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Prisoners Without Bars
- A Caregiver's Tale
- Narrated by: Donna O'Donnell Figurski
- Length: 10 hrs and 22 mins
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Publisher's summary
This heart-wrenching and triumphant love story is a tale of advocacy and caregiving. Donna's husband, David, stumbled into their bedroom, his hand covering a blood-filled eye from a brain hemorrhage. Donna called 911. David slipped into a coma. At that moment, Donna was thrust onto the path of caregiver for her best friend and the love of her life.
In her debut memoir, Donna shares how a neurosurgeon said that David would make a "great organ donor". She writes of arrogant doctors, uncaring visitors, insensitive ambulance drivers, and problematic nurses. She also tells of the many compassionate doctors, nurses, therapists, staff, strangers, family members, and friends who helped them on their journey.
Donna compellingly describes her ability to appear positive as she experiences the horror of making life-or-death decisions. As her world crashes, she credits laughter as her lifesaver. More than 13 years later, Donna and David are living a "new normal" together.
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What listeners say about Prisoners Without Bars
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Performance
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- Ari
- 10-05-21
If you want know what patient advocacy looks like in real life, without the rosy glasses
This book took me out of my own world into a love story of genuine mutual respect and commitment and connection.
We intend to love through sickness and health, but faithful love through the real life losses turns out to be risky, uncertain and fraught with fragile emotions. Not all can weather losing a normal life for the beloved.
Real love described here.
Donna “did it” as she says in the prologue. She surrendered the normal. She’s glad she did. Donna shows us how to put love above all normalcy requirements throughout her story.
Note:
When you get to the section in which Dave describes what he has experienced and fond you can’t hear all the story, speed the audiobook to about 1.9. It worked very well for me
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- Karie Collins
- 09-28-22
excellent read
Thank you for sharing your experiences. I laughed and cried along the way as I could empathize completely. #tbilife
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