Books & Films
On this page, I will share a list of books, publications, films, movies, documentaries, and other resources and multimedia available about Arteriovenous Malformation and Aneurysms, as well as about survivors of these conditions.
Books
- The Day My Brain Exploded: A True Story
After a full-throttle brain bleed at the age of twenty-five, Ashok Rajamani, a first-generation Indian American, had to relearn everything: how to eat, how to walk and to speak, even things as basic as his sexual orientation. With humor and insight, he describes the events of that day (his brain exploded just before his brother’s wedding!), as well as the long, difficult recovery period. In the process, he introduces readers to his family—his principal support group, as well as a constant source of frustration and amazement. Irreverent, coruscating, angry, at times shocking, but always revelatory, his memoir takes the reader into unfamiliar territory, much like the experience Alice had when she fell down the rabbit hole. That he lived to tell the story is miraculous; that he tells it with such aplomb is simply remarkable. - Rebooting My Brain: How a Freak Aneurysm Reframed My Life
Rebooting My Brain is the true story of what happens when you get yanked out of your life by a crisis and have to get back on the ride all over again. With refreshing candor, Maria Ross shares how the relentless pace of her life came to a screeching halt when an undetected brain aneurysm ruptured and nearly killed her. Along her stubborn road back to health, her resulting cognitive and emotional challenges forced her sometimes kicking and screaming to reframe her life, her work and her identity. With humor and heart, Ross shares what it was like being blind for six weeks, how a TV crime drama and a brain-games website played key roles in her recovery, and why a handmade necklace helped her regain her sense of self.
Ross reveals the keys to her extraordinary comeback and how her perspective is forever changed, mostly for the better. Funny, touching and real, this book not only shares an inspirational story of transformation but enlightens readers about the surprising effects of brain injury… and explores the question, How do our brains define who we are? - My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey Jill Bolte Taylor
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. It would take her eight years to fully recover. - Aneurysm: Fire in the Brain Donna Magee
With a career spanning twenty-eight years, Donna Magee exemplified the American working wife, complete with fantastic husband, beautiful home and positioned where she was hardly in want of anything. Until one morning in January, when an undiagnosed aneurysm ruptured, changing her life forever. From the moment her head ‘exploded’ through surgery and a three year battle to live, Donna tells a chilling true account of life after surviving this nearly always fatal medical crisis. Her odds of ever living a normal life again were less than 1 in 8. The third leading cause of death in the US, ruptured cerebral aneurysms have no known cause and give no warning. Yet, Donna Magee lived to tell the tale. From her survivor’s point of view, the frightening and painful details are captured in this powerhouse of insight and information. - Humdinger! Stephanie Haskins & Paula Seaman
Humdinger! noun: an extraordinary person or event is a story about love, commitment, and perseverance. It is true, and that makes it scary. It is also funny and demonstrates how humor can help us through life s most challenging moments. We would like to share our experiences and what we have learned through this amazing journey. This book is a must read for care givers, family members, educators, rehabilitation specialists, hospital personnel, and any one of us who is loved and loves others.
Stephanie Haskins, Paula Seaman, and Mary Heck have put together the book about Stephanie’s close encounters facing death first, a brain aneurysm and then leukemia (APL). This started February 9, 2007 and the battles were won officially as of February 16, 2011. - My Story: My Life After Brain Aneurysm Teodora Shinn
Life after brain aneurysm was extremely difficult. No paper, manual, or handbooks can ever explain what a patient and family go through in coping with the after effects of the disease. At that time, I had low self-esteem as I dealt with memory loss, physical pains, and other health issues. Depression would become extreme, urging me to take my life. But, Paul, my husband, and my family’s support kept me going to live in peace, happiness and love. - The Other Side of the Rainbow Mickey Antu-Urias
The Other Side of the Rainbow offers Mickey’s firsthand account of her fight to survive a ruptured brain aneurysm. Mickey takes readers inside the world of an aneurysm survivor and explains warning signs, contributing factors, and methods of early detection for brain aneurysms. The Other Side of the Rainbow is a powerful story of survival and a much-needed tool for raising awareness in hopes that others will be able to tell their stories of survival just as Mickey has.
Reference Books
- Cranial Arteriovenous Malformations (AVMs) and Cranial Dural Arteriovenous Fistulas (DAVFs), An Issue of Neurosurgery Clinics, 1e (The Clinics: Surgery)
Guest Editors Rafael J. Tamargo and Judy Huang have focused on “Cranial Arteriovenous Malformations (AVMs) and Dural Arteriovenous Fistulas (DAVFs) in this issue of Neurosurgery Clinics of North America.
Films & Movies
- Dawn Anna
Times have been stormy, but single mom Dawn Anna finally sees blue skies. She has four loving kids, meets a wonderful new man, and finds an ideal job teaching math and coaching volleyball. Then illness strikes, threatening not only Dawn’s new way of life, but life itself. Following harrowing brain surgery, Dawn must learn to speak and walk all over again. Helping her heal is an around-the-clock job, but Dawn triumphs with the devoted support of an around-the-clock family. Then life deals her an even more staggering blow. Can Dawn summon the courage to overcome one more heartbreak?
