Unprepared!

This thoughtful and upbeat work looks at an illness that strikes half a million people a year in the United States. The author describes how his life changed as a result of his wife's sudden and debilitating stroke; after 43 years of marriage this tradition-bound man learned to be a nurse, cook and housekeeper. With a vigilant eye and knowing skepticism his wife supervises the vacuuming (uncovering missed dustballs) and laundry (``Are you using two cups of bleach?''), and by the end of the book Collins can cheerfully recite recipes for other meat-and-potatoes men who may find themselves in similar circumstances. Collins, a semi-retired engineer, affects a folksy tone: ``Const busied herself with whatever women find necessary to fuss about when they aren't fussing over grandchildren.'' But he recovers himself with moving descriptions of how he stayed by his wife's side during her 21 days in the hospital, providing unflagging emotional support. Laced throughout are discussions of a stroke's effects on the victim and the family by Shaffer, an occupational therapist, and Hughes, a medical social worker. (Mar.)