I have never been a big reader, but with more windshield time on my way to work in the past few years, I have become an avid consumer of podcasts and audio books.
All of the books I’ve read about strokes, the brain, sleep, organization, etc. have helped me in one way or another. I’ll discuss the technologies I use or have used to listen in my daily commute, while mowing the lawn, etc. in another post. For now, I want to list a few of the stroke-related books I’ve read and have helped me immensely, both before and after Rebecca’s stroke.
Before her stroke, there were several books that were not stroke related, but I can say helped me, both directly and indirectly. Of course, you are likely reading this after a stroke, so I’ll start with what I read afterward, to learn more. It helps to understand what helps so many other survivors. As with any books, it helps to also consider the perspective of the author. Is the author a survivor, a practitioner, a researcher, etc.
If you are like me, you may prefer to listen to these, rather than read through them. My personal preference (albeit not the cheapest option) is to use a Kindle version of a book, with the Audible narration. This format allows me to follow along, take notes visually, and still have the audible narration. This feature was released several years ago, but isn’t available for all books.
Please let me know if you have other suggestions or if any of these resources help you. Please email me or post a comment below. I would truly love your feedback!
Post-Stroke Reads
We were first informed of this book in our first stroke support group meeting at Littleton Adventist, by another attendee.
The author is a neuroscientist, who herself had a stroke in her mid thirties. She spent about two chapters describing her stroke experience, and those sections alone are worth reading. As a caregiver to my wife, and not having experienced the stroke myself, her descriptions were helpful. In reflecting back, it is difficult to pin point how/where I began to realize how critical sleep is, but it was likely her brief comments that reinforced the role sleep plays in my wife’s and others’ recovery.
I read this book after being referred by another in a young stroke survivor support group we attend. I had already realized how many types of strokes there are and how diverse the experiences, deficits, and outlooks are from survivors. The author starts with a detailed recollection of his own recovery, then ends the book with summaries of interviews of several survivors. This book resonated with me due to the practical outlook the author took to his own recovery.
I have not read this book in full, but my wife has read through it. I did start it and found it to be a good resource and another reinforcer of the concept of neuroplasticity. In the brief sections I read through, I picked up several key points, such as the urgency and importance to getting the right therapy identified right away.
This is the second book on the subject of sleep I’ve read, and the first since the stroke. The author is a professor and researcher with UC Berkely. While the book does not specifically discuss stroke effects or reliance on sleep in detail, the general science of sleep, and the benefits we all take for granted are described in detail by the author who clearly has a passion for his area of expertise. I highly recommend this book, and if you prefer an abbreviated teaser, watch a video of the author presenting to Google staff. After reading this book, I was inspired to reinforce a healthy circadian rhythm in our household, and measuring and managing the amount of sleep my wife and I get. In fact, this book provides the inspiration for much of the projects I took on several months into my wife’s recovery, and the practical tips I provide on this site.
(Thank you Dr. Walker, and I plan to touch base with you some day, but email me in the meantime if you see this first and you’d like to chat sooner!)
Pre-Stroke Reads
I read this book after hearing a podcast on one of my favorite podcasts, The Brian Buffini Show – How to Win the Brain Game with Dr. David Levy #079. I put the book on my list after listening to this podcast episode. As I read through it, I was continuously intrigued with the technical aspects of the book, but the real reason I wanted to read it was related to the unique choice that Dr. Levy made. As a man of strong faith, I was touched deeply by a doctor who was not filled with hubris, but instead was able to share his faith with many of his patience.
He eventually chose to ask each patient if he could pray with them, especially in advance of the neurological procedures. Despite all this, I still kept asking myself why I chose to read it. I had already read another medical field book, The Checklist Mainfesto.
The Sleep Solution: Why Your Sleep is Broken and How to Fix It by W. Chris Winter M.D.
I read this to help understand sleep better for myself, but also for a family member who struggles with sleep issues, including sleep apnea. Unexpectedly, I found myself laughing at times, at the humorous approach the author took to try to lighten up a rather dry subject. The author is a neurologist practicing sleep medicine, and explains many of the basic concepts of sleep disorders.
The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right, Atul Gawande
The Checklist Manifesto is a book, the concept for which intrigued me when I heard it recommended from a trusted colleague, which I finally read when again it was referenced in Getting Things Done. This book is not stroke-related, but is written by and for the hospital administration community. Don’t let that scare you away, from this good read, because 1. it doesn’t just apply to the hospital/medical community, and 2. you may need to spend some time in a hospital.
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen
Get yourself organized with the Getting Things Done (GTD) system by reading through the author’s book . This resonated with me, as it helped me to process some of the basic input i receive every day. I had been working through this GTD process for about 4 years at some level before the stroke. I must say that the basic means taking in and processing information allowed me during my wife’s emergency treatment, her stay in intensive care, and in the numerous doctors appointments in the coming months of recovery.
In short, looking at something that comes in (“stuff”), ask yourself is this item ‘actionable’, and if so what is the very next action to move it forward? If you can do it in 2-5 minutes, do it now. If not, put it on a list that is context sensitive (@home, @work, @computer, @errands, etc.). If it is not actionable (now), do you discard it, file it, or put it on a calendar or other reminder system to get it back in front of you later when it will/may be actionable. My primary tool for implementing this system is www.evernote.com. Much like this blog, I use tags within Evernote to classify each note, so I can group and find similar notes, whether by project, topic, people, context, etc. I use notebooks within Evernote to classify notes by their status (actionable, waiting-for, someday, reference, etc.).