Deb Brandon: Living in Radiant Color

The Queen

Queen Elizabeth The roar of a diesel engine fills the universe, my universe. Then dies abruptly. Close your eyes. Think of the queen. I picture her wave, the barely discernible motion of her wrist—so efficient and graceful. Her corgis trailing after her. “Knock, knock, knock, knock, knock.” What did Ellen DeGeneres say about a kingdom? … Read more

Gulp

I just sent off a package to Dr. Spetzler at the Barrow Neurological Institute, in Phoenix, Arizona, where I had my brain surgeries. As I handed it in at the post office, I gulped. I remember the last time I sent a similar package to Dr. Spetzler. It was in June 2007. It held a … Read more

Details

EEG exhibiting seizure activity. Dr. Robert said that I only had two angiomas. Dr. Stuart told me that of my multiple angiomas only two had bled. But according to the brain MRI report, there were indications of “hemorrhage scattered throughout the hemispheres and in the right middle cerebellar peduncle.” (The cerebellar peduncle is the part … Read more

Prior Authorization

“That’ll be one thousand blah blah dollars. Do you want to complete your order?” My brain shut down briefly after the “one thousand,” rebooting in time to hear the “dollars.” No, I didn’t want to complete my order. I was trying to refill my prescription for anti-seizure meds. The problem was that I wanted the … Read more