About the Book
“Are You Ready To Call It? ”
When your heart flatlines for forty-two minutes, every second becomes a battle and a lesson.
In Are You Ready to Call It? Stephen A. Brown pulls you into his harrowing collapse, the fog of ICU recovery, and the stubborn questions that forced better care.
Equal parts survival story and patient’s handbook, this memoir proves that reclaiming life starts with refusing to stay silent. Cherish your next heartbeat, then learn to demand the care you deserve.
Stephen a brown
Book Chapters
Silent Signals: Stephen brushes off subtle cardiac warnings: mild chest discomfort, an “old” EKG anomaly, until a routine check uncovers two dead leads in his heart, foreshadowing the collapse to come.
Heat & Smoke: At a sweltering BBQ competition, Stephen fights fatigue and masks congestion with forbidden decongestants, setting the stage for an unexpected collapse at home.
Breaking the Silence:: After his wife’s CPR and multiple shocks from an AED, first responders refuse to “call it,” reviving him en route to a trauma center where an implantable defibrillator is ordered.
Homecoming Reckoning:Discharged from eight days in ICU, Stephen returns to a medicated, restricted life, every simple task a stark reminder of how far he is from “normal.”