Brain On Fire

I had just finished reading this memoir written by a young rookie reporter Susannah Cahalan. Cahalan was afflicted with anti-NMDA-receptor auto immune encephalitis. Long name for a disease in which, in simple words, the auto immune system, instead of protecting begins turning against the individual, attacking her brain causing tremendous havoc.

Cahalan is very lucky she and her family are within reach of the best possible medical professionals equipped with the latest knowledge in their fields. I am just wondering, how many people in Malaysia, suffer from this disease and no diagnosis is available, due to the fact many of the symptoms are similar to that of psychiatric illnesses. Many people would simply have concluded that it is demonic possessions rather than a real medical illness.

I took the synopsis below from the net as I feel a little anxious trying to rewrite Cahalan's terrible experience.

A gripping memoir and medical suspense story about a young New York Post reporter’s struggle with a rare and terrifying disease, opening a new window into the fascinating world of brain science.

One day, Susannah Cahalan woke up in a strange hospital room, strapped to her bed, under guard, and unable to move or speak. Her medical records—from a month-long hospital stay of which she had no memory—showed psychosis, violence, and dangerous instability. Yet, only weeks earlier she had been a healthy, ambitious twenty-four year old, six months into her first serious relationship and a sparkling career as a cub reporter. 

Susannah’s astonishing memoir chronicles the swift path of her illness and the lucky, last-minute intervention led by one of the few doctors capable of saving her life. As weeks ticked by and Susannah moved inexplicably from violence to catatonia, $1 million worth of blood tests and brain scans revealed nothing. The exhausted doctors were ready to commit her to the psychiatric ward, in effect condemning her to a lifetime of institutions, or death, until Dr. Souhel Najjar—nicknamed Dr. House—joined her team. He asked Susannah to draw one simple sketch, which became key to diagnosing her with a newly discovered autoimmune disease in which her body was attacking her brain, an illness now thought to be the cause of “demonic possessions” throughout history. 

With sharp reporting drawn from hospital records, scientific research, and interviews with doctors and family, Brain on Fire is a crackling mystery and an unflinching, gripping personal story that marks the debut of an extraordinary writer.

A Prayer for Marmalade

Yesterday I received a new Google mail notification about Cole and Marmalade. Cole and Marmalade's owner Chris Poole regularly posted You-Tube videos on the antics of his two beloved cats. The American couple obviously is an animal lover and very much a cat-lover.

Marmalade (or Marm) the young orange tabby, is recently found to be suffering from lymphoma, a common cancer in cats. The tumour was already removed through surgery, however it is quite common for the cancer to come back and spread to the other organs besides the intestine. It is not a good prospect. Marmalade's owners are devastated by the news. I am devastated too, as I have followed Marmalade's development on You-Tube and Facebook (the fb page is Cole and Marmalade). I had very often attached Marmalade videos onto my WhatsApp messages to my friends. I feel like Cole and Marm are my cats too. There is a part of me that is very sensitive to animal suffering. I also have strong empathy for grieving pet owners. I still remember the grim period of the last few months of my beloved cat Benjamin's life. The trauma and devastation of having to euthanise him at the very end is something that I really really pray I will not have to go through again.

Dearest Marm, all my love, may you recover completely, my prayers are with you and your family all the way. You are young, strong, feisty and you will defeat the cancer!