Kathy Latour
![Breast Cancer Companion: From Diagnosis Through Treatment to Recovery: Everything You Need to Know for Every Step Along the Way Kathy Latour]( "Breast Cancer Companion: From Diagnosis Through Treatment to Recovery: Everything You Need to Know for Every Step Along the Way Kathy Latour")
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Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Disorders & Diseases -> Cancer -> Breast Cancer
Subjects -> Medicine -> Nursing -> Oncology & Cancer
Subjects -> Medicine -> Physician & Patient -> Diagnosis
Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5
Average rating: 5.0 of 5
Highly detailed, emotionally wrenching 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.
I had to read this book by breast cancer survivor and journalist, Kathy Latour in small doses. If you're still in denial about your breast cancer, or a loved one's breast cancer, you might not want to read it at all---although you somehow need to move out of denial as quickly as possible. Here are some statistics from the National Cancer Institute web site that might help you (at least you're not alone with your disease):"Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women. It continues to be a major health care problem in the US and worldwide. The lifetime risk of a US woman developing breast cancer is 1 in 8 and the risk increases with advancing age--1 in 54 by age 50 and 1 in 23 by age 60 (National Cancer Institute, 2000). Over 75% of women diagnosed with breast cancer are age 50 or older."
Okay so I'm part of the 75% over 50 years old, but one of the really scary things about this book is the youth of the women who were diagnosed for the first time. The author was 37. My sister was 36. Many of the women whose stories are told in "The Breast Cancer Companion" were in their twenties or early thirties when they first discovered a suspicious lump. Some of the worst stories in the book (for me) concerned women who discovered their cancer during pregnancy.
"Coping with Chemotherapy and Its Effects," and "Lymphedema and Infection" tie for the second-most-depressing chapters. You may find "Facing Death" even more dismal. Not me. Not now, at least.
Even though this book is biased toward the stories and treatments of younger women, I think those of us who are post-menopausal will still benefit from reading it. I just skipped the sections on becoming pregnant during or after treatment, and grief counseling for children.
One other caution: my oncologist says that the chapter on bone marrow transplants is already out-of-date, even though this book was published in 1993. Use "The Breast Cancer Companion" as you would use advice and sympathy from a friend who has survived her disease for ten years. Go to the Internet for more up-to-date information on risk factors, treatment options, and outcomes. Some sites I found especially useful were sponsored by The American Cancer Society, Imaginis, The National Cancer Institute, and BreastDoctor (although the latter site has some gory photographs---not for the weak of stomach!). The American Cancer Society site even has a `wizard' to help you through your treatment options (you'll need a copy of your pathology report to use the wizard).
Good luck to you. If you've read this review and plan to get a copy of "The Breast Cancer Companion" (or do other research), then you're obviously beyond denial, and I think that's a very positive sign.
Editorial Review:
The Most Complete And Essential Sourcebook Available For Breast Cancer Patients And The People Who Love Them Choosing a Doctor • Diagnostic Procedures • Chemotherapy and Radiation • Nutrition and Exercise • Support Groups Insurance • Prosthetics • Living As a Survivor • Sex and Pregnancy • Job-related Issue...
and much moreFrom Important Medical Information To Emotional Support -- A Practical, Encouraging And Invaluable Guide From Diagnosis Through Recovery
