I was searching for practical assistance after bringing my eighty-nine year old mother home from a lengthy hospital stay.She had suffered serious oxygen deprivation as the result of severe COPD and pneumonia and we were hoping to be able to help her back to a reasonable level of independent living.
Madonna's book not only provided helpful suggestions to assist in Mom's recovery; it also gave us support. Madonna gave us "permission" to accept all of our emotions (even the not so altruistic ones). Madonna explains why it is not just OK to be good to yourself but that it is absolutely necessary. She provides practical everyday ways to keep the spirit of the caregiver from totally tanking.
At a time when both the patient and the caregiver are in one of the most difficult situations of their lives this book may offer a little help and hope!
Almost cracking under the pressure of trying to bring her dear friend, Eve, back from the effects of a devastating brain aneurysm, Siles developed her own method of coping. With a comfortable, non-intimidating style she generously shares the innovative steps she developed, based on her own life experiences, to give Eve the Eureka! moments that brought her back from almost non-responsive to 90% of her former self. All of this while saving her own sanity.
As the Baby Boomers cling to the hope of "a little more quality time" for elderly parents whose minds are slipping away, the search is on for some form of help. Whether facing the effects of an injury or the ravages of time, Eureka! just may be the answer to the prayers of many a desperate caregiver.I settled in one Sunday afternoon with Madonna Siles' new book "Eureka! Memories and Motivations: A Strategy for Creating a Healing Home for the Stroke / Brain Injury Patient and Caregiver" unsure what to expect. I knew it would be a good "read" because I enjoyed her previous book "Brain, Heal Thyself: A Caregiver's New Approach to Recovery from Stroke, Aneurysm, And Traumatic Brain Injuries", about her friend Eve's and Madonna's journey from a level 5 brain aneurysm through recovery, but beyond that I had no expectations.
What I discovered was a memoir and self-help guide through one of life's most difficult journeys. Packed with a great deal of common-sense advice from someone who has literally "been there, done that", Madonna had the strength, foresight and wherewithal to document her journey as Eve's caregiver. What worked and what didn't. The daily frustrations. The debilitating mental fatigue. She shares it all with her readers. Aware that if she flagged as a caregiver because of mental stress, physical exhaustion, or lack of inspiration Eve's recovery would flag too, Madonna persevered through tough, challenging times.
Siles offers hands-on, practical tips and exercises designed to re-wire or re-ignite lost memories and skills in the brain-injured patient. She's honest enough to say that her methods may not work for everyone, but when she was faced as a caregiver to a brain-injured patient and was given no direction or advice for continued therapy from the medical community, she knew she had to do something, had to find something, some plan, that would get Eve back on the road to brain recovery.
She also stresses the importance of keeping the caregiver's mental attitude strong under trying circumstances. Exercises designed to reduce stress, promote relaxation, aid worry-free sleep are important and often overlooked by the harried and overwhelmed caregiver.
Despite the serious topic, Siles' book if filled with humor and personal and relative memories from her own interesting and challenging life. At the end of each engaging chapter, Madonna suggests intriguing activities to aid the caregiver. Finally the 21-day motivational workbook at the end of the book is packed with thoughtful exercises for the caregiver and patient alike. Even those of us not immediately confronted with the daily difficulties of caring for a brain-injured patient can, and will, appreciate the deceptively simple daily plans, meditations, and reflections and Siles common sense approach in the face of one of life's biggest challenges.... this is an excellent book with ideas, encouragement and a good testimony. I was impressed and read it cover to cover in short time and I'm planning on going back slowly and using these ideas and information to help my husband as he's healing for a traumatic brain injury from a ruptured cerebral aneurysm and surgery.I'm a caregiver to my husband, Patrick, who has had a stroke around 1 and half year ago, and is still staying in rehab hospital.
Around a year ago Patrick had barely passed the swallowing test, to finish up a cup of milk or oatmeal took him at least 45 mins. He couldn't walk nor talk (the tracheotomy was just weaned), cognitive level was close to zero, let alone having any interaction or communication with me. Then I came across Siles' Brain heal thyself, and it had helped me go through the toughest time of my life.
Eureka! is the 2nd book from Siles, and it's just as good as the previous one.
I'm not going to sugarcoat the whole thing. Stroke is a brutal disease and most of the times, it's beyond our control to have it recovered or not. It's brutal not only to the patient but also to his/her loved ones, after all, our lives have completely changed because of it and we caregivers require additional love and strength to go through each day. To become a better caregiver so that our loved ones can be healed better: we need to eat well, sleep well and pray hard for our strength and power, and read the right books for our mental nutrition Bible or any Spiritual book works wonders, and so does this one.
Eureka! has taught me how to relax myself from the hectic caregiver's schedule. My intuition and creativity are generated ONLY during my relaxation mode. They can help to pick up my husband's signals faster and stimulate his minds and memories for better recovery, but most importantly, to have fun and worry free together on this recovery journey. Fun is something often will be disregarded of when it comes to rehabilitate severe illness like stroke and have it replaced with anxiety. But on the contrary, we need to incorporate fun to our daily routines of the rehabilitation treatments; because the brain only learns and recreates better through games and relaxation. Everyone is different when it comes to have fun and creative, you need to develop your own ways to help your loved one. And this book teaches you how.
Now, a year later, by the time I finished "Eureka!" not long ago, Patrick is able to walk with one person aiding, make phone calls and communicate with single word, do some simple math (grade 3 or 4 level), watch the entire movie in the theater with full comprehension and sing his favorite songs all the time. Eating is not a problem anymore, trust me, he eats more than I do and even was asked to maintain his weight(a.k.a. diet) so that he can walk better later.
If you ever want a good brain injury rehab book to help out(from the bottom of my heart, you won't ever need that), or simply want to relax and have a good fun read, you can't go wrong with Eureka!
Good luck to you all caregivers out there.
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