Professor Cromer Learns to Read: A Couple's New Life After Brain Injury

by Janet M. Cromer

When a harrowing heart attack and cardiac arrest robbed Alan's brain of vital oxygen, he lost his abilities to read, write, walk, talk, think, and remember. In a flash, Alan went from being a successful physics professor to a brain injury survivor fighting to relearn everything he once knew. So began seven years of intensive rehabilitation, re-creation, and redefining priorities and goals. Alan also faced the huge challenge of shaping a new identity and life. Above all, our book is the story of a marriage that transforms and triumphs, but is never defeated by catastrophic illness. In a memoir brimming with information, Janet explores the mysteries and miracles of their new world from her perspective as Alan's wife, Interpreter of the World, and rehab partner. Alan shares his eloquent tour of the shattered and healing universe inside his brain as few people can. "Professor Cromer Learns to Read" shows that it is possible for a person with an injured brain to continue to heal and improve for years with the right treatment. It is possible for love to thrive and adapt to challenging circumstances. It is possible to build a life with meaning and gusto even with a devastating illness. Our process of gracefully and grudgingly accepting the roles of chronically ill person and caregiver will resonate with many families. The universality of our situation transcends diagnosis and age to salute the human spirit. Please visit www.janetcromer.com to read advance praise for the book.

Genres: Disability

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 9, 2010

Reviews

[Michelle Areta]

4.5

[Marilyn McEntyre]

This is a moving and absorbing chronicle of caregiving by the wife of a physics professor. She herself is a psychiatric nurse, so her perspectives on their personal journey after his massive heart attack and subsequent brain damage is informed by her professional understanding of his mood swings, gaps in understanding, erratic progress, and arduous adaptations. She's unflinchingly honest, acknowledges the emotional toll of ongoing care that will never lead to full recovery, and has insightful things to say about the ways chronic illness and mental illness in particular are commonly misunderstood. A most useful book for anyone who is living in relationship to a person with chronic illness or disability, especially persons with brain damage or disorders.

[Linda]

Excellent read about Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).