Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness
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The book narrates Cahalan's issues with anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis and the process by which she was diagnosed with this form of encephalitis. She wakes up in a hospital with no memory of the events of the previous month, during which time she would have violent episodes and delusions. Her eventual diagnosis is made more difficult by various physicians misdiagnosing her with several theories such as "partying too much" and schizoaffective disorder.
The book also covers Cahalan's life after her recovery, including her reactions to watching videotapes of her psychotic episodes while in the hospital.
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The perfect mix of informative and inspiring. This book walks through an unimaginable journey and explains every detail along the way.
I'm really gobsmacked by how good this memoir is. You keep turning the pages because you're wondering what Susannah is suffering from, and how can you not when the suffering is so painful, so deep, so personal? Which is why, if possible, you should not to spoil yourself about WHAT the illness is. I went into the book believing that it's some other ailment, and was astounded to find out what it is. It goes to show how rare this disease is, and how much the world needs to know it exists.
The book is very well written; its structure is like a mystery novel, with the tension rising as Susannah gets worse.
One thing that stands out for me is the author's experience with doctors. It was a frustrating experience for her as so many refused to acknowledge that she was really ill, declaring her “fine” numerous times. It was not until she had a violent seizure in a hospital that they took her seriously (or her parents, as she was pretty out of it by then). Even then the frustration is not over as so many seemed determined to chase their own theories or refused to give up their prejudices to “think out of the box”.
I had an experience just like that, though my illness is by no means as grave as Susannah's. I do wonder why some doctors think they are 100% right, and how some refused to entertain alternative treatments....
