Forward

Left of Tomorrow is a journey of life and of hope. The journey shared by the author, Wendy Lyons, is an inspirational response to the challenge of stroke as well as a celebration of life.

I believe we can all learn and benefit from it – stroke survivors, family and carers, and health professionals alike. The passion, insight and perseverance that the author brings to the challenges faced is remarkable and gives hope and direction to others who may experience similar challenges. The take home message ‘…never give up or settle for anything less than our very best selves’ is one we should all keep in mind and have as a common goal.

For the stroke survivor, the author highlights that there is choice in how we might respond to the challenge of stroke: that we have to embrace the new and find strategies to make the best of it.

A number of strategies are identified, such as humour, positive thinking, problem solving and resolve. These are creatively and humorously played out within the author’s journey.

The book also offers constructive insight for health professionals to view how their comments and actions are perceived and how they might best work with stroke survivors towards the common goal of ‘achieving the best’, in a respectful and productive manner. Self-management approaches are obviously critical to this. The last section ‘brush strokes’ exemplifies what can be achieved when everyone works together towards a common goal!

The author insightfully captures the many dimensions of stroke through the titles and definitions of each section of the book. I think this helps us all to reflect on the multidimensionality of stroke and how we might choose to respond to it. It opens new perspectives and hope that the stroke survivor may not have been able to contemplate early after the stroke.

The marked changes in sensation that the author experienced following stroke are hidden from view, and as such are often not appreciated by family or health professionals. The ‘unseen’ challenges of getting out of bed, reaching for an object, or knowing how to move in water when you can’t feel where half your body is, are difficult, if not impossible, to imagine. The author’s ability to relay this in a sensitive yet impactful way is critical if we as health professionals and family are able to step back, learn and work together to address the challenges in a constructive manner. To my knowledge this is one of the first books to address this hidden problem.

Finally, the language and the sights and sounds portrayed help the reader to experience the journey with the author, as well as capture how they might feel in a similar situation. The author instils hope and provides an example by which others may also ‘take charge’ of their own recovery. It is a gift to be able to make such a strong connection.

I hope many others get the opportunity to benefit from sharing this journey.

Leeanne Carey, PhD

Head, Division of Neurorehabilitation and Recovery National Stroke Research Institute, Australia