the street Comment: A) Recovering the ability to walk and preventing recurrent falls after stroke. B) Speech therapy. C) Post-stroke depression and anxiety. Episode 15: The Acomodador - a caregiver's point of giving up. Comment: Overcoming caregiver depression INTERLUDE PART 4: Recovery from severe Stroke Episode 16: Abiku: breaking the curse of childhood death Comment: Stroke in babies: symptoms, signs, and prognosis Episode 17: The Lazarus phenomenon: a miraculous outcome after stroke Comment: New generation emergency treatments for stroke: intra-arterial thrombolysis and the M.E.R.C.I (Mechanical Embolus Removal in Cerebral Ischemia) retriever. EPILOGUE BIBLIOGRAPHY

About the Author :
Dr. Olajide Williams is a general neurologist with special interest in stroke. He is Associate Professor of Clinical Neurology at Columbia University. He is also a fellow of Columbia University's prestigious Glenda Garvey Academy for outstanding teaching, and has been recognized locally and nationally for humanism in medicine. Dr. Williams has developed several innovative education programs for stroke survivors and the general public.

Review :
"Olajide Williams writes from the front lines and brings back stories of hope." - Mark McEwen, former co-host and weatherman of CBS's' The Early Show and author of After the Stroke: My Journey Back to Life "Williams' Stroke Diaries is clearly aimed at stroke patients and their families and loved ones and at the public in general...Life is a series of stories. In wonderful, very readable prose, Williams recounts his patients' stories. Many of the patients are true victims of poverty, circumstances and their own weaknesses. Despite this they often show bravery and heroism in battling the disabilities that remain after their strokes. Williams uses each stroke patient's story as a springboard to deliver important background information about stroke- its symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment...The book is peppered with simple diagrams, pictures, and tables that help skillfully to convey the information. Williams' prose is simple but elegant and a pleasure to read. I heartily recommend this book to everyone who seeks information about all of the facets of stroke." - Louis R Caplan, MD, Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA "Stroke Diaries offers vivid, informative and at times heart-wrenching stories about stroke survivors, and in the process emphasizes the importance of educating everyone about the warning signs and symptoms of stroke, a condition that affects nearly 800,000 Americans each year and is the third leading cause of death in the United States. Dr. Williams combines lucid writing with practical, take-home information about stroke that should inform stroke patients, their families, and the public at large." - Timothy A. Pedley, MD, Henry and Lucy Moses Professor of Neurology, Chairman, Department of Neurology, Neurologist-in-Chief, The Neurological Institute of New York, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY "A public education program is sorely needed and the void is filled by this spirited book. The author, Olajide Williams, a Columbia University neurologist,...illustrates all aspects of stroke epidemiology and pathophysiology in poignant case histories from his own files, stories told in a way that makes each one human. In a deprived urban population, adult education is a challenge, so Dr. Williams has gone to grade schools, teaching children how to recognize stroke and how to get the adult patients to the hospital. The book is written in a lively and clear fashion. 17 chapters cover epidemiology, symptoms, stroke prevention, emergency treatment and certified stroke centers, hemineglect, locked-in syndrome, man-in-a-barrel, sex and psychosocial aspects, and recovery from stroke. The large intended audience of survivors and their families is no longer neglected." - Lewis P. Rowland, MD, The Neurological Institute of New York, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY "It covers all aspects of stroke: clinical presentation, etiology, epidemiology, prevention, acute therapy, and post-stroke care. What makes this book unique is the discussion of these topics using clinical cases and patients' stories. It also contains great diagrams, pictures, and tables that help deliver the information efficiently. No other book compares to this one. It is a MUST read!" -Doody's "A perfect blend of poetic vignette and straightforward science...This kind of knowledge could save lives - and therefore it's imperative that as many people as possible read the book." --Get Better Health "An incredible book that speaks directly to the impact of stroke in African American communities like Harlem." --Harlem World Blog "Williams' intellectually sharp writing scythe cuts a considerable swath across the field of unusual and underrecognized stroke syndromes." -- Metapsychology Online Reviews