In October 2016, Udo Kischka suffered a severe stroke. A large intra-cerebral bleed, a bleed deep in the right side of his brain.
He was not a typical stroke patient: Professor Kischka was a neurologist and specialist in stroke rehabilitation.
Like all stroke patients, he embarked on a journey of recovery. In his case, it was a re-education in his field of expertise. When he uttered the words, ‘This is a life changing event’ to his wife a few hours after the stroke, he had no idea just how life changing it would be or that there would be still be a good life to be had.
Written by experts on both sides of the fence – a stroke victim who is a stroke specialist, and a psychologist who helps others and now has to help herself and her family – this is a personal and brutally honest story of a family’s survival.
This accessible and relatable book provides insight and realistic hope about what might lie ahead following a stroke, as well as offering both practical and emotional support.
He was not a typical stroke patient: Professor Kischka was a neurologist and specialist in stroke rehabilitation.
Like all stroke patients, he embarked on a journey of recovery. In his case, it was a re-education in his field of expertise. When he uttered the words, ‘This is a life changing event’ to his wife a few hours after the stroke, he had no idea just how life changing it would be or that there would be still be a good life to be had.
Written by experts on both sides of the fence – a stroke victim who is a stroke specialist, and a psychologist who helps others and now has to help herself and her family – this is a personal and brutally honest story of a family’s survival.
This accessible and relatable book provides insight and realistic hope about what might lie ahead following a stroke, as well as offering both practical and emotional support.
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Reviews
'This is a powerful and deeply moving account of a family surviving the physical and psychological trauma of a stroke. This book will be extremely useful to people who have experienced a stroke and their loved ones. Far from simply surviving a stroke, Helen and Udo have expertly turned their experiences into a source of strength, hope and resilience for many people all over the world with bravery, humanity and compassion' - Dr Michael Bloomfield, Head of the Translational Psychiatry Research Group, University College London
'The combination of Kennerley and Kischka's personal and professional expertise make this book unique. The writing is engaging and accessible. They communicate complex ideas about difficult topics sensitively and without jargon. And they strike the delicate balance between realism and hope successfully. It is an extremely good resource for people with brain injuries, their families, and professionals working in brain injury. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone' - Dr Jessica Fish, British Psychological Society Division of Neuropsychology Newsletter
'Inspired, Surviving Stroke is a poignant, intimate and passionate response to a life-changing experience; a book that adds appreciably to our understanding of the psychological, emotional and physical toll a 'brain attack' can have on its victims. Udo and Helen's story broadens our knowledge of stroke because of the years of clinical experience they bring to Udo's unique and debilitating event. This is a book to be welcomed by all stroke survivors, their families, caregivers and health professionals?a vital and vivid story that speaks to treatment and recovery from brain damage of any sort'? - Ron Smith, D. Litt., author of The Defiant Mind: Living Inside a Stroke
'[This book] gives a clear description and explanation of exactly how shattering a stroke can be. There is no magic moment; there are downs as well as ups; things happen for no reason; it is all agonisingly slow; uncertainty is crippling and exhausting; loss of control and choice is frightening and severe. It paints a very real picture, stripped of all gloss yet still allowing hope and restoration' - Professor Derick Wade, Consultant in Neurological Rehabilitation
'Even though stroke is the leading cause of disability worldwide and a leading cause of death, people remain woefully ignorant of stroke and the havoc it wreaks. Surviving Stroke is an evocative account of the challenges one family faced and the strategies they employed to cope with the "carpet bombing" of Udo's brain. By telling their story, Professor Udo Kischka and Dr. Helen Kennerley have mapped out an inspiring blueprint for everyone, but especially for those who have to pick up the pieces and rediscover their lives' - Patricia Jean Smith, author of The Caregiver's Companion