Photo by Steve Glennon

A Little About
​Lesli

​Lesli was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota. During her childhood, she traveled via family vacations and high school choir tours throughout the United States.

Following in her mother's footsteps, she played violin for about fifteen years, and in high school traveled to London, England with the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies. In college, she studied biology and music until she realized she'd chosen two of the most engrossing and time-consuming fields on campus. She graduated with a B.S. degree in biology and a minor in chemistry, hoping to continue in that direction.

​She completed a multitude of additional courses in human medical laboratory and veterinary sciences, working for over twenty years in those fields, until she was diagnosed with decompensated congenital hydrocephalus. 

Current Adventures

 Now, Lesli enjoys spending time with her husband of thirty-plus years and her grown-up daughter (sigh), cares for the children and pets in her neighborhood, enjoys traveling and the outdoors, perfects her musical skills, and gives support to others struggling with brain injury and hydrocephalus.

Why did she write this book?

In her volunteering, she found that people diagnosed with hydrocephalus are hungry for more than just the facts. They want to know how it feels, and how to handle daily life before and after surgery. We all want to compare notes, so to speak. It's like what happens when a group of new moms gather; they inevitably end up sharing birth stories! She also found that hardly anyone knows what hydrocephalus is, so she wanted to use a creative way to explain it. The lakes and rivers analogy seems to be helpful to people. In addition, writing comes easily for her, so it is a good medium for communication.

Some people have asked if hydrocephalus has changed her personality. Strictly speaking, no. Personality is something that stays constant in people, for the most part. Personality is shaped by our experiences, though, and finding out she's probably always had hydrocephalus has certainly shaped how she looks back on her life now!
Picture
Photo by Lesli C. Anderson in the BWCA in summer of 1985

Get In Touch!
Lesli enjoys hearing your life stories and answering your questions!