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RUSTY'S STORY
Recounts the harrowing ordeal of a young epileptic, grossly misdiagnosed as mentally ill, in a state psychiatric hospital and her battle against an uncaring medical establishment to live a normal life
- GenresNonfictionBiography
342 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 1, 1985
1 person is currently reading
55 people want to read
About the author
Carol Gino
23 books18 followersCarol Gino RN, MA, has been a nurse, author and teacher for many years. She has worked in all areas of nursing including Emergency Room, Intensive Care, the Burn Unit, Medicine, Surgery, Pediatrics, Pediatric Intensive Care, and Hospice Care for the terminally ill.
Her first book "The Nurse's Story" published by Simon and Schuster sold to nine foreign countries. It is still in print in Japan. It was a feature of the Book of the Month Club and Nurses Book Club and was on PW's list for six weeks. It was #2 on the Los Angeles Times list. Carol did two cross-country tours for The Nurse's Story: which included TV, radio and print media.
She has appeared several TV and radio shows including "The Today Show", "Charlie Rose", "Houston Live", "Regis", "AM Los Angeles", "AM San Francisco" etc.. The Nurse's Story was serialized in the New York Daily News, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post etc.. People Magazine did a feature article on her, and she has been highlighted in many other local and national papers.
She has written articles for New York Magazine (aka Teri Daniels) American Journal of Nursing, and other Nursing Mags. Three of her articles were published in Nursing '97 (the largest nursing journal - circulation of over 350,000.) Three of her stories and several editorials appeared in Nursing '98.
Ms. Gino's second book "Rusty's Story" sold 350,000 copies and again, Carol did a 15 city media tour. That book received the Epilepsy Association's National Book Award and was on the New York Times bestseller list for 5 weeks. She also received the Service Award from the Epilepsy Association of Ohio and spoke to many epilepsy associations across the country. Ciba Geigy made her their spokesperson for the anti-convulsion drug, Tegretol. And another media tour followed.
In 1997, Kensington Books published Carol Gino's new book about the death of her grandson: "Then An Angel Came..." Both her previous books, "The Nurse's Story" and "Rusty's Story" have been reprinted.
Ms. Gino still acts as a Nursing consultant in Healing Imagery for Total Care Home Health Care agency. Her Masters in Transpersonal Studies focused on new modalities for healing, changes in consciousness, and cross-cultural healing.
"The Nurse's Story" screenplay was completed by Mario Puzo. It has been submitted for a feature film or major TV series.
Ms. Gino was a keynote speaker at the National SIDS Convention in Dallas Texas in 1997, and she was also a speaker at the Bereavement Convention in upstate New York, entitled "Helping Families Cope with Grief" in Tarrytown.
The trade paperback edition of "Then An Angel Came" was released in September 1997 by Kensington Books.
She began her own publishing house called Starwater Press Ltd. in 1987 to publish spiritual and angel books and tapes long before they were in mainstream consciousness. Since then she has also started aah-ha! Books in 1996 (Help for Hard Times - clear and simple) for her more mainstream titles.
Carol Gino was the long time companion of author Mario Puzo for 20 years until his death in 1999 and in 2001 completed his book "The Family" which was published by Judith Regan of Harper Collins. It too was a best seller.
Her first book "The Nurse's Story" published by Simon and Schuster sold to nine foreign countries. It is still in print in Japan. It was a feature of the Book of the Month Club and Nurses Book Club and was on PW's list for six weeks. It was #2 on the Los Angeles Times list. Carol did two cross-country tours for The Nurse's Story: which included TV, radio and print media.
She has appeared several TV and radio shows including "The Today Show", "Charlie Rose", "Houston Live", "Regis", "AM Los Angeles", "AM San Francisco" etc.. The Nurse's Story was serialized in the New York Daily News, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post etc.. People Magazine did a feature article on her, and she has been highlighted in many other local and national papers.
She has written articles for New York Magazine (aka Teri Daniels) American Journal of Nursing, and other Nursing Mags. Three of her articles were published in Nursing '97 (the largest nursing journal - circulation of over 350,000.) Three of her stories and several editorials appeared in Nursing '98.
Ms. Gino's second book "Rusty's Story" sold 350,000 copies and again, Carol did a 15 city media tour. That book received the Epilepsy Association's National Book Award and was on the New York Times bestseller list for 5 weeks. She also received the Service Award from the Epilepsy Association of Ohio and spoke to many epilepsy associations across the country. Ciba Geigy made her their spokesperson for the anti-convulsion drug, Tegretol. And another media tour followed.
In 1997, Kensington Books published Carol Gino's new book about the death of her grandson: "Then An Angel Came..." Both her previous books, "The Nurse's Story" and "Rusty's Story" have been reprinted.
Ms. Gino still acts as a Nursing consultant in Healing Imagery for Total Care Home Health Care agency. Her Masters in Transpersonal Studies focused on new modalities for healing, changes in consciousness, and cross-cultural healing.
"The Nurse's Story" screenplay was completed by Mario Puzo. It has been submitted for a feature film or major TV series.
Ms. Gino was a keynote speaker at the National SIDS Convention in Dallas Texas in 1997, and she was also a speaker at the Bereavement Convention in upstate New York, entitled "Helping Families Cope with Grief" in Tarrytown.
The trade paperback edition of "Then An Angel Came" was released in September 1997 by Kensington Books.
She began her own publishing house called Starwater Press Ltd. in 1987 to publish spiritual and angel books and tapes long before they were in mainstream consciousness. Since then she has also started aah-ha! Books in 1996 (Help for Hard Times - clear and simple) for her more mainstream titles.
Carol Gino was the long time companion of author Mario Puzo for 20 years until his death in 1999 and in 2001 completed his book "The Family" which was published by Judith Regan of Harper Collins. It too was a best seller.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 31, 2008
I learned from this book that I wanted to be a nurse.
March 25, 2018
I’ve read the book before, years ago, but when it came to my attention again, I’d forgotten most of the story. It’s about a young girl, whose epileptic seizures were misdiagnosed as paranoid schizophrenia, and once she got on the “crazy” hamster wheel, there was no getting off. Besides being misdiagnosed, she was overdosed on toxic medications and tested again and again, even though test result came back negative.
From personal experience, I know how devastating and debilitating misdiagnoses can be, so I agree that Rusty’s story is a story that needs to be told, but the book was too slow, too drawn out, too repetitive, too many pages devoted to explaining in exhaustive detail all of Rusty’s seizures. I think the story could have been effectively told in half the number of pages.
From personal experience, I know how devastating and debilitating misdiagnoses can be, so I agree that Rusty’s story is a story that needs to be told, but the book was too slow, too drawn out, too repetitive, too many pages devoted to explaining in exhaustive detail all of Rusty’s seizures. I think the story could have been effectively told in half the number of pages.
March 25, 2017
One of my favorite books of all time, such a wonderful and moving book.
December 20, 2024
Why
Great novel about someone who can't get their seizures controlled and how so many drs diagnosed it as mental illness when they want be contolled.
Great novel about someone who can't get their seizures controlled and how so many drs diagnosed it as mental illness when they want be contolled.
December 26, 2024
I'm 50 but I read this when I was 16,.. More than 20 times..! I've always adored this story, I related because my own mother was an epileptic.
August 28, 2016
An incredible story about the stigma surrounding epilepsy in the late 20th century. It's appalling that Rusty had to not only had to grapple with the illness itself, but had to deal with lack of care from an ignorant healthcare system. I find it pretty amazing that the author, Carol Gino, was willing to take this stranger under her wing and help her through the fight of understanding epilepsy. It's an encouraging and heartwarming story. It is simply written and full of wisdom, and I would recommend this book to anyone interested in psychology or the medical field.
January 9, 2008
I have read this so, so many times... Every time I feel angry or depressed about my own life, I turn to Rusty and see what she survived... that I never had to. It is heartbreaking that anybody could ever be treated like she was, and, although it doesn't happen as often now, her case still is not unique. That she lived through so much makes me realize how gifted I really am.
March 25, 2014
Loved this book. I was outraged by the things that this woman was subjected to. How could such a misdiagnosis go unchecked for such a long time? I cried throughout reading this book and could not put it down. The injustice of a system meant to help people, but instead locking them up without humanity. What a truly amazing and strong woman Rusty is.
March 13, 2008
true story of a girls struggle with epliepsy and the disdiagnose of mental illness.
January 20, 2013
Excellent Book... Ms. Gino does an awesome job in writing this real life/ true to life story. There is still so much we don't understand about epilepsy.
July 14, 2013
I read this book many years ago and loved it! I don't read alot of books more than one but I am definately going to read this one again.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews