|
Basic InformationLookupsLatest NewsAs U.S. Measles Outbreaks Spread, Why Does 'Anti-Vax' Movement Persist?Health Tip: Know Your Family's Medical HistoryDisrupted Sleep Plagues Hospital Patients, But New Program Might HelpClimate Change Already Hurting Human Health, Review ShowsCalling All Blood Donors …Radiation Doses From CT Scans Vary WidelyCan Herbal Drug Kratom Kill?Health Tip: Use Medical Devices SafelyDon't Let Holiday Season Stress Worsen Your Allergies, AsthmaA Family Tragedy Highlights Carbon Monoxide DangerPhysical Therapy Can Help You Avoid Opioids When Joint Pain StrikesEczema Can Drive People to Thoughts of Suicide: StudyHospitalizations Rising Among the HomelessMillions of Americans Still Breathing Secondhand Smoke: ReportMany Americans Unaware of Promise of Targeted, 'Personalized' Medicine: PollMost Americans Lie to Their DoctorsWhat's Best for Babies With Recurring Ear InfectionsAfter a Spouse's Death, Sleep Woes Up Health RisksConcussion Tied to Suicide RiskMajor Injuries Take a Toll on Mental HealthNew Cholesterol Guidelines Focus on Personalized ApproachHome Health-Care Tests: Proceed With CautionU.S. Hospitals Making Headway Against InfectionsHard Arteries Hard on the Aging Brain?Widely Used Antipsychotics May Not Ease Delirium in ICUNew Nerve Stimulation Technique Might Relieve Back PainAHA: Stiffening of Blood Vessels May Point to Dementia RiskHeart Defects, Sleep Apnea a Deadly Mix for InfantsDozens of Medical Groups Join Forces to Improve Diagnoses1 in 12 Americans Lives With Debilitating Chronic PainUrgent Care Centers Ease ER Burden in U.S.AHA: Heart Health Research of 9/11 Survivors Slowly Realized, 17 Years LaterAHA: Wildfire Smoke Threatens Health of Those Near and FarStem Cells Restore Some Vision in Blind MiceDialysis Linked to Dementia in SeniorsHealth Tip: Making an Emergency CallEye Disease Link to Alzheimer's SeenPreschoolers' Parents May Be Unprepared to Treat AsthmaHealth Woes Hit 1 in 7 Babies Exposed to Zika in U.S. TerritoriesSprained Ankle? Opioid Rx More Likely in Some States Than OthersOpioids Before Joint Replacement Tied to Worse RecoveryIn the ICU, Patients' Relatives Often Mum About Care ConcernsObesity Adds to Burden of Traumatic Brain InjuryWarming Climate, More AC -- and More Unhealthy Smog AheadIs That iPad a Pain in the Neck?Severe Stress May Send Immune System Into OverdriveMarriage Is Good Medicine for the HeartHealth Tip: Breathe Easier in a Volcano ZoneTips for Handling a Medical EmergencyThe ER or Urgent Care? Questions and AnswersVideosScreening for Heart DiseaseWhat is Lupus and Who Gets It?Could You Have PrediabetesDifferent Types of Anemia Resist Taking Unnecessary AntibioticsTaking Energy Drinks to Heart Weathering MigrainesCrohn's vs Ulcerative Colitis Six Things You Need to Know About EbolaHeadache or Migraine?Preventing Pre-Diabetes Getting Radiation During Breast Cancer SurgeryWhat You Don’t Know About AFib May Hurt YouAntibiotics Aren’t Always The AnswerAdult Onset Asthma Healthy Eating for a DiabeticYounger People Slower to get Diabetes Diagnosis Recognizing Type 1 & Type 2 Diabetes Diabetes: Know Your NumbersCold or Allergy? What You REALLY Need to Know about EbolaSignals You May be Ready for Joint Replacement Slowing the Spread of Superbugs TelehealthIs it Anxiety or a Heart Condition?E.Coli FactsDiabetes Doesn’t Disappear Get Smart About Antibiotics: For Patients and Parents Brain Nourishment to Prevent StrokesWhen Do You Need an Antibiotic? Are You Having a Heart Attack? The Journey of Palliative Care: Putting Quality Back Into Life Diabetes- What You Don't Know Could Hurt YouWhy Second Opinions Are Good for PatientsFollow Your Gut: Microbiomes and AgingTreating Migraines Reading the Stroke SignsBelly Fat Danger Revealed Prevention and Control of Skin Cancer Tackling ConcussionsCarpal Tunnel: Who Gets It? Asthma 101 Health and Wellness: Taking a Stand Against Sitting Back Pain: Oh My Aching Back Itching for Answers: Testing Your Allergy IQ Keeping Kidneys Safe - Know How Medicines Affect the Kidneys The Role of Family History in Breast Cancer What is Diabetes Do your part to stop the spread of flu at home Could You Have Prediabetes? Are You at Risk for Kidney Disease? I Have High Cholesterol.. What Should I Do?What Does "Bad" Cholesterol Do?Five Things to Know About MeaslesCeliac Disease 101 - An OverviewAsthma in Children: Working Together to Get it Under ControlSeven Ways to Improve your Arthritis PainTop 3 Tips for a Healthy Heart in the New YearDo your Symptoms Add Up to DiabetesBreakdown on AFib Non-Smokers Getting Lung Cancer Connecting with a Cardiologist A Hot Treatment for AsthmaWho Needs a Flu Vaccine?Keeping Up with Heart FailureTurning the Immune System Against Lung Cancer Dealing with Menopause, Naturally Managing Chronic Disease Pays Off Beyond the Data -- Dengue and Chikungunya in Our Backyard: Preventing Aedes Mosquito-Borne Diseases Peanut Allergies: A Bigger Threat to Kids with Asthma Liver Disease and Anxiety and DepressionImproving Muscle HealthStroke Prevention Diagnosis and Treatment Options Webinar Cancer Clinical Trials: What is a Clinical Trial? Zika VirusYoung People May Need Colonoscopy Working to Eliminate Measles Around the Globe Colorectal cancer: A disease of development Huntington Disease Facts about the Measles (MMR) VaccineLove Your Heart. Everyday Tips to Keep Your Heart Healthy and Strong Breast Cancer Risk And Lifestyle Strategies to Reduce ItDoes my Child Have Asthma and How Should it be Treated? Superbugs Moving From Hospitals to HomesInfectious Disease Expert Explains MERSNew Treatment Option for Women with Advanced Breast CancerAn Evidence-Based Approach to Youth Sports ConcussionsHow to Prevent and Detect Skin CancerConcussion Guide for Parents How Your Immune System WorksHow the Digestive System WorksLiving with Lactose Intolerance Avian Flu Faster Healing for Abdominal Surgery The Road to Zero: CDC’s Response to the West African Ebola Epidemic, 2014–2015 Avoiding Heat Exhaustion and Heatstroke Preventing Salmonella and E. coliAdults: Do You Know What Vaccines You Need?Seasonal AllergiesGame Change in Treating Heart Attack Beyond the Data Update -- Climate Change and HealthIncreased Rates of Pregnancy Complications in Women with Celiac DiseaseBehavioral Health Response to EbolaLearning & cognitive difficulties in children: Challenges after a head injury, including concussion Low Testosterone Often Spells Low Bone Density WHO: Prevent hepatitis Allergy OverloadVaccines for Lyme Disease - Past, Present, and FutureBecoming a Living Liver Donor: Evaluation, Risks, and Recovery Breaking Down Hip Fractures Working on Your Back Pain The Heartburn-Asthma Connection Stop the Spread of Antibiotic ResistanceVaccinations and ImmunizationsInfluenza, an Unpredictable Threat Sport Concussions in Youth: Community Guide for Education, Treatment and Research Hyper-Hypo Thyroid, What’s the Diff? Reading the Warning Signs of Parkinson’s Older Americans Preventing DiabetesAsthma UpdateGet Vaccinated and Prevent MeaslesFamily History and Heart Disease Breast Feeding and Gluten Introduction: What Research Tells UsRashes: A Brief Overview of the Different Causes Back to School: Sick Kids - Should They Stay or Should They Go? Preventive Cardiology Pumping up Heart Warnings on Pain Relievers Pre-Diabetes a Chance for PreventionCancer - What does it mean that a chemical causes an increase in cancer risk?CDC Urges Sepsis Awareness Managing Celiac Disease Through Diet Learn the ABCs of Ticks with Dr. Bobbi Pritt New Stem Cell Therapy for Crohn’s FistulaMale Urethral Stricture Disease: Signs, Symptoms and Treatment Trends and Racial Differences in Celiac DiseaseObesity Can Have Implications Specific to Women Zika Virus 101Coping With Stress: Cognitive-Behavioral Stress Reduction What are the Risk Factors for Kidney Disease? Can Hypnotics Help Celiac Disease Patients Get a Good Night’s Sleep?Aspirin 411: What the New Guidelines Mean Kids With Asthma Who Are Exposed To Secondhand Smoke Have Twice As Many Hospitalizations Ankle Sprains—Pain Free Does Not Mean Normal Sport Concussions in YouthGenetics For Preventive Cardiology ‘Creeping Fat’ May Contribute to IBDWhat’s Triggering Your Allergies? Is There a Link Between Celiac Disease and Heart Disease?Systematic approach helps prevent ACL injury in athletesLupus: Your body's immune system attacks your own tissues and organs Psoriasis and beyond: targeting the IL-17 pathway A Review of Treatments Available for Celiac DiseaseHow to handwash? With soap and water Disparities in early childhood obesity: Risk factors and possible solutionsRecognize the Signs and Symptoms of StrokeBone Up on Calcium Lose That Burning Feeling (Heartburn)Thyroid Nodules and Thyroid Cancer: What You Need to KnowZika virus - Questions and answersHeartburn or Something More Serious?Microcephaly and Zika virus infection - Questions and answers Celiac Disease: What Is a Gluten-Free Diet Hepatitis C Lessons on a ChalkboardZika Virus: Four Myths and What You Need to Know Is It a Cold or Allergies? What is Lupus and Who Gets It? 5 tips to keep your gut microbiome healthyLungs & Respiratory System How Your Thyroid Impacts Your Weight Don't Underestimate the Dangers of Heat Is it cold, flu or allergies? How Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Are Related Kids and Common Infections LinksBook Reviews |
| |
by Lynsey Calderwood Jessica Kingsley, 2003 Review by Roy Sugarman, Ph.D. on May 28th 2004
Firstly, I am not
entirely convinced by the edifice of using fancy fonts to illustrate confusion,
pain, damage, humiliation, and various onomatopoeias: at times it is effective,
at times not. I am ambivalent. At times it detracts from the strengths of a
survivor's account of traumatic brain injury followed by dense confusion and
loss. At time it illustrates much of the fogginess of her brain, for the
uninformed.
Speaking of the
uninformed, the word recovery is also problematic as so many times even
specialists (albeit naïve ones, to quote Muriel Lezak) use the term to mean
improvement, rather than return to pre-injury cognitive status quo. Again,
Anthony and others now use the term in psychiatric rehab to imply recovery of
psychosocial status, so I am beginning to be somewhat more than resistant to
the term.
Anyway. Getting
back to the true storybook, Lynsey is a teenager clearly functioning well on
the psychosocial stage, enjoying her life and her identity, when, as it does,
life turns on a dime, and she falls off a chair. It's not a trivial injury,
and Lynsey, as she knows her, dies off into a murky retrograde amnesia. The
anterograde amnesia bit isn't great either, and the burden and sense of
estrangement from herself and others dominates the book, as she lives in the
twilight zone of return to family and school, looking like a zombie.
She repeats many
of the themes so common to this tragic group, who bear the stigmata of their
injuries silently and invisibly. Like Twinkies, if it looks good, surely it is
good? So for Lynsey, those outside of her brain see her apparent return to
physical wholeness as indicative of recovery. Unable to see the bad brain,
others make fundamental attribution errors and see bad girl, and that includes,
most painfully, the professional carers as well as her schoolmates.
After all, if your
leg is gone, and you bear a prosthesis, all around you will note that you no
longer enter the hurdles dash, and will be sympathetic. When your brain is
maimed, invisibly, your failure to dash through the hurdles of everyday life is
regarded as indication of bad person, not bad brain, or bad family. We are
superficial in our evaluation of others when the scars are not evident.
So Lynsey descends
into bulimic anorexia, a scrabbling attempt to gain a sense of control over a
visceral brain gone mad, her depression evident and painful to read.
She leaves her
school, finds another, where no one knows or expects anything from the old Lynsey,
someone she has grown to hate, or grieve, in bouts of sad rage.
The hopeless
ignorance of the public comes over again and again. For instance, when a bully
assaults her, a passing adult regards her as 'drunk.' When told of her injury,
the same passer-by notes, oh well, the blow may restore her memory, I have seen
that on TV.
Detective stories,
or James Bond educates us. Heavily and serially conked on the noodle, such heroes
wake hours later, have sex with a blonde, go "Ow" and then go on to
solve a complex case. In Dances With Wolves, Kevin Costner's character
gets a significant concussion a few times, in rapid series, and yet he goes on
to represent the Lakota Sioux in their fight against discrimination: this is
our education in brain injury.
Lynsey's poignant
struggle meanders through the book, not so much a journey of recovery, but of
exquisite and overwhelmingly lonely pain. She is acutely aware that she is
damaged goods, afraid that no one will want her, afraid that someone will, and
then will find that she is now a straw girl, of no substance, lost in time,
lost in space, and meaning, to quote Frank N Furter, a changed character from
another world, of uncertain gender and social role, and alone. It is her
loneliness that dominates the pages of her fractionated recall. One of the
saddest moments in the book is her observation of her grandmother's decline in
dementia, her shock at seeing someone else in her family acquiring brain-based
disability. Lynsey writes of the concept of poison seeping through the cracked
mind:
Clutching my
chest, I breathed a huge sigh of relief. My eyes circled her bedroom, one last
time, penetrating the dust of the untouched furniture before stopping to rest
on the vast, vulgar crack in the mirror. As the mist on the grey windows
clouded over, all my secreted memories of the hospital come seeping back into
my mind like a poisonous gas (page 138).
Out of school, unable to continue, Lynsey
joins the club no one wants to be accepted into, the Brain Injured Community.
Hovering around on the periphery of her mind, circling the firelight, are the
vampire figures of catastrophic reality, holding the sense that there is not
complete awareness of deficit, and if she lets the crack open too wide, then AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH
will come through like poison (that's what she does with fonts).
It's a painful and
sad little book. I know its blurb paints it as a reconstruction, a triumph over
adversity, but her closing words are no different to her opening really, with
burden and estrangement dominating.
You are just left
wondering why it has to be so hard. There are many such accounts in
publication, many from the UK,
as Lynsey's is. Her loneliness and pain are condemnations of the care offered
her, of her incarceration in a psychiatric ward, a strange place in a strange
world, populated by middle world carer-figures. Her treating psychiatrist
writes that it is interesting that from the mist of her disaster, Lynsey
emerges as a poet and writer: it in fact is not unusual. Humans in pain have
turned to such edifices to try to re-make contact with the world, to reconnect
with a world that no longer makes sense. After the loss of most of her right
sided frontal and temporal lobes, leaving her brain damaged, epileptic and with
Borderline Personality features and rapid cycling mood, another survivor
writes, in her unpublished "Magnum Opus",
"I woke up in
a world gone mad. I had lost myself, my family, my friends, my boyfriends my
career, my life, my Faith, my self. I had gone from being my mother's shining
star to being my mother's burden. Damaged goods, who will ever want me?"
She goes on to live her life, return to
university, and marry, and live her finest hours.
I wish the same
for Lynsey, 14 years after her injury, now a 28 year old, dependent on her
family, and now involved in a day to day struggle to find her socks, her diary,
gloves, jacket shoes, and the lost bouquets of her stemmed life.
© 2004 Roy Sugarman
Roy Sugarman PhD, Clinical
Director: Clinical Therapies Programme, Principal Psychologist: South West Sydney Area Health Service, Conjoint
Senior Lecturer in Psychiatry, University of New South
Wales, Australia |