A Book is Born
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Prisoners is a Winner of The Beverly Hills Book Awards 2018
Prisoners is a Finalist in The Book of Excellence Awards 2019
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How do I begin? This is a story I wish had never happened. It's a story I wish I never had to write. But, it did happen, and I had to write it.
I wrote David's and my story to let people know that sometimes bad things happen to good people. They say that things happen when you least expect them to. They say your life can be turned upside down in a New York minute. And what they say is right.
One chin-up—thirteen instead of twelve, like the day before and the day before that. That thirteenth chin-up is the culprit that altered David's life forever. It changed mine too.
When David had a traumatic brain injury in 2005, he went into a coma, and I stepped into a new world, about which I knew nothing. I was lost and alone.
I searched the Internet for books that could help me understand what was happening—books to let me know that I was not alone in this terrifying new world. Though there were a few books about the topic, I simply could not get enough. I needed to know other people’s stories and how they made it through their brain injury journeys.
I hadn’t intended to write this book. In the evening after I put David to bed (yes, I had to tuck him in at 8:00 pm each night just like a child), I'd sit at my keyboard. The words poured out onto the computer-screen. I wrote as I relived each moment, and I wrote to release my pain.
It wasn't until a year later when I was reading some of my work to David for the first time that I realized I had a story to tell. My story could offer hope and inspiration to others who are following a caregiver’s path.
David was given little chance to survive his three brain surgeries, yet he did. He defied the odds. I wanted to offer others motivation and encouragement.
My memoir, Prisoners without Bars: A Caregiver's Tale, is not only a story of David’s and my struggles, but it is also a love story. Though my memoir addresses a dire topic, it is peppered with comedic situations. They say laughter is the best medicine, and again, they are right.