Xlibris Corporation (2008)

ISBN 9781436322461

In 1998, Laura Bruno was in a car accident that left her with a traumatic brain injury (TBI). She was 24 years old at the time and was working on her graduate fellowship. The damage done to her brain forced her to suspend her education and her career, while she focused on her recovery. “If Only She Had a Brain Injury” tells the story of how Laura learned to overcome her disability. Along the way, she discovered that what she learned to help herself can also help others who are dealing with illnesses that affect their sense of self. These illnesses include: chronic fatigue, brain cancer, fibromyalgia, vertigo, candida overgrowth, concussion, Lyme disease, migraines, and other “medical mysteries.” Six years after her accident, her husband contracted a mysterious disabling illness that turned out to be Lyme disease.

Laura compares her story to Dorothy’s in “The Wizard of Oz,” because Dorothy’s journey begins when she has a concussion and continues as she tries to find her way home. Her experience in having a TBI and her training in life coaching, medical insight, Reiki, and writing give her the tools to write a candid yet informative guide to healing and recovery. “If Only I Had a Brain Injury” inspires both people experiencing illness and their care providers to look for the positives in their healing experience.

There is a lot of information provided in this book in a way that is interesting and easy to understand. In addition to telling her story, Laura also offers healing tips, essay appendices, and interviews with people involved in the healing process. She also offers networking and contact information. This also includes book and website recommendations. I couldn’t find anything missing.

As someone with fibromyalgia and a person who works with people with disabilities, I found that I gained a lot of insight into my illness and those of the people I work with on a daily basis. The day after I read this book, a woman walked into my classroom with a traumatic brain injury. It was wonderful to have learned about the issues that she is dealing with. I felt like I could be more empathetic to her situation and having that understanding also gave me a better idea of ​​how I can help meet her needs in my program. The effects of her TBI are different from most of my TBI students, and more similar to the author’s. Had I not had this information, I might have assumed that I was dealing with more of a mental health issue. Her speech was very clear, but her words were mixed. I am so grateful that I read this book first.

I highly recommend “If Only I Had a Brain Injury” to people who are experiencing illnesses that affect their sense of self and their care providers. Everything you could possibly need to help you take positive steps toward your recovery is contained in these pages.

Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (4/08)