Brain on fire : my month of madness / Susan Cahalan.

By:

Cahalan, Susannah

Material type: Text

TextPublication details: New York : Simon & Schuster, 2013.Edition: 1st Simon & Schuster trade paperback editionDescription: xiv, 266 p. : ill. ; 22 cmISBN:

1451621388
9781451621389 :

Subject(s):

Contents:

Part 1. Crazy ; Part 2. The clock ; Part 3. In search of lost time.

Summary: The story of twenty-four-year-old Susannah Cahalan and the life-saving discovery of the autoimmune disorder that nearly killed her -- and that could perhaps be the root of "demonic possessions" throughout history.

Fiction notes: Click to open in new window

Average rating: 0.0 (0 votes)

Holdings
Item type	Current library	Collection	Shelving location	Call number	Status	Notes	Date due	Barcode	Item holds
Adult Book	Phillipsburg Free Public Library	Adult Non-Fiction	Adult Non-Fiction	616.8320092 CAH	Available	pap.ed.		36748002428433

Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

An anniversary edition of the award-winning memoir and instant New York Times bestseller that goes far beyond its riveting medical mystery, Brain on Fire is the powerful account of one woman's struggle to recapture her identity--with a new note to readers by the author.

When twenty-four-year-old Susannah Cahalan woke up alone in a hospital room, strapped to her bed and unable to move or speak, she had no memory of how she'd gotten there. Days earlier, she had been on the threshold of a new, adult life: at the beginning of her first serious relationship and a promising career at a major New York newspaper. Now she was labeled violent, psychotic, a flight risk. What happened?

In a swift and breathtaking narrative, Susannah tells the astonishing true story of her descent into madness, her family's inspiring faith in her, and the lifesaving diagnosis that nearly didn't happen. "A fascinating look at the disease that...could have cost this vibrant, vital young woman her life" ( People ), Brain on Fire is an unforgettable exploration of memory and identity, faith and love, and a profoundly compelling tale of survival and perseverance that is destined to become a classic.

"With a new afterword"--Cover.

Includes bibliographical references.

Part 1. Crazy ; Part 2. The clock ; Part 3. In search of lost time.

The story of twenty-four-year-old Susannah Cahalan and the life-saving discovery of the autoimmune disorder that nearly killed her -- and that could perhaps be the root of "demonic possessions" throughout history.

New April 2014.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

Author's Note (p. xi)
Preface (p. xiii)
Part 1 Crazy
Chapter 1 Bedbug Blues (p. 3)
Chapter 2 The Girl in the Black Lace Bra (p. 10)
Chapter 3 Carota (p. 13)
Chapter 4 The Wrestler (p. 20)
Chapter 5 Gold Roses (p. 24)
Chapter 6 America's Most Wanted (p. 27)
Chapter 7 On the Road Again (p. 31)
Chapter 8 Out-of-Body Experience (p. 40)
Chapter 9 A Touch of Madness (p. 43)
Chapter 10 Mixed Episodes (p. 51)
Chapter 11 Keppra (p. 54)
Chapter 12 The Ruse (p. 61)
Chapter 13 Buddha (p. 65)
Chapter 14 Search and Seizure (p. 70)
Part 2 The Clock
Chapter 15 The Capgras Delusion (p. 75)
Chapter 16 Postictal Fury (p. 80)
Chapter 17 Multiple Personality Disorder (p. 83)
Chapter 18 Breaking News (p. 86)
Chapter 19 Big Man (p. 91)
Chapter 20 The Slope of the Line (p. 95)
Chapter 21 Death with Interruptions (p. 100)
Chapter 22 A Beautiful Mess (p. 106)
Chapter 23 Dr. Najjar (p. 113)
Chapter 24 IVIG (p. 116)
Chapter 25 Blue Devil Fit (p. 121)
Chapter 26 The Clock (p. 127)
Chapter 27 Brain Biopsy (p. 135)
Chapter 28 Shadowboxer (p. 143)
Chapter 29 Dalmau's Disease (p. 146)
Chapter 30 Rhubarb (p. 152)
Chapter 31 The Big Reveal (p. 156)
Chapter 32 90 Percent (p. 161)
Chapter 33 Homecoming (p. 165)
Chapter 34 California Dreamin' (p. 169)
Part 3 In Search of Lost Time
Chapter 35 The Videotape (p. 175)
Chapter 36 Stuffed Animals (p. 176)
Chapter 37 Wild at Heart (p. 180)
Chapter 38 Friends (p. 184)
Chapter 39 Within Normal Limits (p. 189)
Chapter 40 Umbrella (p. 194)
Chapter 41 Chronology (p. 197)
Chapter 42 Infinite Jest (p. 202)
Chapter 43 NDMA (p. 207)
Chapter 44 Partial Return (p. 210)
Chapter 45 The Five W's (p. 214)
Chapter 46 Grand Rounds (p. 218)
Chapter 47 The Exorcist (p. 221)
Chapter 48 Survivor's Guilt (p. 229)
Chapter 49 Hometown Boy Makes Good (p. 236)
Chapter 50 Ecstatic (p. 238)
Chapter 51 Flight Risk? (p. 242)
Chapter 52 Madame (p. 246)
Chapter 53 The Purple Lady (p. 249)
Afterword (p. 251)
Notes (p. 253)
Acknowledgments (p. 263)

Excerpt provided by Syndetics

Brain on Fire PREFACE At first, there's just darkness and silence. "Are my eyes open? Hello?" I can't tell if I'm moving my mouth or if there's even anyone to ask. It's too dark to see. I blink once, twice, three times. There is a dull foreboding in the pit of my stomach. That, I recognize. My thoughts translate only slowly into language, as if emerging from a pot of molasses. Word by word the questions come: Where am I? Why does my scalp itch? Where is everyone? Then the world around me comes gradually into view, beginning as a pinhole, its diameter steadily expanding. Objects emerge from the murk and sharpen into focus. After a moment I recognize them: TV, curtain, bed. I know immediately that I need to get out of here. I lurch forward, but something snaps against me. My fingers find a thick mesh vest at my waist holding me to the bed like a--what's the word?--straitjacket. The vest connects to two cold metal side rails. I wrap my hands around the rails and pull up, but again the straps dig into my chest, yielding only a few inches. There's an unopened window to my right that looks onto a street. Cars, yellow cars. Taxis. I am in New York. Home. Before the relief finishes washing over me, though, I see her. The purple lady. She is staring at me. "Help!" I shout. Her expression never changes, as if I hadn't said a thing. I shove myself against the straps again. "Don't you go doing that," she croons in a familiar Jamaican accent. "Sybil?" But it couldn't be. Sybil was my childhood babysitter. I haven't seen her since I was a child. Why would she choose today to reenter my life? "Sybil? Where am I?" "The hospital. You better calm down." It's not Sybil. "It hurts." The purple lady moves closer, her breasts brushing against my face as she bends across me to unhook the restraints, starting on the right and moving to the left. With my arms free, I instinctually raise my right hand to scratch my head. But instead of hair and scalp, I find a cotton hat. I rip it off, suddenly angry, and raise both hands to inspect my head further. I feel rows and rows of plastic wires. I pluck one out--which makes my scalp sting--and lower it to eye level; it's pink. On my wrist is an orange plastic band. I squint, unable to focus on the words, but after a few seconds, the block letters sharpen: FLIGHT RISK. Excerpted from Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.