It’s All in the Mind by Roger Lampen

MEDIA RELEASE
It’s All in the Mind
by Roger Lampen

Prominent Kiwi businessman Roger Lampen was fit and healthy, embarking - in his early sixties - on his biggest adventure to date; or so he thought. In 2007, during a cycling tour through the Himalayas, Roger suffered a stroke, ending up in an isolated military hospital in Tibet.

It’s All in the Mind, tells the compelling story of his devastating transition from being a passionate and apparently healthy cyclist to suffering all the drama and setbacks of experiencing a stroke – compounded by being in one of the most isolated and inhospitable regions of the world.

Strokes are New Zealand’s third largest killer, after heart disease and cancer, yet many people aren’t aware of what a stroke actually is and what steps can be taken to reduce the risk of suffering one, says Roger.

“Looking back, I realise that my stroke may well have been preventable. I hadn’t known anything about the dangers, the early signs and so there were many signs I missed,” he says. “After all, I felt fit and healthy and had an active lifestyle. It had never occurred to me that I might be at risk of a stroke. But it is my hope that through my story people will become aware of the factors and warnings and motivate those at risk to take action to avoid suffering a stroke.”

A gripping tale of Roger’s journey, It’s All in the Mind is also the story of Roger’s self-directed recovery and the extraordinary determination he has shown to rehabilitate himself since his stroke. Throughout the book, he shows the daily challenges faced during the journey of stroke recovery from the rare perspective of a stroke sufferer and highlights the importance of survivors playing a major role in their own rehabilitation, rather than relying on experts to drive the process.

“A proactive, self-help programme is a vital tool in achieving the goal of recovery, and a catalyst for writing this book was that I could not find any practical books written by people who had themselves suffered a stroke and which focused on self-help techniques and programmes. There were numerous more technical books written by health professionals, and others about spiritual or extraordinary experiences, but I found nothing that met my rehabilitation needs,” says Roger. “An important feature of the book is that I wrote it during my rehabilitation. As I re-read sections, I appreciate how much progress I have made and how difficult it would have been to write accurately later in the rehabilitation journey.”

The book also outlines the tools that have aided Roger’s rehabilitation, including exercises and tips to improve movement, mobility and balance, and dealing with motivation and the challenges of everyday living.

“What is critical, in my experience, is believing that you will improve and that you can drive the improvement. Personally, I have no interest in accepting such common wisdom about strokes as ‘you will see the greatest progress in the first six months and very little after that’. I believe that things will continue to improve if I focus on them and continue to work at them. As I become aware of improvements, the question I ask myself is why shouldn’t I keep improving if I keep working at it? Progress stimulates more progress. Belief is a powerful tool. And where does belief come from? It’s all in the mind.”

It’s All in the Mind is a vital resource for anyone who has suffered from a stroke and their families and friends. Roger’s story is also a wake-up call for all New Zealanders, that no matter how fit and healthy you think you are, anyone can suffer from a stroke so it is vital to identify your risk factors and have the appropriate health checks.

Roger Lampen is a successful New Zealand businessman, founder of the Lampen Group, and has had an extensive career developing and owning companies internationally in the staff recruitment sector. He is also an involved investor in several companies in the health and medical fields. He has been a key player in several charitable organizations, including the Life Education Trust and the Auckland Performing Arts School, and is the chairperson, and founder, of the Workchoice Trust, which provides programmes nationally linking senior school students, schools and employers. His recreational passion is independent cycle touring and he has toured extensively in the UK, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

ENDS

RRP $28.95 Published by Dunmore Press.

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