Product Description

In April 1997 John Quann, 59 years old and in excellent health, suffers a catastrophic stroke. Following an emergency craniotomy, he remains paralyzed on his right side, unable to understand or communicate.

By His Side - Life and Love after Stroke is a courageous story of determination, hope, patience and love as he and his wife Eileen work together to recover. After coping with the initial terror of the stroke, they are faced with the challenge of living with and recovering from aphasia, a communication disorder that affects a person's ability to understand, speak, read or write.

Written with honesty and humor by the spouse, this book explores the difficult decisions that must be made and the wide range of emotions experienced by the spouse-caregiver. While offering hope, encouragement and practical advice, ultimately this is a love story about a husband and wife who fall in love after the stroke. As both parties grow and change together, they discover that who they have become is far more important than what happened to them.

Unlike other books on the subject that focus on the physical disabilities of a stroke, it describes how they dealt with aphasia, the personal aspects of which are rarely documented since its victims are often unable to tell the story, yet aphasia is a fascinating and bizarre aberration of the mind that affects more than one million Americans, with 85,000 new cases occurring every year.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #878289 in Books
• Published on: 2002-02-01
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 152 pages

Review
"A treasure ...educational, moving, and totally accessible." -- Connie Tompkins, Ph.D., Communication Science & Disorders, University of Pittsburgh

"Deeply moving family triumph! Portrays evolving bond of love that truly reaches the heart, wedding vows transformed into reality." -- John Noonan, J.D.N., M.D., F.A.C.S.

"a wonderful and inspirational book about living successfully with aphasia. I recommend it to all of my students." -- Audrey Holland, Ph.D., University of Arizona

"an affirmation of life, a testament to human resilience, the power of love, and the vitality of the human spirit." -- Martha Taylor Sarno, President, National Aphasia Association

"moving, inspirational account of the effects of stroke...reveals emotions of both patient and loved ones in coping with crisis." -- Louise Zingeser, Director, Health Care Services, American Speech and Hearing Association

About the Author
Eileen Steets Quann is founder and president of Fastrak Training Inc., a company that provides training to software professionals and managers within government and industry. Fastrak has been identified by INC magazine as one of the 500 fastest growing privately owned companies in America. Washington Technology listed Fastrak as one of the fifty fastest growing high technology companies in the Washington DC area for two consecutive years. Ms. Quann has spoken extensively on the need for training of software professionals.

Customer Reviews

Wonderful!
Eileen has told a story that could have been tragic but, instead, was moving, uplifting, informative, sweet, and funny. I have learned so much from reading this book -- about aphasia, determination, love, and persistence. This should be required reading for anyone who has a loved one who has experienced stroke. It is exceedingly well-written and accessible. Thank you, Eileen for sharing your lives with us!

A Love Story
With only a few pages left to read, I am so moved by the book that I want to share how I am enjoying it. I consider the book a true love story. It more than a book about a victim of stroke. It is a moving story about the profound growth in the intimate relationship of a couple. I have been moved by the depiction of the changed relationship between the author and John. I feel it is a very tender and from the heart telling of her experiences. As a parent of a child who went through neuro-surgery, it brought back the memories and feelings of my family's reaction to his medical crisis. Indeed, the most moving section for me was the part where the author shares her feelings at work versus her feelings being with John - at work, she only wanted to be with John and when she was with John, she didn't want to be at work. As a married man with 3 children, there is much truth to that sentiment.

Very good read
Having a family member who has suffered a severe stroke, I really needed a book like this. I have read quite a few different books on stroke, and this is the best yet from a personal rather than medical viewpoint. I suppose it is even more useful, if you like to author are the spouse of a stroke sufferer, but even as a close relative, its lessons and honest story are useful and very moving.