I'll Be OK, It's Just a Hole In My Head

I’LL BE OK, IT’S JUST A HOLE IN MY HEAD is the riveting and often very funny memoir of Mimi Hayes, who had a‪ ‬sudden brain hemorrhag‪e at the age of 22. She recounts with a comic’s ‬touch the arduous and often heartbreaking effort to recover, and has incorporated parts of her story on stage as a ‪stand up comedian and improvisor. She has performed at Denver Comedy Works and Broadway Comedy Club, among other venues, and is also a frequent player in MTV's Sean Lynch's Lovecraft Comedy Cult monthly showcase. Inspirational and highly recommended!‬

Pub Date 28 Sep 2018

Thanks to Animal Media Group and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are fully mine.

#IllBeOkItsJustAholeInMyHead #NetGalley

3.5 stars rounded up.

‘I’ll be OK...’ are the memoirs of Mimi Hayes, focusing on the initial diagnosis and her subsequent recovery after a brain haemorrhage caused by a cavernous hemangioma (which she calls an angioma). It covers the difficulties she faces getting her initial diagnosis and the rocky road to resuming a normal life after surgery.

I have a personal history with regards to brain injuries like this, and I work everyday within a busy Neuroradiology department. As such, I feel a certain affinity towards stories involving anything neurological and was initially drawn to these memoirs because of this. The author is endearing as she takes us through her story, and I instantly warmed to her as she recounts her ‘back story’ of sorts in the build up to her haemorrhage. Her story is easy to follow, and I found the writing style matched well with the author’s obvious quirky personality - although I admit that at times I found the endless movie references a little grating. It felt almost as though she was using humour, along with the movie references that often ended up going off on a tangent, to deflect from digging deeper into her emotional state at the time. This often took away from the more serious points that she was trying to get across.

I would perhaps have liked some explanations in terms of how the American health care system works in comparison to my own beloved NHS. Beyond knowing that you need health insurance, I have no idea how Americans access healthcare, and I think a small paragraph outlining how this system works may have allowed me a greater degree of understanding with regards to the difficulties Mimi encounters when initially trying to gain a diagnosis from her doctor. Perhaps a more detailed outline of what a cerebral hemangioma is also would be helpful to readers who perhaps don’t know what they are (and their tendency to bleed).

I liked the photos that we’re scattered throughout. They added a more personal touch that allowed me to connect with Mimi and put faces to names. I also loved the interactions between Mimi’s family, especially with regards to the Halloween costume ‘incident’. They were written about with an obvious amount of love that just jumped off the page and was wonderful to read about.

Granted this isn’tThe Diving Bell and the Butterfly, but I enjoyed this, and with a bit of tighter editing to decrease the amount of times this went a bit off topic, it would make a good account of one individual’s recovery following brain injury.

The beginning was a little slow and I'm not sure it had anything to do with what happened in her brain. It was a good read, funny in parts, sad to read of her struggles before her diagnosis and after her surgery.

#IllBeOkItsJustAholeInMyHead #NetGalley

Mimi can inject humor around a cold hospital room. Her story is funny and sarcastic with a dose of hope,

An very interesting topic for a book and it was very enjoyable to read how Mimi recovered her life after having a brain injury.

I really enjoyed the way that this book was written Mimi managed to take a serious topic like a brain hemorrhage and managed to still make this book humorous. When Mimi gets her brain hemorrhage at age twenty-two life should stop for her however, that is not the kind of person she is. She tells of all her struggles in the diagnoses as well as in her recovery, but tells them with a sense of humor. I liked all of the little stories that she threw in the middle it gives what could be a serious and dry subject a lot of life and gives you a laugh where you aren't expecting it. This book reminded me of Jenny Lawson's book "Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir" in the humor and the way it was written. I think that my favourite part had to be the way that she talks to the reader directly then continues on with her story, that doesn't happen to often. Great read you really got the terror that her family was faced with in her struggles as well as the confusion that she was dealing with. I think that this book took what could have been a very dry and complex story and made it accessible to the reader. Really good read and I'm glad I got the chance to check it out.

Wow! For someone to write about their life is super brave and heartwarming. I felt that I was pulled in and want to get more information and how to prevent hemorrhages. I was deeply impressed with the warmth, courage and humor that the author put into her words and I cannot say enough about this book. If I could give ten stars I would,.

This book takes readers through the journey of a brain injury that the author endured just as she was beginning her student teaching semester. The story starts off when Mimi is okay, but in a relationship that has gone on far too long than it should have. Then you get to see how this relationship really affected her, both emotionally and physically. When she receives news that she has a brain hemorrhage, her life is turned upside down in an instant.

This book is written with plenty of humor, so you'll find yourself laughing more than anything else. There are also very little queasy medical issues or procedures described in detail, which helps for those who are a little sensitive to that. It's more than a book about a brain injury and the recovery because throughout the process, Mimi realizes that she has a huge support system that she can rely on for just about anything--not something that everyone gets to experience in times of crisis.

Well-written and made of the stuff of daily life, you have to appreciate the honesty and vulnerability that it takes to write an account of your own life.

I would gladly use this as an example text for a memoir writing class, or just enjoy it as a reader.

The start of the book was a bit slow, but did quickly pick up. This memoir was a great read and funny at times. It did have sad pieces where you read of Mimi's struggles before her diagnosis and after her surgery.

Funny is not the first word that should come to mind to describe a book about a serious brain surgery and the recovery process, but its one of the best words I can come up with to describe this excellent, moving and almost brutally honest book by Mimi Hayes.
I'll Be OK, It's Just a Hole in My Head is the story of one young woman's courage and determination during an incredibly tough time. At the age of 22 Mimi Hayes was a happy young student teacher, about to embark on the final stage of her training, with a steady boyfriend she was thinking about marrying, A former ice hockey player, good enough to compete at college level, she was fit, hearty and happy , but in the course of a few months her world came crashing down around her. When her boyfriend dumped her unceremoniously, she cried, dusted herself off and focused on being her best in the classroom. However after a few short days she had to take medical leave because of a series of mysterious and inexplicable symptoms. Several hospital visits and scans later she learned that a small hole in her brain was allowing blood to accumulate and the increased pressure was causing her brain to malfunction. When medicines and time did not work and the symptoms began to worsen, surgery was the only viable option , resulting in a heartbreaking rehab and recovery.
Honest, funny and without self pity, this book chronicles a very difficult time in this incredible woman's life, without sugar coating or melodramatics. The stark simplicity of how she chronicles her illness and recovery is to be admired, but what really makes this book something special is how much of the author's personality leaps from the page, by the end of the book I felt like I knew her, and like she would be an awesome friend and a real character. The humor is never grating, a balancing act which can be difficult to manage, and it never obscures or takes away from the real emotion that lies at the heart of this excellent book.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Animal Media Group for a digital advanced readers copy of this book.

Partial Goodreads Synopsis: Hayes’ memoir shares the true story of a sudden brain hemorrhage at the age of twenty-two – and the heartache and strength that it took to overcome it. At first Hayes uses a blanket of comedy to cloak herself from her new reality—after all, sending out funny tweets is far easier than admitting to the world that she’s lost basic motor functions like walking and talking. Humbled by the pain, she must admit to herself that that she is no longer the carefree, 20-something planning to marry her high school sweetheart.

This book took a while to get through but it was totally worth it. This memoir is a wonderfully frank description of the unpredictability and ridiculousness of our short, human lives. Through her own experiences, the author manages to show us a mirror and bring us face to face with the realities we try so hard to avoid. Every day we wake up to our mundane lives and try our best to make life all peaches and rainbows. But when life finally catches up to us, to fix what we think only we can, we resist it for the longest time possible, falling into our old habits before it finally knocks some sense in us. I'm making this book sound really serious, which it is, but it's also insanely funny and detailed. Mimi Hayes shares her uncensored opinions about our fairy-tale expectations, awful exes, even more awful brain injuries, Bruce Willis's immortality and the miracle of poop. I'm not kidding, and neither is she, even though she manages to express all of this with the utmost empathy and hilarity.

This is definitely an awesome feel-good-yet-will-give-you-all-the-feels memoir to have on your bookshelf for the days you need another person's voice telling you it's okay to not always be okay.

3.5/5 stars

I can so sympathize. My mother suffered from a similar ordeal at age 48. While I don't know everything she experienced, she seldom spoke of it, it was interesting reading Ms. Hayes account of her experience. It scared me to watch my mother go her experience, I can't begin to imagine how frightening it is for the person going through it. Thank you for writing the story, Ms. Hayes. Good luck to you!

. . . . .

An interesting book, humorously written, but I expect with a lot of pain hidden within its pages. A very good snapshot of the ups and downs of someone who has suffered major brain damage, and the importance of family, friends and life after recovery.

This is a thoughtful, humorous memoir of the before, during, and after of Mimi's life when she experienced a sudden brain hemorrhage at 22. Sometimes a bit too light for my tastes for such a serious subject, I can appreciate that she was able to maintain her sense of humor. The writing is a straightforward and simple style, and the author veers off topic at times, which interrupts the flow of her story. Otherwise it's a touching account of what happens after tragedy, when one is faced with finding a new normal in order to move forward.

Title: I’ll Be OK, It’s Just a Hole in My Head.

Author: Mimi Hayes

Publisher: Animal Media Group

Genre: entertainment, humor

Downloaded from Netgalley, auto-approved for Animal Media Group books there. Honest reviews as always.
Description

Don’t Worry, I Have a Hole in My Head: A Memoir on Heartache and Head Injury is a humorous and thoughtful cross between Jill Bolte Taylor’s My Stoke of Insight and Jenny Lawson’s Furiously Happy. Shocking and funny, Hayes’ memoir shares the true story of a sudden brain hemorrhage at the age of twenty-two – and the heartache and strength that it took to overcome it.

…There I go again. Trying to turn my life into a Hollywood blockbuster. It’s a very bad habit I’ve developed, you guys.
from this book by Mimi Hayes

For the topic it is a very easy read. You feel like she’s sitting next to you and telling you every word.

I got this book as an ARC from Netgalley. Honestly, I chose to read it as much for the description as the fact that the cover had pretty colors. I wasn't expecting too much (I've read some pretty terrible memoirs on Netgalley recently), and was therefore pleasantly surprised to find that this book rocked! The author, even though she went through a horrendous experience, was funny, and talked about her experience with aplomb.

For example, after her bad breakup with her long term boyfriend, James, she goes out on another date. Hayes writes "our first kiss happened on the second date. We continued to walk around parks and drink coffee, which gave me plenty of opportunity to make a fool of myself. I wore heels on one date and had to take them off because my feet hurt so badly. But what did I say to explain this behavior? 'Sorry, I need to air out my fee.'" -- Ouch (and I am not only talking about feet).

Other times Hayes let us know exactly what she was thinking, and she didn't let a little thing like being on the toilet stop her! "About eight o'clock that night, I went to the bathroom to sit on the toilet and think about my life choices. And also to take a poop, as one does." She writes that in these moments, when she had time to contemplate and to think about her life, she was scared. She "had a google-able disease", and she writes, "this time I could be dying. On a toilet. My last moments could be spent going poop. I was embarrassed. And I was really, really scared. I'd just found out I'd be having brain surgery on Friday. What if my brain and I didn't have a second date? Was I going to die then? Or what if I die now, three days from the finish line and shitting on this toilet?"

Putting being on the toilet aside, I cannot imagine how scary having a brain tumor must be.

Hayes was brave. Super brave. And I think she was even more brave for having written this story about her experience afterward, and deciding to publish it for people like me to read.

If you decide to give this book a try, you will not regret it.

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Mimi took us on a great adventure! While the subject matter was very serious, it was treated in such a lighthearted and entertaining manner.

We learned about the treatment for the hole in her head but also how she managed the hole in her heart.

I enjoyed this book - lots of fun.

I really love the cover for this book. It drew me to it before I read the description.

I wasn't sure when starting this book if I was going to like it. I wasn't that interested in James or Mimi's heartbreak over him. It took a good 20% of the beginning of the book so I was worried that I wasn't going to enjoy any aspect of Mimi's life if James was apart of it. We've all dealt with a James...

James eventually goes away and Mimi moves forward with her life (new job, new dates, etc.) All through this, the more quippy and funny the book becomes. The movie references ramp up when Mimi gets sick and ends up in the hospital, which (to be fair) she did warn the reader she enjoys movie scenarios.

Using humor to deal with stressful and terrifying situations is normal, what's brave is to do it beyond the circle of family and friends. Hayes talks about her body changing and how terrifying it all was for her but mixes the seriousness of the issue with humor and movie quips. She went from running marathons to learning how to walk again without aides.

While Hayes explains her rehab in detail, shows her scars (and her awesome Halloween costumes) she does not go into detail about her surgery or what a cavernous angioma is beyond the basic description. So, if you're squeamish about surgery, this book is perfectly safe for reading.

I do wish the structure had been tighter, as sometimes the chapters were more like vignettes of her activities (dates, relationships, friendships, teaching) that somewhat related to her overall point but often felt like random asides. I enjoyed her humor and I loved her resilience in the face of a terrifying medical issue.

Ms. Hayes went through hell and I can't imagine what she went through, because you know not everything is in the book, and I give her props for all of that. I wish it would have been more serious than comedy. I hope she is on the road to recovery and helps others with her book.

I wasn't sure what I was getting into with this book, I haven't read that many memoirs, but I was really looking forward to this one. It's about Mimi, who suffers from a brain hemorrhage at 22, and she talks about her recovery.

It was amazing, I was so moved by her story and I was so amazing that she was still able to crack jokes about such a heartbreaking time. She did go off topic sometimes, but I didn't really mind that honestly.

She's just so honest and really conveys not just her feelings and worries, but also her families. I was really surprised by how much I liked the book and I don't think I'll even forget it.

An engaging read, giving a real insight into the life of someone living with and recovering from a brain injury. The author’s amusing style of writing makes this enjoyable whilst at the same time getting over the point that it is hard - you need to be determined and boy does it help if you have support from friends and family! Mimi’s parents are stars ( as is Mimi herself) and I’m so glad that she has come through this life changing event with humour and determination to show what can be achieved.
I work in physical therapy and I’ll definitely recommend this book to colleagues to get another perspective on living with the devastating change brain injury brings to your life. Well done Mimi!

This is an amazing story. Mimi Hayes has written her memoirs of her brain hemorrhage, her surgery, and her recovery. Non-fiction story of Mimi’s journey with brain injury. While writing down her experience, she managed to stay calm and tease about her condition. She did a great job of writing a story of hope.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.


i love how brave and comical Mimi Hayes is. She told her story with grit and humor. definitely read this!