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Cracked: My Life After a Skull Fracture
Jim Barry had it all: professional success, a great family, good health. Then, on a season-ending mountain bike excursion, he crashed, fracturing his skull and suffering a cerebral hemorrhage. After spending months in hospitals and rehab centers, he came home to more rehab on an outpatient basis. His lasting disabilities from his traumatic brain injury include limited vision, reduced hearing, lack of balance—necessitating a wheelchair—and weakness on one side.
This book tells the story of his journey to healing through the medical world and then at home forging a new life, even cycling and skiing again using adaptive equipment. Barry’s story is a hopeful tale of persistence, resilience, and pushing forward.
This book tells the story of his journey to healing through the medical world and then at home forging a new life, even cycling and skiing again using adaptive equipment. Barry’s story is a hopeful tale of persistence, resilience, and pushing forward.
148 pages, Paperback
Published January 31, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 16, 2022
On October 12, 2012, Jim Barry’s life took a dramatic turn when he crashed riding a bike on a trail with a steep descent in the Vermont mountains. His skull was fractured which affected his balance, hearing and sight in his right eye. After intense care and therapy, he decided to write about his healing process to help those that may be interested in the effects of a traumatic brain injury.
It’s a 148-page book with a thorough and honest review of what happened. He touches on his hospital stay in New England and intense rehab that followed. He writes about not only the physical pain he endured but also about the mental anguish which caused major anxiety. Prior to the accident, he was on top of his career at 51 years old. Then, everything changed. This is not the first book about how someone’s life “cracked” under a traumatic situation.
He admits, he was fortunate to have funds for the best medical care and therapy treatments. He had the means to purchase not one but three wheelchairs. He renovated the house with ramps and a gym in the lower level. “I am lucky. Many disabled people have significant worries about money. I do not.” I wonder if this would turn off some readers.
In his handicapped life, he said he had to give up things which included his mountain bike, tandem bike, boats, pickup truck, woodworking gear, diving equipment, lake house, guns and backpacking equipment. He includes short chapters on his views which include religion, his choice of pets, how he managed with coronavirus and for those interested, yes, he continues to have sex with his wife.
His family and friends were by his side to give him support. The photos in the book are a nice addition. In this memoir, he shares how his life has changed and what he’s doing now. He wants to write fiction and said, “it means less research” than nonfiction. I bet some authors would be quick to challenge this.
My thanks to Rootstock Publishing and LibraryThing to review an advanced copy of the book with an expected release date of January 31, 2023.
It’s a 148-page book with a thorough and honest review of what happened. He touches on his hospital stay in New England and intense rehab that followed. He writes about not only the physical pain he endured but also about the mental anguish which caused major anxiety. Prior to the accident, he was on top of his career at 51 years old. Then, everything changed. This is not the first book about how someone’s life “cracked” under a traumatic situation.
He admits, he was fortunate to have funds for the best medical care and therapy treatments. He had the means to purchase not one but three wheelchairs. He renovated the house with ramps and a gym in the lower level. “I am lucky. Many disabled people have significant worries about money. I do not.” I wonder if this would turn off some readers.
In his handicapped life, he said he had to give up things which included his mountain bike, tandem bike, boats, pickup truck, woodworking gear, diving equipment, lake house, guns and backpacking equipment. He includes short chapters on his views which include religion, his choice of pets, how he managed with coronavirus and for those interested, yes, he continues to have sex with his wife.
His family and friends were by his side to give him support. The photos in the book are a nice addition. In this memoir, he shares how his life has changed and what he’s doing now. He wants to write fiction and said, “it means less research” than nonfiction. I bet some authors would be quick to challenge this.
My thanks to Rootstock Publishing and LibraryThing to review an advanced copy of the book with an expected release date of January 31, 2023.
November 29, 2022
The story of Jim Barry who suffered a devastating fall from his bike that fractured his skull and transformed his life. I felt a connection with Jim in a couple of ways, being a cycling lover and fellow Wisconsin native.
Most of us as we age will probably encounter health trials and challenges. It is usually part of the process. In Jim's case his life was literally turned upside down in an instant. His story here relates to all he has endured since his accident and how his life today is still challenged daily much more that most would want to tolerate.
The narrative is detailed and quite descriptive in how he manages from day to day with the enumerable changes that have been brought to bear upon him. At times it gets a bit bogged down in the detail and probably relates to his being an engineer and an inclination for such. Yet it does not diminish the message for resolve and fortitude it takes for him to cope. And this is the real message I believe he is conveying here. The will to carry on. And we all can benefit from that message.
He does touch on some of his personal viewpoints on such things as religious belief and his thoughts and feelings of his condition. But he does spare us a lecture and portrays a dignity in coping as best he can and just maybe an inspiration for those going through difficulties or facing them for the future. Kudos to Jim Barry showing his path.
Most of us as we age will probably encounter health trials and challenges. It is usually part of the process. In Jim's case his life was literally turned upside down in an instant. His story here relates to all he has endured since his accident and how his life today is still challenged daily much more that most would want to tolerate.
The narrative is detailed and quite descriptive in how he manages from day to day with the enumerable changes that have been brought to bear upon him. At times it gets a bit bogged down in the detail and probably relates to his being an engineer and an inclination for such. Yet it does not diminish the message for resolve and fortitude it takes for him to cope. And this is the real message I believe he is conveying here. The will to carry on. And we all can benefit from that message.
He does touch on some of his personal viewpoints on such things as religious belief and his thoughts and feelings of his condition. But he does spare us a lecture and portrays a dignity in coping as best he can and just maybe an inspiration for those going through difficulties or facing them for the future. Kudos to Jim Barry showing his path.
November 18, 2022
The author recounts how his life has changed (both for better and for worse) after being injured in a biking accident. (What I've heard termed elsewhere as "the new normal". ) He seems very positive to me though he is forthcoming about his struggles.
The book is written in an easy-to-read conversational style with what (to me) was a logical flow.
Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers group.
The book is written in an easy-to-read conversational style with what (to me) was a logical flow.
Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers group.
January 9, 2023
I would have loved to be able to direct the families of patients to read this book when I worked Head Trauma Rehab. It is written by someone who has been there and worked hard to come to terms with the changes the damage has made. Jim details all of the hard won progress and the interdiscipinary team who worked with him to get to where he is now. Beyond that he goes into the kind of acceptance that must come with irrevocable changes the move on with the determination to be the very best that he can be in spite of those changes.
I won this book in a LibraryThing Giveaway from Rootstock Publishing. We win!
I won this book in a LibraryThing Giveaway from Rootstock Publishing. We win!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews