James Patterson - MedHead: My Knock-down, Drag-out, Drugged-up Battle with My Brain

Copyright 2008 by James Patterson

All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Little, Brown and Company

Hachette Book Group

237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017

www.HachetteBookGroup.com

Visit our website at www.lb-teens.com

Little, Brown and Company is a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

The Little, Brown name and logo are trademarks of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

First eBook Edition: April 2010

ISBN: 978-0-316-08498-7

MY KNOCK-DOWN, DRAG-OUT, DRUGGED-UP BATTLE WITH MY BRAIN

A NEW EDITION of JAMES PATTERSON and HAL FRIEDMANS AGAINST MEDICAL ADVICE

A #1 New York Times Bestseller

Featured on ABCs Good Morning America

A disturbing story but ultimately an inspiring one that affirms the power of families to overcome adversity.

The Arizona Republic

A work of naked truth, as disturbing as it is important. Turns Tourettes Syndrome inside out and shows us what it is like to be trapped inside a brain that has a nightmarish mind of its own. This true story is a gift of honesty, huge courage, and hope, and a reminder that against all medical advice and odds, human beings can prevail.

Patricia Cornwell, author of The Front

In the tradition of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. An amazing story of courage, fortitude and a familys love, simply told.

Terri Cheney, author of Manic: A Memoir

A true story that reads like the most riveting of page-turners. Read it and feel at gut-level what its like to be almost destroyed by a hellish array of nightmare medical symptoms.

Lisa Scottoline, author of Lady Killer

A story of astonishing courage. This book stands as a testament to the amazing power of one familys unconditional love for each other.

Tess Gerritsen, author of The Bone Garden

Inspiring a testament to the importance of family and the resilient nature of the human spirit.

George Pelecanos, author of The Turnaround

Pattersons stark, bare-boned narrative is compelling. It reads somewhat like a diary where the recorder does not write every day, but instead hits the high and low points with great effectiveness. A frightening, sympathetic and at times heartwarming testimony to the triumph of the human will over adversity.

Bookreporter.com

What has stayed with me weeks after reading this book is not only Corys courage through this experience, but the courage and love of his family. It renewed my commitment to the power that comes from the love found within the walls of our home. This book is empowering. It gives hope. It reminds us of the others who are out there trying to navigate the same paths we find ourselves on.

5MinutesforSpecialNeeds.com

Cory is a remarkable young man and his story moved me to tears. This book is short, but it tells a powerful story of strength, love and determination. It is a must read for anyone struggling with a medical diagnosis.

Bermudaonion.wordpress.com

I cant say enough about how amazing this book is. I believe that this tale of perseverance, dedication, and love would be beneficial to any family undergoing any sort of medical or behavioral problem.

JennsBookshelf.blogspot.com

To Dr. Ruth Bruun, the angel who pulled us up when our own wings were broken. Your dedication to all of your patients who have struggled with Tourettes syndrome cannot be measured, and you are loved and renowned for your profound wisdom and very great heart.

And to Jessie, our daughter, who weathered a childhood filled with great sadness and great inspiration. And yes, one day we will go to Disneyland.

Hal and Sophia Friedman

In my thirteen-year search for help, I traveled to places far from home and met many people, young and old, with medical conditions so extreme that I could not have imagined they existed.

I will never forget these special friends and their heroic battles with the phantoms that inhabited their minds.

I understand them, and they understand me.

I hope that this account of my life, which in many ways might be similar to theirs, will give them and others like them a measure of comfort and hope. And Im grateful to my father and to James Patterson for helping to tell my story to the many people who might benefit from it.

To those like me, who are forced to travel a road that few others can even conceive of, I wish you peace, and a way home.

Cory Friedman

Perhaps youre surprised that James Patterson asked me to write a foreword for one of his books. To tell you the truth, I was a little surprised myself. I write contemporary young-adult novels, while Pattersons Maximum Ride series carries readers into a world of cutting-edge sci-fi/fantasy. But then Med Head came in the mail. A nonfiction story about a young man struggling to make sense of the circumstances of his life? Well, excise the word nonfiction, and the description might very well be of an Ellen Hopkins book.

If youve read my work, you know I write about young people on the edge. People whose lives are touched by addiction. Depression. Thoughts of suicide. People faced with choices. Sometimes they make good ones; often, they dont. Either way, their choices come to define their lives, not only in the present but also in the future.

But imagine if you didnt have a choice about something that defined your life. Something you were born with that set you apart from the mainstream. Something that forced you onto the fringe. Something you had no power to control. For Cory Friedman, that something is Tourettes syndrome combined with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Both involve unusual ways that certain chemicals react in the brain.

Someone with OCD has intense obsessions and compulsions that interfere with his or her daily life. Obsessions are often irrational; for example, someone may believe that something awful will happen if his clothes arent arranged by color in his closet. (My son doesnt care whether his clothes are hung up at all. In fact, he doesnt care whether theyre picked up off the floor!) Compulsions are rituals that relieve some of the anxiety caused by obsessions. For example, someone whos obsessed with germs might wash her hands over and over again.

Tourettes is a condition that gives someone uncontrollable tics. A tic is a sudden and repeated physical action. Tics include coughing, clearing the throat, and grunting. Another verbal tic is coprolalia, which is saying obscene words without wanting to. This might be what you think of when you hear the word Tourettes, but it is a relatively rare tic.

Think for a minute how either of these disorders might affect your life. What if you couldnt walk out the front door without returning to the kitchen five times to make sure the stove was off? Thats an OCD compulsion. Or what if you stood up to read in front of a classroom and your head kept jerking to one side? Thats a Tourettes tic.