Kate's Journey: Triumph Over Adversity; Kate Adamson. Redondo Beach, CA: Nosmada Press; 2004. 218 pages, softcover, $19.95.
Kate's Journey: Triumph Over Adversity is an autobiographical account of Kate Adamson's arduous road to recovery after suffering a stroke at age 33. It is "the story of the triumph of the human spirit over some of the worst challenges that nature could test the spirit with" (pxxiv). The book's target audiences are stroke survivors and their families. In addition, healthcare professionals working with both stroke victims and their families will find it a valuable resource.
The book is divided into 18 chapters whose titles reflect their topics. There are occasional black/grey and white photos that accompany the text, including pictures of Kate, her husband and children, Kate in the intensive care unit, at home and in therapy, and her stroke support group. At the end of some of the chapters, there are Comments by Dr Jeffery Savers that define stroke and aphasia and provide a medical explanation of what is described in that chapter. Other features include excerpts from friends' prayer journals; 10 tips from a psychologist to help children through crises; Kate's children's drawings of her; entries from Kate's journal; and useful exercises with pictures and instructions. In the Appendix, Kate offers advice, insights, and tips on the basis of her experiences to other stroke survivors on topics such as insurance concerns, rehabilitation, recovery, and stroke prevention. Kate advises on taking advantage of one's disability and, as the title suggests, how to turn adversity into triumph. The Letters to Kate section presents a few of the many letters of admiration that Kate received, particularly in response to her article that appeared in Redbook magazine in October 1997. Kate's address to the US Congress in 1997, thanking them for past funding and asking for increased future support and funding for heart disease and stroke prevention and cure, is also included here. The Resources list various organizations, with addresses, phone numbers, and Web sites, and About the Author provides Kate's brief resume.
The book begins with a Prologue that presents a frightening picture of the author's state of mind. The Introduction provides an overview of Kate's journey, and the first chapter sets the stage for the book by describing the author's background and a brief glimpse at her growing up and teenage years through young adulthood. Conditions leading to the stroke, what it was like during the stroke and immediate hospitalization, and her expression of the locked-in syndrome are then recounted. Kate goes on to tell about the beginning of her ability to communicate, the roles of the various staff who worked with her, about her church member friends who prayed for her, and some of the medical crises that she overcame. Her mother's visit from New Zealand is highlighted along with visits from her children. Kate's progress of moving from intensive care to a regular hospital room and the problems of getting into rehabilitation are detailed, as is progress and regression in therapy. The journey continues with her trips outside the facility to returning home with related issues, learning to drive, her subsequent personal life with her volunteer work, speech making, support group, and marital difficulties. The final chapter ends with Kate promoting exercise and its benefits.
The author writes in a readable and compelling style that will attract lay readers as well as professionals. The book is written in the first person and includes considerable dialogue. Kate's thoughts during the locked-in syndrome incorporated throughout the book are italicized. The reader is left with a sense of amazement over the author's ability to recall and reconstruct her thoughts, feelings, and experiences in detail and put them to paper. The contents allow the reader to understand from an insider's perspective what the stroke patient experiences. The details and descriptions are clear and outstanding, and the reader is left with heartbreak and admiration for the author's experiences and coping abilities. The book's additional features enhance its readability. While the quality of the photographs included in the book is only fair, the pictures help tell the story; they allow the reader to feel closer to the author. Although the book is not geared for medical/nursing health professionals, it helps them gain a better understanding of patient's thoughts, feelings, and experiences during, and recovering from, a stroke.
Lenore B. Weinstein, MA, RN
Adjunct Associate Professor, Marquette University School of Dentistry, Division of Public Health, Milwaukee, Wisconsin