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

Written by Deb Brandon

Narrated by Helen Lloyd

When Deb Brandon discovered that cavernous angiomas—tangles of malformed blood vessels in her brain—were behind the terrifying symptoms she'd been experiencing, she underwent one brain surgery. And then another. And then another. And that was just the beginning.

But My Brain Had Other Ideas follows Brandon's story all the way through to long-term recovery, revealing without sugarcoating or sentimentality Brandon's struggles—and ultimate triumph.

• Language: English
• Publisher: She Writes Press
• Release date: Sep 17, 2018
• ISBN: 9781987153163

Deb Brandon

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.

Reviews for But My Brain Had Other Ideas

[LynneGauthier · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed learning about angiomas and the author’s account of how they affected her. It was an overall optimistic read, too, though it didn’t sugar-coat the challenges she faces. The timeline skipped around a bit, which I found confusing, and it ended pretty abruptly.