“Trapped” 2023 Autobiography: This Article is a Public Service Announcement

“Trapped: Living with Non-Fluent Aphasia” is a 2023 autobiography by Kevin Sweeney. Readers of “Trapped” learn about the life of the author and learn how what happened to him, which could have happened to anyone, is a shame.

A particularly poignant part of “Trapped” is in the seventh chapter, entitled “The Four Lessons.” This author loves his family, and this chapter proves it. In one sense, we could review Trapped linearly, but that would not be of maximum benefit to readers. After a brief description of the contents of Trapped, this review moves to some statistics about strokes and some good advice from the American Stroke Association. Do you think one day you, or someone you know, will have a stroke?

“Trapped: Living with Non-Fluent Aphasia” Summary

One might expect an autobiography to proceed linearly. “Trapped” does not. Instead, this book is arranged topically. “Trapped” begins by detailing the Strokes, which he suffered two, and the author suffered. Readers learn that most strokes, including those suffered by the author, are of unknown cause. Readers also learn about what a PFO is; it is about as common as being left-handed and was probably the cause of Sweeney’s strokes.

The rest of “Trapped” is organised topically. Readers learn, he was a Senior Executive in the United States government who made the front page of the New York Times and influenced the President of the United States. He deployed to Iraq three times, and it is not surprising that he now writes books. He has a Doctorate and has published 12 articles, mostly while a Graduate Student at Ohio State. Readers also learn that the author is a member of the Knights of Columbus, and they are treated to a concise summary that demystifies the order. We also learn about the author’s sports allegiances and his extensive sports card collection.

BE FAST

Each Year, 795,000 Americans will have strokes, and half will die. Because he did not die, the author is grateful. We can see from the text that he takes being grateful seriously. So, he is donating all the royalties from “Trapped” to his church in thanksgiving. One more statistic, about two million Americans are afflicted with Non-Fluent Aphasia, the condition from which Sweeney suffers, and the title of the book.

The American Stroke Association says BE FAST. That is a handy saying that will benefit readers, should they, or someone they are with, suffer a stroke. Each letter stands for something.

• B means that someone who is suffering a stroke will lose his or her balance.
• E means that those who suffer strokes have changes in their vision.
• F stands for the drooping of one side of the face that is often a symptom of a stroke.
• A stands for weakness in the arms or legs, which often accompanies a stroke.
• S stands for difficulty with speech. A condition that often persists, and is often called Non-Fluent Aphasia
• T stands for it is time to call 911. Typically, someone who is suffering a stroke has three hours to receive a shot, called a TPA, that reverses the clotting in the brain that causes strokes. After that time, the stroke is unfortunately irreversible.

Conclusion

In “Trapped: Living with Non-Fluent Aphasia,” we learn that the effects of a stroke are lifelong. Contending with these persistent symptoms is a bit like running a marathon, not a sprint. This even happens if, like in Sweeney’s case, the TPA shot is administered within three hours. The main benefit from reading “Trapped” is that the reader learns there are no answers, and this threat to life can happen to anyone, at any age. This is an important lesson, as it is virtually assured that readers, or someone they know, will eventually suffer a stroke.