My Stroke of Insight, by Jill Bolte-Taylor

One of the books that I've read during my research into stroke was Jill Bolte-Taylor's My Stroke of Insight.

In 1996, Jill was 37 and she had a massive stroke when a blood vessel exploded in the left side of her brain. She had been trained as a neuroanatomist at Harvard and specialised as a brain scientist. As a result of the stroke, she couldn't walk, talk, read, write or remember her life before the stroke. Subsequently, she went through surgery to remove a golf ball-sized blood clot. She believes that she has completely recovered from the stroke - but it took eight years.

What is interesting about the book, is Jill's background, because when she started to regain capability and memory, should could put it into the scientific frameworks that she was familiar with.

This Youtube clip is of Jill speaking and describing her stroke, including the morning when the stroke occurred. (And she shows you a real brain!)



Jill credits her successful recovery to her understanding of brain plasticity - the ability of the brain to repaire, replace and retrain its neural circuitry.

What do you get from this book?

• Supporting evidence and explanation of brain plasticity, what I believe to be the greatest hope for stroke patients
• An understanding that recovery is a conscious decision, and that your mindfulness will support and speed your recovery
  
• Attitude is going to really help your recovery, ensure that you celebrate the recovery achievements instead of bemoaning the loss of function
  
• The brain's need for rest to allow recovery.
  

A link to the book on Amazon is here.