Rusty's Story
About this ebook
Rusty’s Story is Carol Gino’s account of the extraordinary life of the woman she undertook to help – the woman who ended up teaching her an invaluable lesson about the will to live, the strength of hope…
Rusty used to wonder if she would make it through the day, seeing danger in everyday living. Rusty has epilepsy.
She was twenty when Carol Gino met her and learned of her past ordeals: the stigma of mental illness, the drugs that took away her self-control, the treatments that only worsened her symptoms.
Carol and Rusty set out to prove that illness can be overcome, and that there is no substitute for love and care.
From Library Journal
While many advancements have been made in understanding and treating epilepsy, the disease is still surrounded by an aura of dread. Rusty was a teenager when she was stricken with epilepsy. Misdiagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic, for years she suffered more from inappropriate medical treatment than from her condition. The reader is mesmerized as Gino passionately relates Rusty’s plight. Despite repeated incarcerations in a frightful state mental institution and the toxic effects of drugs, she never lost her sense of humanity or her strong desire to help others. Gino’s deep distrust of the medical establishment, her fervent attachment to nursing, and her conviction that the patient knows best are themes that are interwoven into the emotional story of Rusty’s fight for a normal life. – Carol R. Glatt, Helene Fuld Medical Center Lib., Trenton, N.J
About the author
Bestselling author, Carol Gino, RN, MA, was one of the first to reveal the secrets about what happens behind the closed doors of hospitals, from her first-hand perspective as a nurse for over 30 years. In her blockbuster expose about the healthcare industry (written as a novel), The Nurses Story unleashed a Pandora’s box and exposed the strengths, the vulnerabilities and the darkest indignities that Nurses and patients have lived with for centuries. As a nurse, author, and teacher for over 30 years. She has worked in all areas of Nursing, including; ER, Intensive Care, Burn Unit, Surgery, Pediatrics, Mental Health, and Hospice Care. Her Masters in Transpersonal Studies focused on new modalities for healing, consciousness, and cross-cultural healing.
Carol is the author or co-author of several Los Angeles Times, and New York Times bestselling books. As the longtime companion of the author, Mario Puzo (The Godfather) for over 20 years, until his death in 1999, two decades of brainstorming with Mario - editing and transcribing his handwritten manuscripts until his writer’s voice rang in her head - had prepared her for the ultimate honor which she reluctantly agree to at his request, and in 2001 she completed his book, The Family from his notes. It was published by Judith Regan of Harper Collins, and was also a New York Times best seller.
Her latest book, a memoir titled, Me & Mario: Love, Power & Writing with Mario Puzo, author of The Godfather, offers an intimate look into the man and the myth and the magic between them. Often funny—sometimes raw—always true. It’s a journey of love, friendship, and playful competition that pushed them both in life and writing. It was a creative partnership that spanned two decades. Filled with Puzo’s tips on storytelling, fellow authors and writers-to-be will love this inside look into the mind and art of a legendary author and the woman he chose to challenge and love for over twenty years.
