Author: Barbara MacDonald
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781539771579
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 300
Book Description
The practitioner's guide to support women through conventional cancer treatment.
The Breast Cancer Companion
Author: Barbara MacDonald
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781539771579
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 300
Book Description
The practitioner's guide to support women through conventional cancer treatment.
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781539771579
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 300
Book Description
The practitioner's guide to support women through conventional cancer treatment.
Dear God, They Say It's Cancer
Author: Janet Thompson
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1582295751
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 402
Book Description
A Friend to Help You Through... No matter where you are in your breast cancer journey, this book is the companion you need. Whether... you've just heard the dreaded diagnosis for the first time you're in the middle of decisions and treatments you're experiencing the disappoint of recurrence or you're several years beyond the initial trauma... No matter where you are in that journey, you need someone who understands. You need a trusted friend to walk along beside, someone who's gone before you. You'll find that friend between the pages of this book. This book is yours to use in whatever way serves you best. You can start in the beginning and work your way through, or you can use the detailed table of contents to help you find just what you need for what you are experiencing on any given day. This Helpful Guide Will Be Your * Mentor * Record keeper * Journal * Devotional * Prayer guide * And friend Each chapter includes A Sister Shares -- stories from breast cancer "sisters" Mentoring Moment -- lessons learned, helpful hints, encouragement God's Love Letter to You -- paraphrased scripture for you to personalize Journaling Guides -- encouraging prompts to help you journal your own breast cancer journey And more! You don't have to make this journey alone. Hope and help await you in the pages of this book, written just for you in your time of need. Bonus! Sanity Tools Appendix includes How to do research National contacts Decision-making worksheets Breast cancer journey map Finding your purpose in your pain And much, much, more
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1582295751
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 402
Book Description
A Friend to Help You Through... No matter where you are in your breast cancer journey, this book is the companion you need. Whether... you've just heard the dreaded diagnosis for the first time you're in the middle of decisions and treatments you're experiencing the disappoint of recurrence or you're several years beyond the initial trauma... No matter where you are in that journey, you need someone who understands. You need a trusted friend to walk along beside, someone who's gone before you. You'll find that friend between the pages of this book. This book is yours to use in whatever way serves you best. You can start in the beginning and work your way through, or you can use the detailed table of contents to help you find just what you need for what you are experiencing on any given day. This Helpful Guide Will Be Your * Mentor * Record keeper * Journal * Devotional * Prayer guide * And friend Each chapter includes A Sister Shares -- stories from breast cancer "sisters" Mentoring Moment -- lessons learned, helpful hints, encouragement God's Love Letter to You -- paraphrased scripture for you to personalize Journaling Guides -- encouraging prompts to help you journal your own breast cancer journey And more! You don't have to make this journey alone. Hope and help await you in the pages of this book, written just for you in your time of need. Bonus! Sanity Tools Appendix includes How to do research National contacts Decision-making worksheets Breast cancer journey map Finding your purpose in your pain And much, much, more
After Breast Cancer
Author: Hester Hill Schnipper, LICSW
Publisher: Bantam
ISBN: 0307481204
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 322
Book Description
As women quickly discover, their life when treatment ends is very different from what it was before their diagnosis. Often exhausted, anxious, and emotionally volatile, they are beset by physical discomforts, fearful of intimacy, afraid for their children, worried about recurrence. Anticipating a return to “normalcy,” they discover that the old version of normal no longer applies. There could be no more knowledgeable guide for women embarking on this complicated journey than Hester Hill Schnipper, who is herself both an experienced oncology social worker and a breast cancer survivor. This comprehensive handbook provides jargon-free information on the wide range of practical issues women face as they navigate the journey back to health, including: •Managing physical problems such as fatigue, hot flashes, and aches and pains •Handling relationships: your children, your partner, your parents, your friends. •How to regain emotional and sexual intimacy •Coping with financial and workplace issues •Genetic testing: why, whether, when •How to move beyond the fear of recurrence •And much more This indispensable book will help you rediscover your capacity for joy as you move forward into the future—as a survivor.
Publisher: Bantam
ISBN: 0307481204
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 322
Book Description
As women quickly discover, their life when treatment ends is very different from what it was before their diagnosis. Often exhausted, anxious, and emotionally volatile, they are beset by physical discomforts, fearful of intimacy, afraid for their children, worried about recurrence. Anticipating a return to “normalcy,” they discover that the old version of normal no longer applies. There could be no more knowledgeable guide for women embarking on this complicated journey than Hester Hill Schnipper, who is herself both an experienced oncology social worker and a breast cancer survivor. This comprehensive handbook provides jargon-free information on the wide range of practical issues women face as they navigate the journey back to health, including: •Managing physical problems such as fatigue, hot flashes, and aches and pains •Handling relationships: your children, your partner, your parents, your friends. •How to regain emotional and sexual intimacy •Coping with financial and workplace issues •Genetic testing: why, whether, when •How to move beyond the fear of recurrence •And much more This indispensable book will help you rediscover your capacity for joy as you move forward into the future—as a survivor.
Breasts: The Owner's Manual
Author: Kristi Funk
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
ISBN: 0785218823
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 417
Book Description
A national bestseller! Breast cancer surgeon Dr. Kristi Funk offers a comprehensive and encouraging approach to breast care and breast cancer. Empower yourself with facts and strategies to understand your breasts, reduce your cancer risk, and open your eyes to interventions and treatments. Most women don’t want to hear about breast cancer unless they have it and need to make some decisions, but these days news about breast cancer—the number one killer of women ages twenty to fifty-nine—is everywhere. Chances are you know someone who has had it. But did you know that choices you make every day bring you closer to breast cancer—or move you farther away? That there are ways to reduce your risk factors? And that many of the things you’ve heard regarding the causes of breast cancer are flat-out false? Based on Dr. Kristi Funk’s experience as a board-certified breast cancer surgeon, she knows for a fact that women have the power to reduce breast cancer risk in dramatic ways. Many women believe that family history and genetics determine who gets breast cancer, but that’s not true for most people. In fact, 87 percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer do not have a single first-degree relative with breast cancer. This book will help you: Learn the breast-health basics that every woman should know Reduce your cancer risk and recurrence risk based on food choices and healthy lifestyle changes backed by rigorous scientific research Understand the controllable and uncontrollable risk factors for breast cancer Outline your medical choices if you're at elevated risk for or are already navigating life with breast cancer There have been few solid guidelines on how to improve your breast health, lower your risk of getting cancer, and make informed medical choices after treatment—until now. With her book available in 10 languages and in more than 30 countries, Dr. Funk is passionate about her mission of educating as many women as possible about what they can do to stop breast cancer before it starts. Praise for Breasts: The Owner’s Manual: “Dr. Funk writes Breasts: The Owner’s Manual just like she talks: with conviction, passion, and a laser focus on you.”—Dr. Mehmet Oz, Host of The Dr. Oz Show “Breasts: The Owner’s Manual will become an indispensable and valued guide for women looking to optimize health and minimize breast illness.”—Debu Tripathy, MD, Professor and Chair, Department of Breast Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center “Breasts: The Owner’s Manual not only provides a clear path to breast health, but a road that leads straight to your healthiest self. As someone who has faced breast cancer, I suggest you follow it.”—Robin Roberts, Co-anchor, Good Morning America
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
ISBN: 0785218823
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 417
Book Description
A national bestseller! Breast cancer surgeon Dr. Kristi Funk offers a comprehensive and encouraging approach to breast care and breast cancer. Empower yourself with facts and strategies to understand your breasts, reduce your cancer risk, and open your eyes to interventions and treatments. Most women don’t want to hear about breast cancer unless they have it and need to make some decisions, but these days news about breast cancer—the number one killer of women ages twenty to fifty-nine—is everywhere. Chances are you know someone who has had it. But did you know that choices you make every day bring you closer to breast cancer—or move you farther away? That there are ways to reduce your risk factors? And that many of the things you’ve heard regarding the causes of breast cancer are flat-out false? Based on Dr. Kristi Funk’s experience as a board-certified breast cancer surgeon, she knows for a fact that women have the power to reduce breast cancer risk in dramatic ways. Many women believe that family history and genetics determine who gets breast cancer, but that’s not true for most people. In fact, 87 percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer do not have a single first-degree relative with breast cancer. This book will help you: Learn the breast-health basics that every woman should know Reduce your cancer risk and recurrence risk based on food choices and healthy lifestyle changes backed by rigorous scientific research Understand the controllable and uncontrollable risk factors for breast cancer Outline your medical choices if you're at elevated risk for or are already navigating life with breast cancer There have been few solid guidelines on how to improve your breast health, lower your risk of getting cancer, and make informed medical choices after treatment—until now. With her book available in 10 languages and in more than 30 countries, Dr. Funk is passionate about her mission of educating as many women as possible about what they can do to stop breast cancer before it starts. Praise for Breasts: The Owner’s Manual: “Dr. Funk writes Breasts: The Owner’s Manual just like she talks: with conviction, passion, and a laser focus on you.”—Dr. Mehmet Oz, Host of The Dr. Oz Show “Breasts: The Owner’s Manual will become an indispensable and valued guide for women looking to optimize health and minimize breast illness.”—Debu Tripathy, MD, Professor and Chair, Department of Breast Medical Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center “Breasts: The Owner’s Manual not only provides a clear path to breast health, but a road that leads straight to your healthiest self. As someone who has faced breast cancer, I suggest you follow it.”—Robin Roberts, Co-anchor, Good Morning America
The Silver Lining
Author: Hollye Jacobs
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 147674372X
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 495
Book Description
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER As a healthy, happy thirty-nine-year-old mother with no family history of breast cancer, being diagnosed with the disease rocked Hollye Jacobs’s world. Having worked as a nurse, social worker, and child development specialist for fifteen years, she suddenly found herself in the position of moving into the hospital bed. She was trained as a clinician to heal. In her role as patient, the healing process became personal. Exquisitely illustrated with full-color photographs by Hollye’s close friend, award-winning photographer Elizabeth Messina, The Silver Lining is both Hollye’s memoir and a practical, supportive resource for anyone whose life has been touched by breast cancer. In the first section of each chapter, she describes with humor and wisdom her personal experience and gives details about her diagnosis, treatment, side effects, and recovery. The second section of each chapter is told from Hollye’s point of view as a medical expert. In addition to providing a glossary of important terms and resources, she addresses the physical and emotional aspects of treatment, highlights what patients can expect, and provides action steps, including: What to do when facing a diagnosis How to find the best and most supportive medical team What questions to ask What to expect at medical tests How to talk with and support children How to relieve or avoid side effects How to be a supportive friend or family member How to find Silver Linings Looking for and finding Silver Linings buoyed Hollye from the time of her diagnosis throughout her double mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiation, and recovery. They gave her the balance and perspective to get her through the worst days, and they compose the soul of the book. The Silver Lining of Hollye’s illness is that she can now use the knowledge gleaned from her experience to try to make it better for those who have to follow her down this difficult path. This is why she is sharing her story. Hollye is the experienced girlfriend who wants to help shed some light in the darkness, provide guidance through the confusion, and hold your hand every step of the way. At once comforting and instructive, realistic and inspiring, The Silver Lining is a visually beautiful, poignant must-read for everyone who has been touched by cancer.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 147674372X
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 495
Book Description
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER As a healthy, happy thirty-nine-year-old mother with no family history of breast cancer, being diagnosed with the disease rocked Hollye Jacobs’s world. Having worked as a nurse, social worker, and child development specialist for fifteen years, she suddenly found herself in the position of moving into the hospital bed. She was trained as a clinician to heal. In her role as patient, the healing process became personal. Exquisitely illustrated with full-color photographs by Hollye’s close friend, award-winning photographer Elizabeth Messina, The Silver Lining is both Hollye’s memoir and a practical, supportive resource for anyone whose life has been touched by breast cancer. In the first section of each chapter, she describes with humor and wisdom her personal experience and gives details about her diagnosis, treatment, side effects, and recovery. The second section of each chapter is told from Hollye’s point of view as a medical expert. In addition to providing a glossary of important terms and resources, she addresses the physical and emotional aspects of treatment, highlights what patients can expect, and provides action steps, including: What to do when facing a diagnosis How to find the best and most supportive medical team What questions to ask What to expect at medical tests How to talk with and support children How to relieve or avoid side effects How to be a supportive friend or family member How to find Silver Linings Looking for and finding Silver Linings buoyed Hollye from the time of her diagnosis throughout her double mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiation, and recovery. They gave her the balance and perspective to get her through the worst days, and they compose the soul of the book. The Silver Lining of Hollye’s illness is that she can now use the knowledge gleaned from her experience to try to make it better for those who have to follow her down this difficult path. This is why she is sharing her story. Hollye is the experienced girlfriend who wants to help shed some light in the darkness, provide guidance through the confusion, and hold your hand every step of the way. At once comforting and instructive, realistic and inspiring, The Silver Lining is a visually beautiful, poignant must-read for everyone who has been touched by cancer.
The Definitive Guide to Cancer, 3rd Edition
Author: Lise N. Alschuler
Publisher: Celestial Arts
ISBN: 0307814874
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 498
Book Description
This comprehensive guide delivers informed hope along with effective tools for reclaiming your vitality in the midst of cancer treatment, healing, and recovery. When you or a loved one is faced with a cancer diagnosis, the need for accurate and trusted medical information becomes urgent. Naturopathic physician Lise N. Alschuler and medical journalist Karolyn A. Gazella present an overview of what cancer is, its causes and preventative strategies, an in-depth approach to integrative treatment options, descriptions of key body functions, and discussions of more than twenty specific cancers. The Definitive Guide to Cancer, now in its third edition, encourages you to take an integrative approach that embraces both alternative and conventional therapies across the spectrum of cancer prevention, treatment, and healing.
Publisher: Celestial Arts
ISBN: 0307814874
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 498
Book Description
This comprehensive guide delivers informed hope along with effective tools for reclaiming your vitality in the midst of cancer treatment, healing, and recovery. When you or a loved one is faced with a cancer diagnosis, the need for accurate and trusted medical information becomes urgent. Naturopathic physician Lise N. Alschuler and medical journalist Karolyn A. Gazella present an overview of what cancer is, its causes and preventative strategies, an in-depth approach to integrative treatment options, descriptions of key body functions, and discussions of more than twenty specific cancers. The Definitive Guide to Cancer, now in its third edition, encourages you to take an integrative approach that embraces both alternative and conventional therapies across the spectrum of cancer prevention, treatment, and healing.
The Breast Cancer Book
Author: Ruth H. Grobstein
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 0300130791
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 240
Book Description
A diagnosis of breast cancer is among the most frightening moments in a person’s life—so frightening that even to formulate questions for the doctor may seem impossible. This helpful book is written as a guide for women and men facing breast cancer and for their caring families and friends. It is also written for women who have not been diagnosed with breast cancer but are concerned that they may be. Drawing on her many years of experience with breast cancer patients, Dr. Ruth H. Grobstein provides exactly the information they want and need in order to make the best health decisions. Her jargon-free book deals with general issues of interest to all women—mammography, hormone replacement therapy, risk factors for breast cancer, and more—as well as the numerous issues that patients diagnosed with breast cancer confront. Her book will be an indispensable companion, providing reliable information for patients on the journey through a sometimes confusing and impersonal medical system.
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 0300130791
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 240
Book Description
A diagnosis of breast cancer is among the most frightening moments in a person’s life—so frightening that even to formulate questions for the doctor may seem impossible. This helpful book is written as a guide for women and men facing breast cancer and for their caring families and friends. It is also written for women who have not been diagnosed with breast cancer but are concerned that they may be. Drawing on her many years of experience with breast cancer patients, Dr. Ruth H. Grobstein provides exactly the information they want and need in order to make the best health decisions. Her jargon-free book deals with general issues of interest to all women—mammography, hormone replacement therapy, risk factors for breast cancer, and more—as well as the numerous issues that patients diagnosed with breast cancer confront. Her book will be an indispensable companion, providing reliable information for patients on the journey through a sometimes confusing and impersonal medical system.
Now What?
Author: Amy Curran Baker
Publisher: Demos Medical Publishing
ISBN: 1617051012
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 199
Book Description
All the information you need after mastectomy and breast reconstruction surgery so that you can focus on what matters most: healing and staying well. Why am I so tired all the time? What about these drains? Should I worry about lymphedema? Your mastectomy (with or without reconstruction) doesnít end when you leave the operating room. In Now What?, Amy Curran Baker, an occupational therapist who has had a double mastectomy and direct to implant breast reconstruction, and her co-authors, two registered nurses, answer all of your post-surgery questions in this comprehensive and empowering guide. Now What? helps you: Consider your options and make the decisions that are best for you Deal with frozen shoulder syndrome, wound care, swollen lymph nodes, and other side effects of mastectomy Organize the nitty-gritty issues of wound management post-op care with helpful charts and logs Hear real stories from other breast cancer survivors who have had a mastectomy
Publisher: Demos Medical Publishing
ISBN: 1617051012
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 199
Book Description
All the information you need after mastectomy and breast reconstruction surgery so that you can focus on what matters most: healing and staying well. Why am I so tired all the time? What about these drains? Should I worry about lymphedema? Your mastectomy (with or without reconstruction) doesnít end when you leave the operating room. In Now What?, Amy Curran Baker, an occupational therapist who has had a double mastectomy and direct to implant breast reconstruction, and her co-authors, two registered nurses, answer all of your post-surgery questions in this comprehensive and empowering guide. Now What? helps you: Consider your options and make the decisions that are best for you Deal with frozen shoulder syndrome, wound care, swollen lymph nodes, and other side effects of mastectomy Organize the nitty-gritty issues of wound management post-op care with helpful charts and logs Hear real stories from other breast cancer survivors who have had a mastectomy
A Breast Cancer Alphabet
Author: Madhulika Sikka
Publisher: Crown
ISBN: 0385348525
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 226
Book Description
A definitive and approachable guide to life during, and after, breast cancer The biggest risk factor for breast cancer is simply being a woman. Madhulika Sikka's A Breast Cancer Alphabet offers a new way to live with and plan past the hardest diagnosis that most women will ever receive: a personal, practical, and deeply informative look at the road from diagnosis to treatment and beyond. What Madhulika Sikka didn't foresee when initially diagnosed, and what this book brings to life so vividly, are the unexpected and minute challenges that make navigating the world of breast cancer all the trickier. A Breast Cancer Alphabet is an inspired reaction to what started as a personal predicament. This A-Z guide to living with breast cancer goes where so many fear to tread: sex (S is for Sex - really?), sentimentality (J is for Journey - it's a cliché we need to dispense with), hair (H is for Hair - yes, you can make a federal case of it) and work (Q is for Quitting - there'll be days when you feel like it). She draws an easy-to-follow, and quite memorable, map of her travels from breast cancer neophyte to seasoned veteran. As a prominent news executive, Madhulika had access to the most cutting edge data on the disease's reach and impact. At the same time, she craved the community of frank talk and personal insight that we rely on in life's toughest moments. This wonderfully inventive book navigates the world of science and story, bringing readers into Madhulika's mind and experience in a way that demystifies breast cancer and offers new hope for those living with it.
Publisher: Crown
ISBN: 0385348525
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 226
Book Description
A definitive and approachable guide to life during, and after, breast cancer The biggest risk factor for breast cancer is simply being a woman. Madhulika Sikka's A Breast Cancer Alphabet offers a new way to live with and plan past the hardest diagnosis that most women will ever receive: a personal, practical, and deeply informative look at the road from diagnosis to treatment and beyond. What Madhulika Sikka didn't foresee when initially diagnosed, and what this book brings to life so vividly, are the unexpected and minute challenges that make navigating the world of breast cancer all the trickier. A Breast Cancer Alphabet is an inspired reaction to what started as a personal predicament. This A-Z guide to living with breast cancer goes where so many fear to tread: sex (S is for Sex - really?), sentimentality (J is for Journey - it's a cliché we need to dispense with), hair (H is for Hair - yes, you can make a federal case of it) and work (Q is for Quitting - there'll be days when you feel like it). She draws an easy-to-follow, and quite memorable, map of her travels from breast cancer neophyte to seasoned veteran. As a prominent news executive, Madhulika had access to the most cutting edge data on the disease's reach and impact. At the same time, she craved the community of frank talk and personal insight that we rely on in life's toughest moments. This wonderfully inventive book navigates the world of science and story, bringing readers into Madhulika's mind and experience in a way that demystifies breast cancer and offers new hope for those living with it.
Positive Results
Author: Joi L. Morris
Publisher: Prometheus Books
ISBN: 1615927735
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 397
Book Description
This unique and important guidebook is a single, comprehensive source of information and advice to help women (and some men) at high risk for breast and for ovarian cancer because of family history and genetic profile. One part memoir, three parts "how to" manual, Positive Results explains in a clear and steady manner the myths and realities of "the breast cancer genes." It lays out all the options in easy-to-follow, compassionate language. It will help women and men decide if they want to pursue genetic testing, guide them in interpreting their test results, and give them a sound basis for making the life-saving decisions required to manage their risks. Authors Joi Morris and Dr. Ora Karp Gordon cover all of the latest medical options, including genetic testing for breast cancer risk, breast cancer surveillance, assessing risk, mastectomy and breast reconstruction techniques, ovarian cancer surveillance, surgery, managing menopause, and cancer risks in men who carry mutations on BRCA genes. Along the way, Joi tells her personal story and that of other women and men who have made the gut-wrenching decisions required to survive in this world of astronomical risk. At the age of forty-two, Joi learned that she has a genetic mutation on a gene known as BRCA2. The test results meant that her risk of getting breast cancer could be as high as 84 percent by age seventy, and that her risk for ovarian cancer was also high. Compounding her risk was the fact that her mother had developed breast cancer in her forties. After much research and consultation, the result of which is this book, Joi made the difficult decision of undergoing prophylactic mastectomies. This straightforward and practical approach combined with the poignant personal experience of a woman at risk facing these challenging decisions will provide readers with the feeling that they have had the benefit of a long conversation with both a trusted physician and a friend who has just gone through the same uncertainties they are facing.
Publisher: Prometheus Books
ISBN: 1615927735
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 397
Book Description
This unique and important guidebook is a single, comprehensive source of information and advice to help women (and some men) at high risk for breast and for ovarian cancer because of family history and genetic profile. One part memoir, three parts "how to" manual, Positive Results explains in a clear and steady manner the myths and realities of "the breast cancer genes." It lays out all the options in easy-to-follow, compassionate language. It will help women and men decide if they want to pursue genetic testing, guide them in interpreting their test results, and give them a sound basis for making the life-saving decisions required to manage their risks. Authors Joi Morris and Dr. Ora Karp Gordon cover all of the latest medical options, including genetic testing for breast cancer risk, breast cancer surveillance, assessing risk, mastectomy and breast reconstruction techniques, ovarian cancer surveillance, surgery, managing menopause, and cancer risks in men who carry mutations on BRCA genes. Along the way, Joi tells her personal story and that of other women and men who have made the gut-wrenching decisions required to survive in this world of astronomical risk. At the age of forty-two, Joi learned that she has a genetic mutation on a gene known as BRCA2. The test results meant that her risk of getting breast cancer could be as high as 84 percent by age seventy, and that her risk for ovarian cancer was also high. Compounding her risk was the fact that her mother had developed breast cancer in her forties. After much research and consultation, the result of which is this book, Joi made the difficult decision of undergoing prophylactic mastectomies. This straightforward and practical approach combined with the poignant personal experience of a woman at risk facing these challenging decisions will provide readers with the feeling that they have had the benefit of a long conversation with both a trusted physician and a friend who has just gone through the same uncertainties they are facing.