It was January 2010. John Cooper, RN, had just returned from a family trip to Disney World, suffering what he describes as "the worst headache of my life."

In fact, it wasn't a headache at all, but a 40- x 55-mm aneurysm—a distended, weakened area of an artery in his brain, like a thin, weak spot in a rubber garden hose.

That was the beginning of a long, hard road for Cooper, who endured coma, left-side weakness, anger and depression, and cognitive and emotional impairments.

But Cooper, who underwent intensive rehabilitation at MossRehab, is now a five-year survivor who has written an e-book documenting his experience. It's called "Brain Go Boom," and the proceeds benefit the Wounded Warrior Project.

"If it wasn't for the facility I was treated in, my friends and family—especially my wife Laura—I would never have survived" the experience, Cooper says in a new video.

Learn more, including how to download the book, at Cooper's website.

And watch a video briefly documenting Cooper's experiences here: