Rebooting the brain: part 1: The journey of Hope by Dr Saran Srinivasan and Dr Pratibha
This is probably one of the first and finest books on Neurorehabilitation and Neurological disorders which is midway between a textbook and a novel!
The stories of the patients are real and that is what makes this a unique experience! Since this is a book summary, I have not shared the complete stories but only trailers! The summary is for those who may not read the book and a preview for those who would!
Starts with an introduction of how he wanted to be NS since young!
The added benefit of paying Paltry fees for medicine and speciality resonated for people like me who also paid less than 3k per year for MBBS seat! It is simply unbelievable on how we get the best education in the best price in the world!
His first and interesting patient was called Nina! He then describes on how she inspired his journey!
Dr Sharan says that of all the organs in the body, the Brain does not have a back up! It is gone then it is Pack up!
He actually comes from a line of inventors and pioneers! His Father Senior Sinivasan made the first ever made in India Helmet!
Listen to this one line and you will get the flow of the book!
“Do you think neurological disorders or dysfunctions happen only after having a stroke, Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA), or a brain attack? Oh no, darling, not at all! Try riding your bike without a helmet, under the influence of alcohol, or at high speed, and I can assure you that you’ll end up being my next patient”
He tells about his center the PRS Neurosciences, where they have been attempting to provide hope to people when they think they have lost everything. Here, tradition and innovation converge in an evidence-based setup, constructing a track forward that delivers a comprehensive and holistic nature of healing. It is a journey that recognizes the mind-body connection, weaving together the threads of ancient practices of Ayurveda and yoga with the cutting-edge techniques of modern neuro rehabilitation. In this ‘Samanvaya’ or synthesis, we discover a comprehensive approach that leaves no stone unturned, addressing not only the symptoms but the very core of neurological disabilities – which is functional independence!
In “Rebooting The Brain” he tells about how Neurons that fire together wire together!
He mentions about this special package offered by them called th CAREPa-Re. This is the acronym for clinical, anatomical, radiological, etiopathological and finally rehabilitation. Here the CAREPa determines the Re!
They also use new techniques along with Atma Nirbhar bharat tech!
Moreover they developed New frontier in Neurosciences called the Functional Neurosciences!
In between he tells about three amazing stories of patients which pushed him from surgery to rehab! Yes! You have to read those stories yourself!
In between he does throw in some facts and literally mind boggling trivia! Like how the human brain is estimated to have 100 billion neurons, and each of these can make 10,000 connections. So, the capacity of the human brain becomes 100 billion to the power of 10,000, literally limitless! Imagine 100 billion 10000!
He says how, when you come across patients who have lost all their known skills and come down to square one, the baby phase, where they are unconscious and incompetent, it is difficult to figure out which parts of the functional brain circuits are damaged. The entire discovery depends on the skill of the caregivers!
In between he also mentioned that divorce rate among doctors was highest among neurosurgeons! Which is why he did not want to be a part of the statistic!
He tells about gobi manchurian! Which is actually not a Chinese dish! So in India we innovate and make it Indian!
A whole section is on neuromodulation where he starts starts with the amazing story of the Police writer Lokesh! There was a time when he could not write! And how the team treated him and now he is back and how!
Dr Sharan mentions how movements disorders are like that one uncle at a family reunion who just cannot stop dancing even though the DJ has packed and gone home!
Under promising and over delivering is the mantra of the team! This is really good since expectations reduces joy! It is better to promise silver and then deliver gold!
A chapter then tells about Shivanna who becomes the first patient in the world with Park to undergo staged bilateral lesioning v3.0 surgery!
Even the story on how he met his mentor and guru by chanting the guru stotram mantra by shankaracharya is both amazing and divine!
A section on Parkinson’s disease including explanation, patient stories and amazing treatment outcomes!
The same with dystonia with special emphasis on Intrathecal Baclofen, Deep Brain surgery. You must check out the story of the businessman with dystonia who could not pose for a photograph since he could not look straight! And yes! He did get treated by the team and posed straight!
There was in between the story of Tarun the kid in coma who recovered slowly and the algorithm of spasticity which includes the good and the bad spasticity.
One chapter on pain management gets very personal when he tells about his own father’s battle with chronic pain!
He ends that chapter with several examples of people with headache who must get a scan done! He states that we must never neglect pain! It is a fifth vital sign!
The difference between a CT and MRI for stroke and stroke management as such has been elaborated! Though Dr Sharan has made it as simple as possible, the layman may not enjoy it much! Medical professionals would love this section to the core!
In the section of stroke he starts by telling about Dr Jill Bolte Taylor a neuroanatomist and his book “My stroke of insight” documenting her experience of recovery and transformation in her book!
He further mentions that the ones who recover from stroke are not stroke survivors but stroke warriors!
A list of people who make the recovery possible including pain therapist, speech language pathologists to name a few. He gives each one a separate space and credit and even chance to tell his or her point of view!
The best part of the book is the fact that he tells us about the unsung heroes of the whole process! The Bystanders!
In the section of road trauma he tells about how there were 7 million COVID death in three years and while there 1.3 millions every year in RTA!
The head banging story of the story of the CA who met with an with accident by not wearing helmet and after big surgery and great recovery is seen riding without a helmet!
With the added advantage of true stories and experiences, you are in for a treat! So on one side you have the spinal cord injury and Monish and the other you have the grit and determination of Savita!
Story of Christopher Reeve with a beautiful quote by him has also been added!
The author categorically mentions that in any trauma you “MUST NOT MOVE A PERSON WITH ANY SUSPECTED SPINE INJURY!”
The final end points gives another well deserved mention bystanders and how it is very important to have health insurance.
Dr Sharan then tells about his amazing foundation called The Swaasthya Aarogya Foundation; the NGO which helps with patients and even sometimes takes care of the finances.
The final chapter is aptly called the Conclusion which starts with a saying by confucius which perfectly describes the whole book and the recovery after a neurological issue; “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop!”
Do you know these Stats? 100 millions people in the world have neurological issues! While there are 20,000 cases of spine injuries! That is huge!
The best for the last!
An amazing story of a patient bedridden with MND but with grit determination and technology can now communicate and have hope…
Every page is a story and there is a story in every other page! The text shows his wide experience and his service mindedness! Plus it is so heartening to see his support system! If you want motivation, simply grab this one!
Thank you Dr Sharan and Dr Pratibha for this!
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