Identity Theft: Rediscovering Ourselves After Stroke

Identity Theft, Second Edition is an update to the award-winning book that follows Stanford professor Debra Meyerson’s journey to recover from a severe stroke that initially left her physically incapacitated and unable to speak. In addition to providing realistic expectations for the hard work needed to regain everyday capabilities, Meyerson and Zuckerman focus on the less frequently documented – but equally critical – emotional journey as she and her family rebuild identity in recovery. The second edition adds perspective from an additional five years of continued recovery and rebuilding their lives, including insights from the work of the nonprofit they co-founded – Stroke Onward.

Virtually every stroke survivor is haunted by questions like “Who am I now?” and “How do I rebuild a meaningful and rewarding life?” after losing so much of what they had before—capabilities, careers and jobs, relationships, and more. Identity Theft, Second Edition is a book full of hope for survivors—from stroke or other life-changing injuries or illnesses—as well as actionable advice for their care partners, families, and communities.

The first edition of Identity Theft centered on Debra’s experience: her stroke in 2010, her extraordinary efforts to recover, and her journey to redefine herself. But she also draws on her skills as a social scientist, sharing stories from several dozen fellow survivors, family members, friends, colleagues, therapists, and doctors she met and interviewed. By sharing this diversity of experiences, Debra highlighted how every stroke is different and every recovery is different. She provided a valuable look at the broad possibilities for successfully navigating the challenging physical recovery, and the equally difficult and frequently unspoken emotional journey toward rebuilding one’s identity and a rewarding life after a trauma like a stroke.

The new content in this second edition was written by Debra and her spouse, Steve Zuckerman. As they have shared in countless talks, “Just as the original book was headed to the printers, we decided that ‘the finish line had become a new starting line.’” They co-founded the nonprofit Stroke Onward to build an organization that can catalyze change in the healthcare system to better integrate the emotional journey of rebuilding identity into a lifelong recovery process.

This edition draws on five more years of experience as a post-stroke couple and what they’ve learned from thousands more survivors, family members, and healthcare professionals. They’ve added new insights about the long-term recovery process and how we can change the stroke system of care to better support all survivors and their families.

© 2025 Audiobrary (Audiobook): 9781965156186

Release date

Audiobook: 16 September 2025