Saturday, January 9, 2010

After the Stroke: My Journey Back to Life - by Mark McEwen



The version I read of this book was actually titled "Change in the Weather." As the same book (to my understanding) is currently being marketed and sold as "After the Stroke," I am using the current title and cover image for this review.


While I was never a regular viewer of CBS morning news shows, I do know who Mark McEwen is and find him to be a very likable and talented celebrity. In 2005, after having moved to Orlando, where he was news anchor for a local station there, Mark suffered a stroke during a visit to Baltimore. This was mis-diagnosed, and on his trip home, he subsequently suffered a massive stroke. This book provides a sketch of Mark's life both before and after the stroke. This narrative about his life not only bolstered my positive opinion of him as an on-air personality, but also showed him to be courageous, hard-working, and caring, while at the same time very human.


A stated purpose of the book is to educate about stroke and stroke prevention. By sharing his first hand experience, McEwen does this quite effectively. Although I have had some personal exposure to friends and family who have experienced relatively minor strokes, reading this book made me acutely aware of how little I really knew. Whether this information will be of use to you in stroke prevention, early detection of possible stroke in you or someone around you, or in understanding the implications and possibilities of stroke recovery, this is information we all should know. Stroke is the third leading cause of death in America and the leading cause of adult disability. According to the National Stroke Association, up to 80% of all strokes are preventable.

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