independent reading #1
Recently I started reading a book by Brent Runyon called The Burn Journals. This was highly recommended to me by a friend so I decided to try it out.
This book is about a kid named Brent who tries to commit suicide by burning himself. He got reprimanded at school and was going to be expelled so he decides to go home and pour gasoline on himself and ignites himself with a lighter.
Little did he know his careless, impulsive actions would lead to life threatening and life altering consequences.
Brent wakes up in the hospital, nearly escaping death, with 85% of his body covered in burns and now has the fight of his life against him.
As of now Brent has been in the hospital for a month. His parents visit him every day and encourage him to be strong and are praying the quickest possible recovery.
His brother Craig on the other hand, who happened to be the one who was home when Brent did this to himself and the one who called 911, has only visited once, so Brent is apprehensive about their relationship. He even believes Craig hates him for doing this to himself.
I predict that, because this has already happened, Brent will have more surgeries and the plot will continue with detail on the various surgeries and after they conclude, how he will transition back into his “normal” life, or as close to it was before.
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#theburnjournals #BrentRunyon
independent reading #2
This book doesn’t contain chapters, so it is difficult to divide into sections. However of the portion that I read a was able to pull a few key elements I found to be substantial, either to past plot points or future predictions.
First of all, Brent has now been in the ICU for close to two months and he is by no means lonely. His parents visit every day, typically frequent throughout the entire day. And of course his nurses keep close eyes on him all day to make sure he is stable and comfortable. Support from his family and caregivers is unceasing.
On the other hand, his brother has only seen him on a handful of occasions and visits from his friends are even fewer and farther in between. He has received a few calls from friends from school, but they’ve been quick, awkward conversations left with a lot of questions. Most dialogue being, inadequate one word answers.
He did have one visit from a past close friend, but that as well was uncomfortable for the most part and Brent was asleep for the majority of the experience.
This leaves me wondering what these relationships will be like and lead to once he makes a full recovery. Will they go back to “normal” or how they were or will this incident set a new precedent for how Brent behaves and interacts with his friends.
The rest of the book will most like answer these questions and predictions in detail, but as of where I am right now, his relationships are not as strong and easygoing as they were before. It’s almost as if everyone is on eggshells around him, even his parents.
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#BrentRunyon #burnvictim
independent reading #3
The next major event, or plot point in Brent’s story is him walking for the first time in months. His parents and staff have been encouraging him nonstop and pushing him to do more on his own lately. However, Brent is weary because he obviously has been in his bed, practically immobile, for close to 3 or 4 months now.
As Brent keeps pushing this day farther and farther away, stalling as long as possible, his staff is working that much harder to get him up and out of bed. Finally, one of the nurses breaks down and forces him to stand and attempt to walk for the first time since he got here.
She walks in and announces it’s the big day! Brent reluctantly agrees, against his will, and is shocked by his success. Before anyone realizes it, Brent is up, on his own, and with a little help balancing, slowly walking across his room.
It was just him and the nurse in the room at the time so when his parents come back later that day he tells them the exciting news. They are so shocked and overwhelmingly happy that they break down and start crying as soon as they comprehend the situation.
This is a major step in recovery for Brent even though he was reluctant and anxious about it.
In other news, the doctors are planning on moving Brent from his room in the ICU to a normal hospital room. This is also a major change for Brent and another source of anxiety because he was used to what he had in his other room and the nurses and other patients in that department. In fact, he made friends with most of them. He doesn’t want to leave and face the new world of change in another department of the hospital.
Also, Brent is scheduled to have just one more surgery and a quick recovery, only two weeks and then his stay at the children’s hospital is up. After that he will be sent to a rehab center his parents found and researched for him.
This is yet another big change coming up that Brent is unsure about, because this is probably the biggest change in the near future for Brent. Although the empowering support from friends, family, and nurses has reassured him that he can handle everything coming his way.
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#BrentRunyon #surgery #Children’Hhospital
independent reading #4
In this next section, Brent goes for ice cream and a movie with one of his favorite nurses, Tina, as almost a last treat and a farewell. Brent was somewhat self-conscious, about his scars and bandages, but overall had a good time with Tina.
Then back at the Children’s hospital they throw a goodbye party for Brent and his family. He is still sad to go and leave the friends he made and the environment he was used to.
When he gets to the new rehab center in Delaware, he tries his best to adjust to the new, different room and get to know his new nurses, but his first encounter with Rose, one of the new nurses, isn’t very pleasant. She comes off as condescending and rude, prodding him for answer on why he did this to himself. This turns out to be a common theme amongst many nurses, Brent realizes, which makes it difficult to adjust to the new environment.
He does like his new teacher, psychologist, and masseuse, however. He meets other patients from different wards and likes a few of them as well. The only other burn victim he meets, a little boy, he describes as a brat.
Overall, Brent is just overwhelmed and tired by the new busy schedule and daily chores and tasks that comes along with the rehab. His parents frequently call and visit as much as possible, even though it’s difficult.
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#Rehab #BrentRunyon #BurnJournals
puzzle of thoughts 