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Publisher Unknown, Kindle Edition
Description
At twelve, Howard Dully was guilty of the same crimes as other boys his age: he was moody, messy, rambunctious, and perpetually at odds with his parents. Yet somehow, this normal boy became one of the youngest people on whom Dr. Walter Freeman performed his barbaric transorbital--or ice pick--lobotomy. Abandoned by his family within a year of the surgery, Howard spent his teen years in mental institutions, his twenties in jail, and his thirties in a bottle. It wasn't until his forties that Howard began to pull his life together. But he still struggled with one question: Why? Through his research, Howard met other lobotomy patients and their families, talked with one of Freeman's sons about his father's controversial life's work, and confronted his own father about his complicity. And, in the doctor's files, he finally came face to face with the truth.--From publisher description.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member bragan
A few months ago, I read The Lobotomist, Jack El-Hai's excellent biography of Walter Freeman, the doctor who popularized lobotomies in the United States and performed the procedure thousands of times on people suffering from pretty much every mental or emotional problem imaginable. It was a
Dully's book isn't quite what I was expecting. It isn't entirely or even mostly about the lobotomy, which was very far from his only problem. Instead, it's a depressing memoir about a boy with (initially pretty mild) delinquent tendencies whose family -- primarily his stepmother -- were willing to try just about anything to render him less annoying except for actual loving attention. After the lobotomy failed to "fix," him, he spent much of the rest of his childhood locked up in a series of mental wards and juvenile detention centers, despite the fact that most of the people involved were well aware that he didn't belong there. Unsurprisingly, between the horrible childhood and the deliberately inflicted brain damage, Dully had serious problems as an adult -- arrests, drug use, periods of homelessness, dysfunctional relationships -- before finally managing to pull his life together, at which point he began to look for answers to his questions about exactly what was done to him and why. Eventually he met some NPR reporters interested in doing a story on Freeman, which metamorphosed into a story about Dully, which led to this book.
It's written in a very simple, rather flat style, which while not exactly compelling prose is somehow a lot more effective than you might expect it to be. It's impossible not to feel sympathy for the poor kid, and the final chapters, in which Dully describes what it's like to finally confront his past and share his experiences with others, are really very moving. His story also touches (albeit very lightly) on some troubling and thought-provoking questions about how we treat "difficult" children, not just in the era of the lobotomy but today.
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fascinating and disturbing book, and it left me very interested to see what things might look like from the other side -- that is, from the point of view of one of Freeman's patients. Although maybe "victims" might be a better word. The patient/victim in this case is Howard Dully, who was only twelve when he was taken to Freeman and given a transorbital (aka ice pick) lobotomy for "symptoms" that seem to be a combination of normal boyhood rambunctiousness and an understandable inability to cope with an abusive home environment.Dully's book isn't quite what I was expecting. It isn't entirely or even mostly about the lobotomy, which was very far from his only problem. Instead, it's a depressing memoir about a boy with (initially pretty mild) delinquent tendencies whose family -- primarily his stepmother -- were willing to try just about anything to render him less annoying except for actual loving attention. After the lobotomy failed to "fix," him, he spent much of the rest of his childhood locked up in a series of mental wards and juvenile detention centers, despite the fact that most of the people involved were well aware that he didn't belong there. Unsurprisingly, between the horrible childhood and the deliberately inflicted brain damage, Dully had serious problems as an adult -- arrests, drug use, periods of homelessness, dysfunctional relationships -- before finally managing to pull his life together, at which point he began to look for answers to his questions about exactly what was done to him and why. Eventually he met some NPR reporters interested in doing a story on Freeman, which metamorphosed into a story about Dully, which led to this book.
It's written in a very simple, rather flat style, which while not exactly compelling prose is somehow a lot more effective than you might expect it to be. It's impossible not to feel sympathy for the poor kid, and the final chapters, in which Dully describes what it's like to finally confront his past and share his experiences with others, are really very moving. His story also touches (albeit very lightly) on some troubling and thought-provoking questions about how we treat "difficult" children, not just in the era of the lobotomy but today.
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LibraryThing member BirdBrian
This book kicked my ass. Seriously. I've got that Schindler's List feeling in my stomach right now.
Author Howard Dully was a "rambunctious" kid growing up in San Jose in the mid-1950's. His neatfreak stepmother could never seem to get him to remember to wash his hands when he came in from outside,
Would you go doctor shopping until you found a psychiatrist willing to certify the child as a dangerous lunatic?
If so, you just might have hit the doctor-shopping jackpot, by meeting Walter Freeman, M.D. In 1947, he declared himself the "Father of Modern Lobotomy" (I guess there was ancient lobotomy?), and started touring mental facilities around the country in his "Lobotomymobile" (I shit you not). After extremely brief consultations with patients he had never met before, he would usually conclude that the cure for what's ailing them was to remove some of their brain tissue. Some of his patients had severe psychiatric problems. Others, no so much. The following tendencies could land you under Dr Freeman's knife:
-boys fighting
-girls acting slutty
-not listening to parents or teachers
-not having as many friends as the other kids
-not engaging Dr Freeman in "thoughtful conversation"
-headaches
That was informative; let's make some more lists. The following are some fun facts about Dr Freeman, which are no cause for alarm, and should not reflect negatively on him in any way:
- he practiced surgery, without having done a surgery residency
- he practiced neurosurgery, without having done a neurosurgery fellowship
- by his own account, he was "not overly concerned" with keeping a sterile field during operations (this may be due to the first two items)
- when challenged that there was no scientific basis for performing lobotomy on schizophrenics, he defended: "I just think some people are better off with less brain tissue".
- he had his priviliges revoked by the executive committee of the medical staff, Stanford Palo Alto Hospital, for performing unneccessary procedures
- he killed a patient in the middle of surgery once, when he stopped the procedure while an instrument was in the patient's brain, so he could run around to the other side of the operating table and activate a timer on his camera, to take a picture of himself. Since he didn't instruct any assistants to hold the instrument during the photo session (you think maybe he could have asked one of them to take the picture?) it sagged under its own weight and sliced through the patient's brain, killing her instantly
That's some crazy shit. Here's some more:
To his befuddlement, Dr Freeman observed a very wide range of results from his surgeries. Some patients seemed to improve. Some developed serious complications, like loss of cognative function, dramatic personality changes, and seizures. About 15% died. This lack of uniformity is no surprise, if you consider that Freeman never actually saw what tissue he was cutting. ...That's right, you heard me. You see, instead of opening the patient's head to visualize the anatomy of the brain, he drove metal "lobototomes" (like long hollow knitting needles) through the back of patients' eye sockets, breaking through the thin bone back there to get into their brains. Then he just kind of wiggled the lobototomes around through the soft gray matter (living brain has the consistency of butter), until enough broke off that it could be sucked up through the lobototome like a straw. Naturally, there was quite a bit of variability from patient to patient as to what part of the brain was being removed, and how much.
GOOD GOD!! How could something like this be allowed to transpire?
To be fair, a lot of the medical establishment was up in arms about it. Unfortunately, a powerful minority among them was allied with hospital administrators, who were fretting about the rising cost of long-term psychiatric care. This was the 40's and 50's (and into the 60's) we're talking about. Most serious medical conditions either got cured, or resulted in a timely death. Mental patients were somewhat unique in requiring decades of continual care, with no cure in sight. Administrators found Freeman's procedure attractive, because even if it rendered a patient comatose, at least that person could then be discharged from the hospital and sent back to his family for long-term care.
Well... most patients. Howard Dully got lobotomized at age 12, but after the procedure, his insane stepmother and mostly-absentee Dad decided they didn't want him back. He bounced around between state hospitals and juvenile detention until he became a legal adult. Then, with no education to speak of, they turned him loose.
You can probably write the rest from here. Meeting bad influences. Petty crimes. Jail. Drug use. Unplanned pregnancies. More jail. More drugs. Begging money off his relatives. Begging money off friends. Begging money off strangers.
I was amazed how much mental function and personality Dully retained after the lobotomy. My only prior image of the lobotomized had been Jack Nicholson staring inertly at the ceiling, at the end of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Freeman must have been having a good day when he did Dully. Thirty turbulent years followed, until Howard sort of settled down. He eventually went on to get an Associate's degree, and learned some trade skills- first in a printing shop, and then as a bus driver. He's an intellegent guy. His bizarre and mostly-criminal adventures make for fascinating, if not slightly guilty, reading. I'm fairly astounded how much tail this man got in his younger years! Normally that would be inappropriate for me to say, but Howard basically says it himself, in his good-natured way. He attributes the number of women willing to look past his substance abuse, occassional violent outbursts, infidelity, poor socioeconomic prospects, and criminal record/behavior as a testiment to the power of the "bad boy" image, and I guess he must be right.
Toward the end of the book, he's mellowed out a bit, and is remarkably nice, considering what he's been through. He's not nearly as angry about what happened to him as I am for him (if that makes sense) ...or as I would be if it happened to me. He even went as far as reaching out to his father, and asking him about the decision to lobotomize his son. The father comes across very unsympathetically: essentially shrugging and saying "what's done is done". Even after everything Howard has endured, he loves his father, and forgives him. In the afterword, he even forgives his stepmother. That's going further than I ever could, but I think it has brought Howard some peace, and I'm all for that.
Dr. Freeman died miserable, an estranged alcoholic after two failed marriages, living with the guilt of indirectly causing his son's accidental death on a camping trip. Karma wins again, I guess. There's your happy ending for you.
Author Howard Dully was a "rambunctious" kid growing up in San Jose in the mid-1950's. His neatfreak stepmother could never seem to get him to remember to wash his hands when he came in from outside,
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and he sometimes fought with his three brothers!!! What would you do if your life was being completely destroyed like that, by such an out-of-control monster? Would you go doctor shopping until you found a psychiatrist willing to certify the child as a dangerous lunatic?
If so, you just might have hit the doctor-shopping jackpot, by meeting Walter Freeman, M.D. In 1947, he declared himself the "Father of Modern Lobotomy" (I guess there was ancient lobotomy?), and started touring mental facilities around the country in his "Lobotomymobile" (I shit you not). After extremely brief consultations with patients he had never met before, he would usually conclude that the cure for what's ailing them was to remove some of their brain tissue. Some of his patients had severe psychiatric problems. Others, no so much. The following tendencies could land you under Dr Freeman's knife:
-boys fighting
-girls acting slutty
-not listening to parents or teachers
-not having as many friends as the other kids
-not engaging Dr Freeman in "thoughtful conversation"
-headaches
That was informative; let's make some more lists. The following are some fun facts about Dr Freeman, which are no cause for alarm, and should not reflect negatively on him in any way:
- he practiced surgery, without having done a surgery residency
- he practiced neurosurgery, without having done a neurosurgery fellowship
- by his own account, he was "not overly concerned" with keeping a sterile field during operations (this may be due to the first two items)
- when challenged that there was no scientific basis for performing lobotomy on schizophrenics, he defended: "I just think some people are better off with less brain tissue".
- he had his priviliges revoked by the executive committee of the medical staff, Stanford Palo Alto Hospital, for performing unneccessary procedures
- he killed a patient in the middle of surgery once, when he stopped the procedure while an instrument was in the patient's brain, so he could run around to the other side of the operating table and activate a timer on his camera, to take a picture of himself. Since he didn't instruct any assistants to hold the instrument during the photo session (you think maybe he could have asked one of them to take the picture?) it sagged under its own weight and sliced through the patient's brain, killing her instantly
That's some crazy shit. Here's some more:
To his befuddlement, Dr Freeman observed a very wide range of results from his surgeries. Some patients seemed to improve. Some developed serious complications, like loss of cognative function, dramatic personality changes, and seizures. About 15% died. This lack of uniformity is no surprise, if you consider that Freeman never actually saw what tissue he was cutting. ...That's right, you heard me. You see, instead of opening the patient's head to visualize the anatomy of the brain, he drove metal "lobototomes" (like long hollow knitting needles) through the back of patients' eye sockets, breaking through the thin bone back there to get into their brains. Then he just kind of wiggled the lobototomes around through the soft gray matter (living brain has the consistency of butter), until enough broke off that it could be sucked up through the lobototome like a straw. Naturally, there was quite a bit of variability from patient to patient as to what part of the brain was being removed, and how much.
GOOD GOD!! How could something like this be allowed to transpire?
To be fair, a lot of the medical establishment was up in arms about it. Unfortunately, a powerful minority among them was allied with hospital administrators, who were fretting about the rising cost of long-term psychiatric care. This was the 40's and 50's (and into the 60's) we're talking about. Most serious medical conditions either got cured, or resulted in a timely death. Mental patients were somewhat unique in requiring decades of continual care, with no cure in sight. Administrators found Freeman's procedure attractive, because even if it rendered a patient comatose, at least that person could then be discharged from the hospital and sent back to his family for long-term care.
Well... most patients. Howard Dully got lobotomized at age 12, but after the procedure, his insane stepmother and mostly-absentee Dad decided they didn't want him back. He bounced around between state hospitals and juvenile detention until he became a legal adult. Then, with no education to speak of, they turned him loose.
You can probably write the rest from here. Meeting bad influences. Petty crimes. Jail. Drug use. Unplanned pregnancies. More jail. More drugs. Begging money off his relatives. Begging money off friends. Begging money off strangers.
I was amazed how much mental function and personality Dully retained after the lobotomy. My only prior image of the lobotomized had been Jack Nicholson staring inertly at the ceiling, at the end of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Freeman must have been having a good day when he did Dully. Thirty turbulent years followed, until Howard sort of settled down. He eventually went on to get an Associate's degree, and learned some trade skills- first in a printing shop, and then as a bus driver. He's an intellegent guy. His bizarre and mostly-criminal adventures make for fascinating, if not slightly guilty, reading. I'm fairly astounded how much tail this man got in his younger years! Normally that would be inappropriate for me to say, but Howard basically says it himself, in his good-natured way. He attributes the number of women willing to look past his substance abuse, occassional violent outbursts, infidelity, poor socioeconomic prospects, and criminal record/behavior as a testiment to the power of the "bad boy" image, and I guess he must be right.
Toward the end of the book, he's mellowed out a bit, and is remarkably nice, considering what he's been through. He's not nearly as angry about what happened to him as I am for him (if that makes sense) ...or as I would be if it happened to me. He even went as far as reaching out to his father, and asking him about the decision to lobotomize his son. The father comes across very unsympathetically: essentially shrugging and saying "what's done is done". Even after everything Howard has endured, he loves his father, and forgives him. In the afterword, he even forgives his stepmother. That's going further than I ever could, but I think it has brought Howard some peace, and I'm all for that.
Dr. Freeman died miserable, an estranged alcoholic after two failed marriages, living with the guilt of indirectly causing his son's accidental death on a camping trip. Karma wins again, I guess. There's your happy ending for you.
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LibraryThing member brianinbuffalo
A somber memoir that tackles a unique and terrifying topic. Unfortunately, most of the book falls into the "too much information" category -- and not in a titillating fashion. Dully's decision to chronicle what seems like every twist and turn of his adolescence becomes downright boring in many
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spots. The problem is compounded by dry writing. Still, the last third of the book is fascinating. Dully finally moves out of the "and the next thing that happened to me" mode and begins his struggle to come to grips with his harrowing experience. Dully compares the decision that was made to give him a lobotomy to modern medicine's tendency to over-prescribe drugs to people -- especially kids -- who are merely reacting to normal problems. His life also shows how one can suffer a horrible ordeal and turn it into something positive -- an enlightening lesson for society. Show Less
LibraryThing member bcquinnsmom
There's just something wrong with a woman who feels her only recourse is to lobotomize her 12 year -old stepson. Yes, the kid was high-spirited, did some goofy stuff, went out unkempt at times and drove his parents nuts once in a while, but which kid doesn't? I know...been there, done that, bought
After the lobotomy, the author continued to engage in some rather negative activities, and it seems to me that he's asking himself whether or not his teenage years and beyond, always in and out of trouble, were the result of the lobotomy or a result of his quest to try to understand why this had happened to him. I'm not sure that there is a definitive answer here; it could also be that his mom died when he was just a baby himself (age 4) and he found himself competing for attention in a household where he was rather unloved; it could also be that being treated the way he was in this household might have set him up with behavioral patterns that would last through adulthood.
This book has been criticized by some readers as being written in a style which is somewhat childish or unpolished; personally I think that's part of why I liked this book. It didn't feel contrived but honest. I mean, it's obvious that the author isn't a professional writer, but that's okay. It's his story. The only negative comment I have is that some of the events he's chosen to include here seemed like they could have been edited out of the story without losing the thread.
Overall, it was a good book, and you can't help but feel sorry for this man. I don't think it deserves the criticism it's received on one website where someone wrote that the author spent his time whining about being a victim and that it got old; it certainly wasn't his choice to have ice picks stuck through his eye sockets at age 12. I would recommend it to people interested in the history of mental illness, or to people who may be curious about the book and are wondering whether or not to pick it up.
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the child-raising t-shirt. I've had times when I felt like I was at the end of my rope -- but I'd go into my room, count to 20 (maybe 30) and come back ready to start over. It wouldn't have even occurred to me to send my troublemaking child out for a lobotomy, even had they been legal. Nor would it have occurred to me to put said child on drugs to calm him down, beat him, or whatever. But apparently, Howard Dully's stepmother and I did not think alike during our child-raising years. She consulted the famous Dr. Walter Freeman only four times before deciding to go through with it. I won't go into the gory details of the operation, nor will I continue to summarize the book, but suffice it to say that Dully emerged from the operation with ongoing problems the rest of his life. His reason for writing the book (aside from the money, which he is quite honest about) is to look for an answer to his question as to what it was he'd ever done to deserve that fate. After the lobotomy, the author continued to engage in some rather negative activities, and it seems to me that he's asking himself whether or not his teenage years and beyond, always in and out of trouble, were the result of the lobotomy or a result of his quest to try to understand why this had happened to him. I'm not sure that there is a definitive answer here; it could also be that his mom died when he was just a baby himself (age 4) and he found himself competing for attention in a household where he was rather unloved; it could also be that being treated the way he was in this household might have set him up with behavioral patterns that would last through adulthood.
This book has been criticized by some readers as being written in a style which is somewhat childish or unpolished; personally I think that's part of why I liked this book. It didn't feel contrived but honest. I mean, it's obvious that the author isn't a professional writer, but that's okay. It's his story. The only negative comment I have is that some of the events he's chosen to include here seemed like they could have been edited out of the story without losing the thread.
Overall, it was a good book, and you can't help but feel sorry for this man. I don't think it deserves the criticism it's received on one website where someone wrote that the author spent his time whining about being a victim and that it got old; it certainly wasn't his choice to have ice picks stuck through his eye sockets at age 12. I would recommend it to people interested in the history of mental illness, or to people who may be curious about the book and are wondering whether or not to pick it up.
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LibraryThing member FicusFan
I saw this book mentioned on LT. Then I saw it in the store on one of those buy one, get one 1/2 price tables, I found another book to go with it, and picked it up.
It is just an amazing story. It is completely riveting, and I read it in one sitting. It tells the true story of Howard Dully who when
His step-mother disliked him, and seemed to be a control freak. Howard was messy, forgetful, and less than interested in her rules for homelife. She shopped around to various doctors (she tried to get him committed, but they said he was normal) until she found one who had a solution for her. He was the pioneer of Lobotomies in the US, and said it would 'cure' Howard's problems.
The step-mother convinced Howard's father, who was always working, or punishing and not very emotionally involved. Howard's mother was dead, and he had no one to stop them. They inserted a slim ice-pick into the corner of both his eyes and swished around in his brain. Luckily for him, he wasn't killed, or made into a vegetable.
Unfortunately, he didn't change enough for the step-mother and she had him removed from his home.
The story follows Howard as he goes from institution to residential school, to foster home and eventual release at 19. Howard then spends many, many lost years trying to live, but not knowing how. He wastes time drinking, drugging, being arrested, and hanging out with the wrong people. His life was on track to become a dead end.
Eventually, love for a woman who became his wife and determination allowed him to clean up his life, and live normally. Then he asked 'why', and went in search of answers. This book is about what happened, what he found out, the doctor who did the lobotomies, and some of the other victims.
The book is simply written, in Howard's voice. He doesn't always remember situations, and in the middle of the book his adult problems become repetitive. It is still an amazing book and a fascinating read. Highly, highly recommended.
It is just an amazing story. It is completely riveting, and I read it in one sitting. It tells the true story of Howard Dully who when
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he was 12, in 1960, was given a lobotomy.His step-mother disliked him, and seemed to be a control freak. Howard was messy, forgetful, and less than interested in her rules for homelife. She shopped around to various doctors (she tried to get him committed, but they said he was normal) until she found one who had a solution for her. He was the pioneer of Lobotomies in the US, and said it would 'cure' Howard's problems.
The step-mother convinced Howard's father, who was always working, or punishing and not very emotionally involved. Howard's mother was dead, and he had no one to stop them. They inserted a slim ice-pick into the corner of both his eyes and swished around in his brain. Luckily for him, he wasn't killed, or made into a vegetable.
Unfortunately, he didn't change enough for the step-mother and she had him removed from his home.
The story follows Howard as he goes from institution to residential school, to foster home and eventual release at 19. Howard then spends many, many lost years trying to live, but not knowing how. He wastes time drinking, drugging, being arrested, and hanging out with the wrong people. His life was on track to become a dead end.
Eventually, love for a woman who became his wife and determination allowed him to clean up his life, and live normally. Then he asked 'why', and went in search of answers. This book is about what happened, what he found out, the doctor who did the lobotomies, and some of the other victims.
The book is simply written, in Howard's voice. He doesn't always remember situations, and in the middle of the book his adult problems become repetitive. It is still an amazing book and a fascinating read. Highly, highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member indygo88
A rather enlightening memoir of someone who lived through (& beyond) a transorbital lobotomy at age 12. I snatched this up on a whim & am glad I did so. Immediately upon finishing I had to go Google Howard Dully & find out more.
Really, the "lobotomy" part of this memoir is minimal. This is more a
Really, the "lobotomy" part of this memoir is minimal. This is more a
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story of a boy who grew up under unfortunate family circumstances, whose mother died at a young age, whose father didn't know how to express love, and whose stepmother really took control of his young life & molded it into something it shouldn't have been. The effects of the lobotomy itself are questionable in Howard Dully's life -- overall, I think he was very lucky to turn out as well as he did. This is more a story of an individual struggling to survive a tough life, & searching to find himself amidst a life of chaos. There's no doubt Howard was a troubled young man & made some bad decisions on his own, but I think it's also evident that he was initially a victim & this affected him to a great extent. I think the written story as a whole could have perhaps been organized a little better. I felt there was some unnecessary repetition and also some unnecessary detail, but on the whole, it was very informative and will likely stick with me for some time. Show Less
LibraryThing member tjsjohanna
Wow! It is amazing that not too many years ago someone practically "posing" as a doctor could do something so dangerous as poking around in someone's brain. And that a child could be abused and basically abandoned with the complicity of the state. Although this book is about Mr. Dully's lobotomy,
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it is more about a family who gave up on one of their own. Very sad and also a warning to any parent who has forgotten what they owe to the children in their care. An interesting mix of historical interest and personal memoir. Show Less
LibraryThing member Emidawg
The author certainly wasn't an angel as a child but to have received a Lobotomy at the age of 12 is a horrible thing to have happened. Having read several books about mental health in the past and present I am glad that (so far at least) to have not had any run-ins with the system.
What bothered me
Picked this up out of the book swap at work, an interesting autobiography about an extremely unhappy childhood which was only made worse by the addition of a frontal lobotomy.
What bothered me
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most were the reactions of the author's parents to his plight, especially his father when questioned about the procedure towards the end of the book...Picked this up out of the book swap at work, an interesting autobiography about an extremely unhappy childhood which was only made worse by the addition of a frontal lobotomy.
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LibraryThing member KamGeb
It was interesting and thought provoking. Gave a look of what was going on in medicine in the 50s that I didn't know about. It left me frustrated that there are so many parts of his past that you never really understand.
LibraryThing member cygnoir
Mr. Dully's ordeal is horrifying to read, yet he not only manages to salvage his life but find true positivity from it. I enjoyed the straightforward voice of the narrator, even when I did not enjoy the story being told. This is a remarkable and unforgettable memoir.
LibraryThing member kishields
Interesting story, especially in the first half of the book. An attempt by the author to figure out why he received a transorbital lobotomy at the age of 12—what he did that was so wrong he was labeled schizophrenic and received this devastating injury. More interesting in many ways for the
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background on Dr. Freeman, the lobotomy pioneer. To me, having grown up in the 60's, it was shocking that this was still going on at that time. Seems very late in the century for such crude procedures, that resulted in so many deaths and maimings, to still be endorsed or even allowed by the medical community and the legal system! The author leaves so many questions unanswered and much of the story is unclear. What EXACTLY he did to irritate his stepmother is unclear, as is how bad his actions really were as a child. It is clear, however, that his parents were grossly inadequate and abusive. It's also unclear how impaired the author is, especially since the book was written with coauthor Charles Fleming. He seems to feel he functions at a completely normal level mentally, which is hard to accept. I have rented a documentary from PBS on Dr. Freeman and look forward to watching it to see if I can learn a bit more. Overall, a thought-provoking memoir, even if a bit frustrating and surprisingly dull in some sections. Show Less
LibraryThing member tahoegirl
Interesting, I had no idea lobotomies were performed on children with such flimsy evidence of mental illness. I know the guy had a lobotomy and has been through a lot, but I felt like a lot of the book was one big pity party
LibraryThing member susiesharp
My Lobotomy by, Howard Dully
This book was a sad yet fascinating story of a man looking for the answers as to why he was given a lobotomy at the age of 12.Howard's mother died when he was young and his father remarried,his stepmother pretty much hated him from the start and was mentally and
The books tells of Howard's life after the lobotomy ,his stepmother continued to send him away he grew up in juvenile homes and state hospital's to being homeless and alcoholic.When he was finally clean and sober and in a stable relationship and had children of his own he decided he wanted answers to his lifelong question -Why?.
In doing research Howard was contacted by NPR Radio the last three chapters are on this radio show.They found his medical record's that Dr.Freeman had donated to a library,he finally got some of the answers he was looking for.Howard to me is a fasinating man for all he's been through and survived my hats off to him!
I went on NPR.org and listened to the radio show it was very interesting and emotional.
I recommend this book whole-heartedly.
This book was a sad yet fascinating story of a man looking for the answers as to why he was given a lobotomy at the age of 12.Howard's mother died when he was young and his father remarried,his stepmother pretty much hated him from the start and was mentally and
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physically abusive to him.She went from doctor to doctor trying to have him committed ,anything to get him out of her house. She finally met Dr.Freeman the pioneer of the ice pick lobotomy in him she thought she'd found the solution to her problems, as I read the book I had to wonder if she hoped it would kill him.He was the youngest person to have a lobotomy and most medical professionals at the time were very much against this procedure in general and especially on children.The books tells of Howard's life after the lobotomy ,his stepmother continued to send him away he grew up in juvenile homes and state hospital's to being homeless and alcoholic.When he was finally clean and sober and in a stable relationship and had children of his own he decided he wanted answers to his lifelong question -Why?.
In doing research Howard was contacted by NPR Radio the last three chapters are on this radio show.They found his medical record's that Dr.Freeman had donated to a library,he finally got some of the answers he was looking for.Howard to me is a fasinating man for all he's been through and survived my hats off to him!
I went on NPR.org and listened to the radio show it was very interesting and emotional.
I recommend this book whole-heartedly.
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LibraryThing member sojourner8
Amazing, must read book. This is a first hand account of man's search to learn out why he was given a lobotomy as a child. He discovers the truth 20 years after the fact.
LibraryThing member crazybatcow
This book is disturbing. Very very disturbing. From some point near the beginning a little knot of tension starts in your belly, and it stays there throughout most of the book... because the pivotal act in the story is just so horrifying: they lobotomized a 12 year old. I know it was the 60s and a
Was Howard Dully an angel? Was his step-mother a devil? How much of the story is "true"? We all know that our own pasts have events that we see differently than others did, that we felt differently, that our feelings about changed as we aged. Howard would be no different. Just because he doesn't remember being "bad" doesn't mean that he wasn't. Just because his "pranks" were pranks to him, maybe they were not just pranks to his brother(s).
But, on the other hand, maybe they were. Maybe the stepmother was crazy and evil and torturous and his father abusive and neglectful.
Was the stepmother misled by Dr. Freeman? Was Dr. Freeman misled by the stepmother? Was a lobotomy the last option the parents had to deal with a violent and disruptive child or did they make up the violence and disruptiveness in order to get "rid" of him?
Most likely, however, the truth rests somewhere in the middle, but, regardless... this life story makes you wonder how different a life might have been... if only...
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lot of bad stuff went on then but, still, who in hell gives a lobotomy to a 12 year old? Who gives one to anybody? It severs the very thing that makes us human, independent, individual.... which is what makes this whole story so disturbing.Was Howard Dully an angel? Was his step-mother a devil? How much of the story is "true"? We all know that our own pasts have events that we see differently than others did, that we felt differently, that our feelings about changed as we aged. Howard would be no different. Just because he doesn't remember being "bad" doesn't mean that he wasn't. Just because his "pranks" were pranks to him, maybe they were not just pranks to his brother(s).
But, on the other hand, maybe they were. Maybe the stepmother was crazy and evil and torturous and his father abusive and neglectful.
Was the stepmother misled by Dr. Freeman? Was Dr. Freeman misled by the stepmother? Was a lobotomy the last option the parents had to deal with a violent and disruptive child or did they make up the violence and disruptiveness in order to get "rid" of him?
Most likely, however, the truth rests somewhere in the middle, but, regardless... this life story makes you wonder how different a life might have been... if only...
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LibraryThing member dfullmer
A touching and sad but ultimately uplifting story of a man scarred by this horrible operation and abusive parents.
LibraryThing member thevoice1208
If you are interested in the history of the treatment of mental illness, this book is a must read. Although the procedure the author endured at the age of 12 is unthinkable, his later search for answers lead him to turn around his life. While simplistically written and some times repetitive, when
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one considers the author was lobotomized it's a wonder the book exists. Show Less
LibraryThing member SamSusan
This is a really interesting story. I was surprised to see that it seems like this mans problems were more from how he was raised rather than the procedure. At least that what it looks like to me.
LibraryThing member nico5250
This was a very inciteful look into the true horror that lobotomies were. The audacity of a doctor to perform such brutish 'surgery' on living, breathing human beings is brought to the forefront in this survivors account. With no noticible positive affect on the life of Howard, it becomes clear as
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to just why lobotomies are no longer performed. Show Less
LibraryThing member Erikayumi
An excellent memoir. Once I started reading this book I couldn't stop. A very emotional read, and riveting from beginning to end.
LibraryThing member shaunnas
What a sad book. How could this happen?
LibraryThing member Rob.Larson
This story tears at your heart. How did something like this happen to a 12 year old boy? Mr. Dully's ability to make it out of all this is remarkable, and his ability to forgive is amazing. Remarkable book! A must read for all who love memoirs and biographies.
LibraryThing member airdna
A horrifying memoir about a young man whose truly wicked Stepmother had him lobotomized at the age of 12 because she couldn't control his behavior. He spent much of his adult life institutionalized, jailed, alcoholic and homeless - and wondering what was so terribly wrong with him that his family
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had treated him so cruelly and abandonded him so completely. The story is apalling and compelling, but the writing is clunky at times and the author's voice is often awkward and stunted. Some of that is understandable, given that the author had a lobotomy after all, but I think the co-author could have cleaned up some of the prose and still retained the authenticity of Howard's voice. Show Less
LibraryThing member arubabookwoman
When he was 12 years old, Howard Dully received a transorbital lobotomy (aka the ice pick lobotomy). The procedure was performed by its inventor, Dr. Walter Freeman, and was fairly well discredited at the time Howard was lobotomized.
When he was in his 50's, having led a very troubled life until
'In 1960 I was given a transorbital or 'ice pick' lobotomy. My stepmother arranged it. My father agreed to it. Dr. Walter Freeman, the father of the American lobotomy, told me he was going to do some 'tests.' It took ten minutes and cost $200. And I never understood why. I wasn't a violent kid. I had never hurt anyone. I wasn't failing out of school. I wasn't in trouble with the law. I wasn't depressed or suicidal. I wasn't dangerous. Was there something I had done that was so horrible that I deserved a lobotomy?'
This is a fascinating and sad book, but ultimately one of hope and forgiveness.
When he was in his 50's, having led a very troubled life until
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then, Howard set out to answer the question that had troubled him for all the years since his lobotomy: Why? He was able to obtain Freeman's records, and interviewed many of those who were close to him at the time. While today Howard might be diagnosed at most as a child in need of affection who is acting out, after his physically and emotionally abusive stepmother brought him in, Dr. Freeman (who wasn't a psychiatrist), after one short visit, diagnosed him as a paranoid schizophrenic. Here are Howard's words:'In 1960 I was given a transorbital or 'ice pick' lobotomy. My stepmother arranged it. My father agreed to it. Dr. Walter Freeman, the father of the American lobotomy, told me he was going to do some 'tests.' It took ten minutes and cost $200. And I never understood why. I wasn't a violent kid. I had never hurt anyone. I wasn't failing out of school. I wasn't in trouble with the law. I wasn't depressed or suicidal. I wasn't dangerous. Was there something I had done that was so horrible that I deserved a lobotomy?'
This is a fascinating and sad book, but ultimately one of hope and forgiveness.
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LibraryThing member dana.lemoine
"My Lobotomy" was not quite what I expected. I had been interested in reading an account of a patient who had been legitimately diagnosed with a mental illness and treated with a lobotomy, about that individual's experience before, during and after the operation. Howard Dully's story was one of
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abuse and negligence of a child, and how significantly those childhood experiences impacted the rest of his life. Although it wasn't quite the story I was looking for, and despite it's occasional ramblings, it was nonetheless intriguing and thought-provoking. I felt his story highlighted how complicated and unclear the interactions between an individual's own personality, his upbringing and his circumstances are in determining his future, and how difficult it can be to overcome those obstacles. Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Audie Award (Finalist — Biography/Memoir — 2008)
Original publication date
2007
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