From a UW press release:A new book describes a Laramie mother and daughter's trek from stroke through rehabilitation and their return home.
Stacy Gupton suffered a stroke in 2003 while working on an art project. Stacy and her mother, Mona, said at that time they lacked the resources to deal with stroke and all the complications and said they wrote "A Piece of Her Mind" to help others.
"We felt Stacy's story could give someone else hope of finding life after tragedy," said Mona, who works in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences in the University of Wyoming College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. "We did not write this book to simply tell a sad story. We want others to know that life truly does go on, and it is up to each of us how we choose to live each day.
"Once a day is gone, we can't get it back. We can laugh or cry. I tell Stacy all the time that every day she has now is a bonus."
Mona said she realized writing the book would be emotional.
"It actually took me nearly three years to complete the manuscript. There were times when I wrote with such anger and pain that it was exhausting," she said.
Writing was therapeutic. "By going back and reading my journal entries and Stacy's, I was able to visualize exactly how far she had come and how we had grown together as a family," said Mona.
Stacy said she's glad she wrote the book. "I had to relive everything, and that wasn't easy. Even though it was really hard, I am glad we did this because it showed me how much I have improved," she said. "On bad days, it made me remember why I never give up."
Order the book through your local bookstore or at amazon.com at http://tinyurl.com/ylm3wz9
