All in My Head

by Jessica Morris

All In My Head is a memoir by a woman who in her early fifties received a life-shattering diagnosis. It is about her determined search for effective treatment, the birth of a campaign to get proper data and funding for research into glioblastoma (GBM), and finally her coming to terms with the knowledge that she has reached the end of the road.

Jessica Morris takes the reader on a whirlwind journey. How does an ordinary person who last studied biology aged sixteen negotiate with world-renowned doctors and surgeons about cutting-edge treatments she must decide between? How do you remain positive when the median statistics suggest you have only fourteen months to live? How instead do you cast those fears aside and bounce back?

All In My Head is much more than a book about GBM. It takes the reader into the life of a woman who when confronted by devastating news chooses to be strong. It is about fighting adversity with hope and finding reasons to be positive in the darkest moments.

(World except US and Canada which will be published in 2023)

Genres: Memoir, Medicine, Nonfiction

240 pages, Hardcover

Published June 9, 2022

About the author

Jessica Morris's life dramatically changed course at the end of January 2016, when out of the blue a seizure led to the diagnosis of an aggressive brain tumor. She embarked on a whirlwind journey of experimental treatments at the cutting edge of the fight against the most difficult forms of this disease.

Born in Greenwich, London, Jessica spent 14 years living in New York. She cut her teeth as a campaigner working for the UK homelessness charity Shelter and with refugee groups, going on to provide communications consultancy to some of the biggest companies and government departments on both sides of the Atlantic.

She responded to her diagnosis by setting up a unique patient community combined with the latest interactive technology in the form of OurBrainBank, that seeks to move her tumor, glioblastoma, from terminal to treatable. She negotiated treatment from some of the world's leading neuro-oncologists and surgeons, as well as caring for her family of five in Brooklyn.

Reviews

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read in one sitting. An inspiring memoir by an extraordinary woman who survived glioblastoma against all odds, for several years beyond her prognosis, and dedicated that time to trying to change the deadly brain cancer from terminal to treatable, bringing together thousands of other patients along the way. ❤

[Chris Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

A rich and powerful book, written from a position of strength, positivity and the mindset of a serial campaigner. The book pulls together some of Jessica's blog posts charting her battles with TEF (the evil fucker) which was Glioblastoma brain cancer, with some well-written auto-biography too.

I didn't know what mood I needed to be in to start it (Jess was a friend). But once I realised it didn't matter and turned the first page I didn't look back. Finished it in a day, and started recommending it to people immediately.

I just wish I could have told her how brilliant it is to her face.

[Emma Pilkington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I get to rate my own mother's book! What a beautiful read. I kept reading it and thinking, wow...this book is really well written. And then I would remind myself that I was reading my own mother's words, her own creative story-telling right there in front of me on the page. I am just feeling very lucky she was my mum. X

[Karen J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I once heard that if you have a strong beginning and a strong ending, readers will forgive you for a not so perfect middle. This is the case with the book for me. The beginning provides what's at stake very poignantly, a page turner. Then the book drifts off into a collection of blogs with some interpretive text in between them. I was feeling cynical, that the author needed to make some money so she patched together some blogs. Then I came to the ending. . . it was powerful and moving, and yes, I do forgive her the weak middle. I'm not going to "give it away," but I will say, I'm glad I read this book.

[Robyn Obermeyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has giving me lots of information about brain cancer and the toll it takes on everyone. Jessica was a real fighter and so very challenged by this disease yet she continued to do treatments and share her experience with others. Its taking a while for this all to settle in my own head as my son has GBM since Sept 2023 and the standard of care is just that, its diffucult to deal with and so very sad...... I thank Jessica for writing this book and allowing me to absorb as much as I can and try to come to terms with it all. What a strong woman and what she went thru was so hard to read yet I really needed more info and understanding about this.

[Annette Piton Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal memoir. Jessica is the founder of Our Brain Bank. She lived with GBM for 5 years. I enjoyed her writing a lot. It was inspirational and beautiful and sad. Highly recommend for those who are interested.

[OurBrainBank · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant and heartbreaking, especially for anyone who knew Jessica Morris in real life. Her unique passionate and funny voice rings out.

[Allison ༻hikes the bookwoods༺ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A courageous memoir from a woman fighting a deadly disease. I’m sure I would also seek every treatment option available in her shoes.

[Esther Huntington-Whiteley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Devastating.