Aftershock: Reinventing Myself One Piece at a Time - Paperback

by Penny Fisher (Author)

Penny Fisher is on vacation with her family when she becomes ill and disoriented. An urgent care facility reads her temperature at 104.5 and sends her by stretcher to the emergency room. There, doctors find nothing wrong, and they send her home. Twenty-four hours later, Penny is on life support and her husband is told to say his goodbyes.

Penny, suffering from Toxic Shock from Strep A virus, is placed into an induced coma. Three months later she wakes up to searing pain, black hands and feet, and facing a long battle of recovery.

Previously a stunning woman and a model, after the coma Penny is bald and weighs ninety pounds. She loses seven fingers, her left leg and her right foot. Somehow, despite the many setbacks, she must regain a life for herself and her family.

Penny Fisher writes, "This book is my journey through heaven and hell. It is about shedding the tubes attached to my body one by one, and smashing every expectation of the medical experts, while putting myself back together piece by piece, and landing back on my feet (albeit, my prosthetic feet!) I share the pieces of my recovery-and my many setbacks-from fitting multiple prosthetics to growing my hair back, and actually THRIVING again. Skiing, biking, dancing, playing tennis and yes, even modeling again too. I hope to raise awareness about advocating for oneself in times of sickness and trouble and knowing we need to trust ourselves when something is wrong. I hope my story will serve as a reminder of what is real and important in life-and I hope my message of true love conquering all is heard and felt."