Ice Picks & Wayward Children

It's hard to comprehend what would possess anyone, let alone a mother, to request a lobotomy on a child, but that's exactly what happens as Howard Dully tells the story of his youth. My Lobotomy: A Memoir is a beautifully told story of the family and events that lead up to a boys 12 year old birthday and the harrowing life that ensues. In the 1970's Dr. Walter Freeman thought he has found the cure to Schizophrenia amoung many other mental health disorders, by performing a Transorbital Lobotomy. This procedure was performed without the presence of a surgeon on the majority of unfortunate patients and even on Dr. Walter Freeman's desk in his office, giving Electroshock Treatment as the anaesthetic. But this book isn't about the good doctor, it's about a boy who had a strong bond wth his mother, who sadly dies while he's still a child. How his overtly disobedient behavior and lack of interest in school are blown out of protion by a step mother with little patience and understanding and a father working three jobs to support the new larger family. Written with feeling and comprehension of what could possibly have lead to a little rascal getting more punishment than help, this is a great read and a travesty that it comes from experience rather than imagination.