Lady in Red Where is Your Head?

"e;Lady in Red, Where is Your Head?"e; by first-author Carolann deBellis, tells the story of a woman who survived a brain injury and a coma after a car accident on an icy New Jersey Turnpike in 1987, when she was 34.Carolann had it all, the perfect life, before the accident-a great job at a hot Philadelphia salon, a passionate 12-year marriage and a wide circle of friends and family who marveled at her energy and infectious spirit.Then, in the aftermath of the near-death accident, she lost it all-job, husband and sense of self. After learning to walk, talk and cut hair again, she faced the life-long task of going beyond recovery, beyond recreating the person she was before the accident to aspire for something better. Psychological counseling and the support of a loving circle of family and friends helped her to see that all was not perfect before the accident, helped her redefine a new Carolann, a work in progress who's less self-absorbed and more self-aware, less controlling, and more open in her relationships with men in her life. If it weren't for the imperative, painful job of remaking herself physically, cognitively, and emotionally from a child-like state after the accident, Carolann might never have undertaken the intense personal journey that leads her today, at 59, to say "e;I thank God for my brain injury that cured me."e;More than a conventional memoir or self-help guide, "e;Lady in Red"e; stitches together Carolann's own words, a diary that her cousin Michael Biello wrote during her coma and rehabilitation, hospital documents, notes from nurses and visitors and Carolann's collection of inspirational quotes."e;I wrote and rewrote this book for over 20 years to help others who suffered or know someone who has suffered a brain injury,"e; Carolann says. Certainly, those directly or indirectly affected by a traumatic brain injury will benefit from reading her book, but so will anyone who believes it's never too late to re-examine yourself and get to work making yourself a better person.