Top 5 Books to Read

Minda Thurman - My Disentanglement: An AVM Survivor's Story

It’s very hard to find AVM survivors who have written books! That was until I found “My Disentanglement”. It’s a phenomenal book. It’s very short, but has a lot of information and tells an awe-inspiring story. 

"Minda works hard while successfully juggling motherhood and recovery. She seeks to raise awareness for AVM patients, survivors, and their families. She is currently pursuing her BS in Public Health at Southern New Hampshire University and advocates regularly for AVM awareness and stroke survivors."

LeeAnn Seung Walton - Every Stroke Survivor Has a Warrior Within

I love this book! I'm in the middle of it now, but it is funny and great at explaining the medical terminology. It is an easy book to read because it's printed on 8.5 by 11 paper - which if you know, you know! It's so difficult to read on single-spaced, book-sized paper even with my Prism glasses. So, this book is a breeze to read, and it is incredible. 

"Little did I know that deep within me, a resilient warrior was waiting to emerge."

Stacie Broek - (al)ONE: Thriving a Stroke

Stacie’s book was amazing! Stacie had three children with her husband and was living in Tokoyo. Then, one morning her carotid artery burst, and the next thing she knew she had a stroke. She woke up from a 10-hour surgery unable to walk, talk or feed herself. Stacie couldn't remember her name, her kid's names, or even her own address. She had to learn, on her own, to do the simple things again. I loved this book! It's a testament to what can be accomplished if you stick to it. 

"A stirring journey of the heart and soul, (al)ONE is both a heartbreaking testament to what it means to be lost inside trauma, and a call-to-action for those who are suffering."

Jill Bolte Taylor - My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey

This is another book that I have not yet read. It sits on my bookshelf, waiting until I can delve into it. It says “On December 10, 1996, Jill Bolte Taylor, a thirty-seven- year-old Harvard-trained brain scientist experienced a massive stroke in the left hemisphere of her brain. As she observed her mind deteriorate to the point that she could not walk, talk, read, write, or recall any of her life-all within four hours-Taylor alternated between the euphoria of the intuitive and kinesthetic right brain, in which she felt a sense of complete well-being and peace, and the logical, sequential left brain, which recognized she was having a stroke and enabled her to seek help before she was completely lost.”

Sharon Stone - The Beauty of Living Twice

I have not read this book yet, but I am so excited too. It describes “Over the course of these intimate pages, as candid as a personal conversation, Stone talks about her pivotal roles, her life-changing friendships, her worst disappointments, and her greatest accomplishments. She reveals how she went from a childhood of trauma and violence to a career in an industry that in many ways echoed those same assaults, under cover of money and glamour. She describes the strength and meaning she found in her children, and in her humanitarian efforts. And ultimately, she shares how she fought her way back to find not only her truth, but her family’s reconciliation and love.”