Description:
"A moving and courageous memoir that offers an honest look at life before, during, and after a ruptured brain aneurysm." -Brain Aneurysm Foundation
At twenty-seven years old, Erin Dohan's life was suddenly split in two: life before the ruptured brain aneurysm and life after. I Think I'm Ready to Talk is the harrowing, yet unexpectedly hopeful, memoir of a young woman who survived when the odds were very much against her. What followed were years of fighting through one medical event after another: miscarriages, an emergency abortion, a complicated pregnancy, painful postpartum, and ultimately the loss of both ovaries. Erin spent those years slowly navigating the medical system, which often dismisses women's pain. With unflinching honesty and moments of dark humor, Erin explores what it means to rebuild a life while fighting against her body-and the constant pain-in a world that expects women to quietly endure and quickly bounce back. This is not just a story of survival. This is a story about reclaiming one's voice, one's control, and the courage to finally talk when so many others suffer in silence.Brief description: Erin Dohan is an accounting controller, writer, wife, and mother whose life changed in an instant when she survived a ruptured brain aneurysm at twenty-seven years old. Her memoir, I Think I'm Ready to Talk, is a raw and unfiltered exploration of recovery, identity, and rediscovering herself and the purpose of life after the unimaginable. Drawing from her experience navigating hospitals, motherhood, and the aftermath of trauma, Erin writes with a blend of clarity, sensibility, witty humor, and compassion that invites readers to find strength in their own stories. When she is not writing, Erin leads financial strategy for fast-paced start-up companies, mentors women in leadership, and documents moments of modern life with her husband, their son, and their goldendoodle. She lives in the western suburbs of Chicago, where she continues to advocate for brain aneurysm awareness and the power of open, honest conversation and the journey toward healing.
Review Quotes:
"I Think I'm Ready to Talk is more than a memoir-it is a lifeline for survivors, caregivers, and anyone whose life has been touched by a brain aneurysm. Erin's vulnerability and honesty transform an unimaginable medical crisis into a story of resilience, love, and hope. Her voice will help countless readers feel seen while inspiring greater awareness of a condition that affects millions yet remains too often overlooked. We are honored to have her as an ambassador for The Bee Foundation for Brain Aneurysm Prevention." -Meg Fell, executive director of The Bee Foundation
"Erin Dohan's I Think I'm Ready to Talk is a moving and courageous memoir that offers an honest look at life before, during, and after a ruptured brain aneurysm. Through her personal story, readers gain a deeper understanding of the challenges survivors and their families face, while also finding hope, resilience, and inspiration. Erin's willingness to share her journey helps raise awareness and reminds us of the strength that can emerge even in life's most difficult moments." -Brain Aneurysm Foundation
"How much can one person survive? It's a question I have pondered before. For Erin Dohan, that includes a brain aneurysm rupture, a miscarriage, loss of both ovaries, and seventeen surgeries, among much else, all recounted in unflinchingly honest prose. In her remarkable new memoir, I Think I'm Ready to Talk, Dohan vividly captures her unique strength and almost superhuman resilience. Through her gifted and slightly unorthodox storytelling style, the reader comes away truly inspired. An excellent book on every dimension. Highly recommended to all. Trust me, once you start, you won't be able to put it down." -Drew Lyons, author of . . . See More
"As someone who has experienced life-threatening medical crises and the stubborn work of surviving, I have found a kindred spirit in I Think I'm Ready to Talk. Erin Dohan tells her story of her ruptured brain aneurysm, complicated pregnancies, and surgical menopause with the same unflinching honesty I've seen in oncology wards and in COVID ICUs-and the same fierce love for family that animates every chapter of my own journey. What makes Erin's memoir extraordinary is not just the catalog of scans, surgeries, and bills but the way Erin weaves her perspective with those of her husband and mother, and even the language of her medical chart, to show how illness reshapes one's universe. I Think I'm Ready to Talk is a deeply human, beautifully crafted account of what it means to fight like hell for your life, your marriage, your child, and your sense of self." -Lorenzo Sierra, author of Fight Like Hell: Love, Politics, and the Will to Live