In this collection of stories about thriving after stroke, people from all over the U.S. tell it like it is about the tragedies and triumphs they experienced after stroke. They speak with candor about their worst days, their grit and resilience, and the profound contentment and unexpected bursts of enthusiasm they feel for life today. Written to give solace to current survivors, the 25 stories in Just Say "Yes" to Life! detail how these survivors coped, and which therapies helped them most. Readers will be inspired by a teenager who rebounded well enough to enroll in college a few years after his stroke, a physician who reinvented herself as a writer and performer, and a forester who created a chair the world's never seen before, one that allows those who use wheelchairs to navigate rugged wilderness terrain. Authentic, vulnerable, and brave, the tales give stroke survivors, and those who love them, hope for the best possible recovery and encourage them to never give up!

In this one-of-a-kind collection of stories about surviving and thriving after stroke, people from all over the U.S. tell it like it is about the tragedies and triumphs they experienced after stroke. They speak with candor about their worst days, their grit and resilience, and the profound contentment and unexpected bursts of enthusiasm they feel for life today. Written to give solace to current survivors, the 26 stories in Just Say "Yes" to Life! detail how these survivors coped, and which therapies helped them most. Readers will be inspired by a teenager who rebounded well enough to enroll in college a few years after his stroke, a physician who reinvented herself as a writer and performer, and a forester who created a chair the world's never seen before, one that allows those who use wheelchairs to navigate rugged wilderness terrain. Authentic, vulnerable, and brave, the tales give stroke survivors, and those who love them, hope for the best possible recovery and encourage them to never give up!

The intimate, life-affirming journey of recovery and rehabilitation from a major stroke, written by one of morning television's most beloved personalities Mark McEwen was at the top of his game and enjoying life when he suffered a stroke. After fifteen years on The Early Show, he had moved to Orlando to anchor the local news and spend more time with his family. While traveling, he experienced symptoms that led him to a hospital, where he was misdiagnosed with the flu. Two days later, on an airplane flight just hours before he finally collapsed, flight attendants and airport staff dismissed his slurred speech and heavy sweating. Misinformation not only delayed his treatment, but it also nearly cost him his life. Now, in a candid and moving memoir, America's beloved morning-show weatherman recalls his harrowing journey of rehabilitation from a massive stroke. After the Stroke traces his recovery in the aftermath of temporarily losing some of his greatest gifts- his talent as a public speaker, and his warm, witty exuberance-while his wife worked valiantly to care for their children as well as her seriously ill husband. Sharing an ultimately triumphant story, McEwen emerges as one of our most dynamic new crusaders for stroke victims and their families.

A page-turning novel that is also an exploration of the great philosophical concepts of Western thought, Jostein Gaarder's Sophie's World has fired the imagination of readers all over the world, with more than twenty million copies in print. One day fourteen-year-old Sophie Amundsen comes home from school to find in her mailbox two notes, with one question on each: "Who are you?" and "Where does the world come from?" From that irresistible beginning, Sophie becomes obsessed with questions that take her far beyond what she knows of her Norwegian village. Through those letters, she enrolls in a kind of correspondence course, covering Socrates to Sartre, with a mysterious philosopher, while receiving letters addressed to another girl. Who is Hilde? And why does her mail keep turning up? To unravel this riddle, Sophie must use the philosophy she is learning—but the truth turns out to be far more complicated than she could have imagined.

"I don't think I've ever read a book that paints such a complex and accurate landscape of what it is like to live with the legacy of trauma as this book does, while offering a comprehensive approach to healing." --from the foreword by Bessel van der Kolk A pioneering researcher gives us a new understanding of stress and trauma, as well as the tools to heal and thrive Stress is our internal response to an experience that our brain perceives as threatening or challenging. Trauma is our response to an experience in which we feel powerless or lacking agency. Until now, researchers have treated these conditions as different, but they actually lie along a continuum. Dr. Elizabeth Stanley explains the significance of this continuum, how it affects our resilience in the face of challenge, and why an event that's stressful for one person can be traumatizing for another. This groundbreaking book examines the cultural norms that impede resilience in America, especially our collective tendency to disconnect stress from its potentially extreme consequences and override our need to recover. It explains the science of how to direct our attention to perform under stress and recover from trauma. With training, we can access agency, even in extreme-stress environments. In fact, any maladaptive behavior or response conditioned through stress or trauma can, with intentionality and understanding, be reconditioned and healed. The key is to use strategies that access not just the thinking brain but also the survival brain. By directing our attention in particular ways, we can widen the window within which our thinking brain and survival brain work together cooperatively. When we use awareness to regulate our biology this way, we can access our best, uniquely human qualities: our compassion, courage, curiosity, creativity, and connection with others. By building our resilience, we can train ourselves to make wise decisions and access choice--even during times of incredible stress, uncertainty, and change. With stories from men and women Dr. Stanley has trained in settings as varied as military bases, healthcare facilities, and Capitol Hill, as well as her own striking experiences with stress and trauma, she gives readers hands-on strategies they can use themselves, whether they want to perform under pressure or heal from traumatic experience, while at the same time pointing our understanding in a new direction.

Every year, approximately 795,000 people in the United States have a stroke. In spite of this shared experience, each individual is as diverse as they are resilient, and all stroke survivors have a unique story to tell. Fast Fwd: The Fully Recovered Mindset is an homage to one survivor's journey throughout the difficult process of stroke rehabilitation and appreciation for life after trauma. In this book, you'll learn: The importance of a positive mindset in recovery and life How to define or reshape your idea of what it means to be "fully recovered" How to be resilient in the face of hardship And more! This book is written for the fellow stroke and brain injury survivor. It's for those seeking inspiration and direction after trauma. It's about making adjustments, pushing forward when you want to give up, sharing your story, celebrating your victory, and learning how to thrive!

Billions of dollars are spent on stroke-related rehabilitation research and treatment techniques but most are not well communicated to the patient or caregiver. 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 simple to follow instructions for reaching the highest possible level of healing. Written for stroke survivors, their caregivers, and loved ones, Stronger After Stroke presents a new and more effective treatment philosophy that is startling in its simplicity: stroke survivors recover by using the same learning techniques that anyone uses to master anything. Basic concepts are covered, including: Repetition of task-specific movements Proper scheduling of practice Challenges at each stage of recovery Setting goals and recognizing when they have been achieved The book covers the basic techniques that can catapult stroke survivors toward maximum recovery. Stronger After Stroke bridges the gap between stroke survivors and what they desperately need: easily understandable and scientifically accurate information on how to achieve optimal rehabilitation.