By Susannah Cahalan
Published November 13, 2012
My review: Four stars out of five
An award-winning memoir and instant New York Times bestseller that goes far beyond its riveting medical mystery, Brain on Fire is the powerful account of one woman’s struggle to recapture her identity.
When twenty-four-year-old Susannah Cahalan woke up alone in a hospital room, strapped to her bed and unable to move or speak, she had no memory of how she’d gotten there. Days earlier, she had been on the threshold of a new, adult life: at the beginning of her first serious relationship and a promising career at a major New York newspaper. Now she was labeled violent, psychotic, a flight risk. What happened?
In a swift and breathtaking narrative, Cahalan tells the astonishing true story of her descent into madness, her family’s inspiring faith in her, and the lifesaving diagnosis that nearly didn’t happen.
What Susannah went through is terrifying. I cannot imagine. Then to take a step back and look at all the things that had to go right for her to get the correct diagnosis, for her to be able to have a chance a healing, it is nothing short of a miracle. The idea that so many could be suffering with autoimmune problems that are being mistakenly diagnosed as mental illnesses is absolutely terrifying. This book opened my eyes to what could really happen if we had open access to not only the diagnostic tools and knowledge of specialists (no matter our insurance coverage, income or social status) but the ability to get the life-saving treatments, regardless of the cost. Susannah was beyond BLESSED to have the ability to pay that not many people would be able to do today. This book is eye opening for sure. Her book is written with help from her family, interviews with her doctors, hospital records and even journals from her parents from her month in the hospital. Gripping story you will want to finish!
When twenty-four-year-old Susannah Cahalan woke up alone in a hospital room, strapped to her bed and unable to move or speak, she had no memory of how she’d gotten there. Days earlier, she had been on the threshold of a new, adult life: at the beginning of her first serious relationship and a promising career at a major New York newspaper. Now she was labeled violent, psychotic, a flight risk. What happened?
In a swift and breathtaking narrative, Cahalan tells the astonishing true story of her descent into madness, her family’s inspiring faith in her, and the lifesaving diagnosis that nearly didn’t happen.
No comments:
Post a Comment