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Book Review

Student’s Name

Institutional Affiliations

Introduction

              My favorite passage in the book would be in the prologue when Bill meets Patricia. The meeting sparked the collaborative relationship between them that later on inspired the narration of the book. The passage is crucial because it portrays how persistence, determination, strength, optimism, and courage could be instrumental in helping a stroke patient in his recovery process (Parsloe & Geist-Martin, 2019). Patricia notes in one of the conversations that Bill did not accomplish his recovery process on his own. These sentiments depict the essence of family support during the rehabilitation process of a stroke survivor hence connecting with the experiences in the Health Communication class that also acknowledge that caregivers, family members, and friends offer patients hope, inspiration, and a reason to believe in the recovery (Yamasaki, Geist-Martin & Sharf, 2016). The essay will commence by giving a summary of the book and evaluate the first and the fifth chapter of the book. Apart from the primary source, “Falling in love with the process: Cultivating resilience in health challenges--A stroke survivor’s story of recovery and advocacy” and the class material, an additional resource will be used to emphasize the ideas presented in chapter 5. Discussion questions will be formulated from Chapter 2 before concluding the review with connections from the class material, “Storied Health & Illness.”

Summary of the Book

              The book, “Falling in love with the process: Cultivating resilience in health challenges--A stroke survivor’s story of recovery and advocacy” revolves around the collaboration of Bill's recovery story and advocacy as a stroke survivor. It commences with his early life and the chronology of events from the time he contracted stroke onwards and issues that contributed to his recovery. While the book addresses some of the challenges experienced by victims of stroke, it emphasizes the essence of family support in the recovery process.

              Chapter one is selected as the first section of this book review. In this chapter, the authors explore ways in which stigma, depression, and other internalized ableism play an instrumental role in shaping the challenges that Bill experienced in his early emotional response to stroke. They point out how communication with others and having a HealthCare provider is essential in making individuals have the drive and courage to work on their rehabilitation. An extremely useful idea that I found in this chapter is that there are specific attributes that are crucial in recovering stroke patients. On page 14 of the book, Bill makes it clear that no giving up is one of the crucial elements in the recovery process. “For Bill, showing up implies committing to giving it your best” (Parsloe & Geist-Martin, 2019, p.14). The idea is instrumental when dealing with a stroke patient because the recovery process is accompanied with various challenges. Majorly, these challenges are cognitive, emotional, and physical. Finding an idea that was not helpful in the book was challenging. However, it is only normal for bill to credit his father and mother for his work ethic considering that parents play an instrumental role in the socialisation process of their child. AS such, this idea was not very much useful since to me, it is just common knowledge ((Parsloe & Geist-Martin, 2019, 14). Nevertheless, the chapter is crucial in pointing out some of the early symptoms of stroke that are mostly assumed by many. Apart from individuals attribute that are vital during the recovery process. Indeed, Levine (2013) emphasizes that the first step to recovering from a stroke is by acknowledging and discovering stroke symptoms. It ensures immediate treatment and hastens the recovery process.

              Chapter five takes into account Bill’s capacity to configure his rehabilitation process and how his group of friends offered him support throughout his recovery process. The chapter reveals how his colleagues and friends were instrumental in preparing him on his road to a successful career. Notably, the same attributes that drove him towards his recovery were also vital in shaping his career. Apart from the development of a network of friends, an additional activity that could be incorporated in this chapter would be the Angle-Foot-orthosis, since it will be crucial in dealing with foot drop and walking again. Foot drop is the challenge that individuals experience in lifting the front part of their foot because of damage or fatigue, affecting nerves and muscles that help in movement. To assist in dealing with such issues, AFO should be set in a way that ensures that the front part of the foot is curbed from dipping down or disrupting walking movements hence making it an essential aid in recovery. 

Chapter 2 discussion questions

· Do you think the relationship between John William Torres and Bill played any role in his recovery process?

· What impact did growing up during the great depression have on Bill's childhood?

· What does it feel like to experience a stroke in front of your parents?

· Does personality impact an individual's ability to recover from stroke?

Conclusion

              Bill uses his narrative to connect with fellow survivors who feel disheartened or are on the verge of giving up. Whenever he walks in a hospital setting and comes in contact with a stroke survivor, he is a living witness of a successful stroke recovery. Bill's narrative is connected with the class textbook “Storied Health and Illness” since they provide a methodological and theoretical description of health communication issues in various contexts. They both offer the ideology that human health as a whole can be comprehended as a series of interconnected narratives. Most importantly, they depict how social, cultural, and political beliefs shape individuals' consequences and stories of their health. The perceptions that people have on their values and beliefs shape how they approach their medical care and how they are treated.

References

Levine, P. G. (2013). Stronger aster stroke: Your recovery roadmap to recovery (2nd ed.). New York, NY: demos HEALTH.

Parsloe, S., & Geist-Martin, P. (2019). Falling in love with the process: Cultivating resilience in health challenges--A stroke survivor’s story of recovery and advocacy. Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt

Yamasaki, J., Geist-Martin, P., & Sharf, B. F. (2016). Storied health and illness: Communicating personal, cultural, and political complexities. Waveland Press.