But My Brain Had Other Ideas: A Memoir of Recovery from Brain Injury

(Paperback)

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at least 1.7 million traumatic brain injuries occur every year in the U.S., either as an isolated injury or along with other injuries.

Current estimates are that 1 in 200 to 300 people have cavernous malformationsthe type of malformed blood vessels in the brain that caused this author's brain injuryand that at least 30% of them will develop symptoms.

Most books about brain injury focus on the injury and its immediate aftermathacute recoveryand end their stories before tackling the daunting task of long-term recovery; this book explores on-going life as well as the drama of the initial crisis.

Reviews

2019 Voice Arts Awards Nominee, Audiobook Narration, Biography, Best Voiceover 2017 USA Best Book Awards Finalist in Autobiography/Memoir 2017-2018 Reader Views Literary Awards Nominee in Regional, Global, or other special awards 2018 Reader Views Reviewers Choice Award Winner, Mid Atlantic Region 2018 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist in Memoirs (Personal Struggles/Health Issues) 2018 International Book Awards Finalist in Autobiography/Memoir "At turns harrowing and inspiring; also serves as a valuable piece of education on recovery from brain injury." Kirkus Its impossible to read But My Brain Had Other Ideas and not be in awe of this womans determination to triumph over her disease. Brandons clear-eyed approach to her story will hook you from the first chapter and remind you what it means to live life full on. Her refusal to be circumscribed by angioma is a reminder of the power of hope in all of our lives. Lee Woodruff, New York Times best-selling author and journalist Told in poetic and exacting language, Brandon's intimate account of life with a damaged brain is equal parts hypnotizing, harrowing, and inspiring. Michael Paul Mason, author of Head Cases: Stories of Brain Injury and Its Aftermath Disability does not discriminate, it can be joined in the blink of an eye or in this case a rupture in the brain. But My Brain Had Other Ideas is a mind boggling roller coaster reality ride of personal trauma , disability and societies mind numbing response. Lawrence Powell, past director of the Office of Disability Resources, Carnegie Mellon University "But My Brain Had Other Ideas is wonderfully writtennot only from a literary point of view, but also as a deeply personal and clear explanation of what it feels like to experience the things that Brandon describes." Dr. William J. Hawthorne III, Psy.D, clinical psychology (neuropsychologist) "Deb Brandon documents her journey with cerebral cavernous angioma, a disease of brain blood vessels, with ferocious honesty. Her tale offers a glimpse into an often confusing and frightening world in which reality can be upended from one day to the next, a world that requires reaching down to the depths of resilience to stay afloat. Deb's struggles and triumphs will resonate with anyone who suffers from invisible illness and those who love them." Connie Lee, Psy.D., President and CEO of Angioma Alliance "Deb Brandon is analytical, precise, and detail oriented. But her prose reveals another side of her brain: authentic, poetic, and romantic. I was singularly captured by Debs storytelling. Beyond my perspective as a surgeon and expert on cavernous angiomas, I could not resist hiking along her in the wilderness, watching Deb draw from nature the strength to adjust, and readjust. As a professor, I wanted to be with her, as she balanced her challenges with the desire to teach and continue to contribute at the highest level. But My Brain Had Other Ideas is a lively portrait of the personal toll of brain disease. " Issam A. Awad, MD, MSc, FACS, Director of Neurovascular Surgery, University of Chicago Medicine and Biological Services "But My Brain Had Other Ideas is a courageous story, one that rings with the truth of living through trauma that robs us of what we take for granteda functioning brain and body, a sense of normalcy and trust in life itself. Deb Brandons chronicle of her journey through the life-threatening brain bleeds of a cavernous angioma, the surgeries, rehab, and the long slog to adapt as a brain-injury survivor offers a beacon of hope for all coping with a disability of any sort." Susan J. Tweit, speaker and award-winning author of Walking Nature Home

Author Bio

Deborah Brandon, PhD has been a professor in the Mathematical Sciences Department at Carnegie Mellon University since 1991. She has participated nationally and internationally in dragon boating. She is a mother, a writer, and a respected textile artist, as well as a brain injury survivor. Her essays and guest posts have appeared in several publications, including Psychology Today, BrainBlogger, and STAT; Weave A Real Peace newsletter, where she has a regular column; Dragon Boat World International, HandEye Magazine, Logan Magazine, SIAM Journal of Mathematical Analysis, and Journal of Integral Equations and Applications. Her books include Threads around the World: From Arabian Weaving to Batik in Zimbabwe. Brandon is an active blogger and regularly participates in social media platforms, including Facebook, where she discusses brain injury and its impact.