Facing The Unknown A Previvor's Path to Wellness


Book Description

In "Facing the Unknown: A Previvor's Path to Wellness," join author Keisha Brown on a courageous and transformative journey of self-discovery. This powerful memoir delves into the author's personal odyssey, marked by resilience, strength, and the pursuit of wellness after facing the life-altering decision of undergoing a bilateral double mastectomy. As a previvor, Keisha shares her intimate experiences, providing a heartfelt account of the emotional and physical challenges that come with such a profound decision. Through eloquent storytelling, she navigates the complexities of living as a previvor, shedding light on the emotional rollercoaster, moments of doubt, and the triumphs of self-empowerment. This book is not just a memoir; it's a guide for those who may be walking a similar path, offering insights into coping mechanisms, wellness practices, and the importance of embracing one's own body. Delving into the intricacies of post-mastectomy life, Keisha addresses topics such as self-care, mental health, and the transformative power of self-love. Embark on a transformative narrative that transcends the boundaries of a traditional memoir, as "Facing the Unknown" empowers readers to embrace their own journeys and find strength in the face of uncertainty. This book is for: Previvors and Survivors: Individuals who have undergone or are contemplating a bilateral double mastectomy, as well as those navigating the challenges of life as a previvor. Patients and Families Facing Similar Decisions: Individuals facing decisions related to mastectomy or other significant medical procedures, along with their families and support networks seeking understanding and guidance. Healthcare Professionals: Medical professionals, including surgeons, oncologists, and mental health practitioners, who want insights into the emotional and psychological aspects of patients undergoing such surgeries. Support Groups and Communities: Members of support groups and communities focused on breast cancer, mastectomy, and previvorship looking for shared experiences and inspiration. Advocacy Organizations: Organizations dedicated to breast health, cancer awareness, and previvor support, seeking narratives that raise awareness and provide valuable perspectives. General Readers Interested in Personal Growth: Individuals interested in personal growth, resilience, and self-discovery, as the book goes beyond medical aspects to explore universal themes of strength and empowerment. Women's Health and Wellness Enthusiasts: Readers interested in women's health, wellness practices, and narratives that emphasize self-care and self-love. Media and Journalists: Journalists, bloggers, and media professionals covering health, wellness, and personal stories, seeking impactful narratives for their audiences.




Medical Planner: Facing The Unknown Medical Planner


Book Description

Facing the Unknown Medical Planner Navigating the complex and often overwhelming world of medical care can be daunting, especially when faced with uncertainty. "Facing the Unknown Medical Planner" is your comprehensive guide to managing medical challenges with confidence and clarity. This meticulously designed planner is more than just a scheduling tool—it's a lifeline for patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals alike. It combines practical organization with emotional support, providing users with the resources they need to take control of their medical journeys. Features: - **Comprehensive Medical Logs:** Track symptoms, medications, treatments, and appointments with ease. Detailed logs help ensure that no detail is overlooked, enabling better communication with healthcare providers. - **Personal Health Records:** Keep all your vital health information in one place, including medical history, allergies, and emergency contacts. This section is crucial for quick reference during doctor visits or emergencies. - **Appointment Scheduling:** - **Emotional Wellness Tools:** Understand that dealing with medical issues can be stressful. The planner includes sections for journaling, mood tracking, and stress management tips to support your mental and emotional well-being. - **Goal Setting and Reflection:** Set personal health goals and track your progress. Reflect on your journey with periodic check-ins to acknowledge your growth and achievements. Who It's For: - **Patients** managing chronic conditions, new diagnoses, or undergoing treatments. - **Caregivers** who need to keep track of a loved one's medical information and appointments. - **Healthcare Professionals** looking to provide patients with a tool for better managing their healing Why Choose "Facing the Unknown Medical Planner"? With its user-friendly design and thoughtful features, this planner empowers you to face medical uncertainties with organization and peace of mind. Whether you're managing a chronic illness, navigating a new diagnosis, or caring for someone else, **Facing the Unknown Medical Planner** Table of Contents: 1. **Introduction** - Welcome Message - Planner Overview 2. **Personal Information** - Personal Health Records - Emergency Contacts - Insurance Information 3. **Medical Logs** - Symptom Tracker - Medication Log - Treatment Log 4. **Weekly Appointments** - Weekly Appointment Pages 5. **Meal Planning** - Nutritional Goals - Weekly Meal Planning Pages 6. **Daily Schedule** - Daily Agenda - Hydration Tracker - Medication Reminders 7. **Goal Setting and Reflections** - Setting Health Goals - Monthly Goal Review




Previvors


Book Description

The first guide to all surgical and nonsurgical options for women with a high risk for breast cancer. Advances in genetic testing and risk assessment have changed the face of medicine, but with them has come a Pandora's box of dilemmas. Imagine discovering you had a significant risk for developing breast cancer. What would you do? Through the incredible true stories of five young friends, as well as interviews with more than seventy top breast cancer experts, health writer Dina Roth Port addresses the universal questions of women everywhere who have watched family members suffer from the disease and wondered, "Am I next?" Full of practical information, Previvors is the first comprehensive book to guide women through the difficult process of determining their risk, weighing the options, and coping with the emotions of deciding to undergo surgery. Readers will learn: •The pros and cons of getting tested for the BRCA gene •How to decide between surgical or nonsurgical options •The latest research in breast cancer surveillance •The advanced new world of breast reconstruction •How to overcome body image and sex issues post-surgery, and more From navigating health insurance coverage to finding the right medical team, Previvors is an invaluable resource for women facing decisions about their risk and future health. Watch a Video




Beat Breast Cancer Like a Boss


Book Description

Edie Falco, Sheryl Crow, Athena Jones, and other breast cancer survivors and “previvors” tell their powerful, inspiring stories in this collection. Drawing from first-hand interviews of successful, high-profile women from myriad industries and perspectives, award-winning journalist Ali Rogin brings together an all-star support and recovery team to inspire anyone confronting a cancer diagnosis, along with their loved ones. Learn how preeminent actresses, musicians, politicians, journalists, and entrepreneurs faced a formidable disease and put it in its place. In their own words, the women of Beat Breast Cancer Like a Boss inform and encourage other women by sharing their experiences and advice. Learn how they told loved ones about their diagnoses, navigated treatment options, and managed the work/life/cancer balance. Rogin, too, faced great uncertainty when she tested positively for the BRCA1 genetic mutation at age twenty. She found answers in the vibrant community of breast cancer survivors and “previvors” who also stared down the odds. With her brave decision to undergo a prophylactic bilateral mastectomy before even graduating college, Rogin joined this diverse sisterhood of women confronting breast cancer in its many forms with dignity, strength, and humor.




Cancerland


Book Description

An Amazon Best of the Month Book "For all the insight he offers into the hard science and thorny logistics of studying cancer, Dr. Scadden’s most moving passages consider the effect of the disease on the people who suffer from it and those who care for them." —The Wall Street Journal A doctor’s riveting story of loss and hope in the world of cancer. What is it like to encounter cancer? How does it feel to face the unknown, to enter a world of hope, loss, and dread? From the diagnosis of his childhood friend’s mother to his poignant memories in the lab, David Scadden’s seen the unknown world of cancer from the lens of a young boy, a classmate, a researcher, a friend, a doctor, and a neighbor. Scadden chronicles his personal memories of cancer – his visits to his sick neighbor and his classmate who left school and never came back. Now Dr. David Scadden, co-founder of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute and one of the world's leading experts on immunology and oncology, writes his memoir, Cancerland, with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Michael D'Antonio. With riveting stories and moving compassion, Scadden and D’Antonio paint a still rapidly changing landscape in the context of all too common stories of loss. Ranging from Scadden’s personal childhood memories to his triumphs and regrets as a doctor, Scadden illuminates a light at the end of a dark tunnel. Through opening a window into the science of medicine in the world of the unknown, Scadden and D’Antonio humanize cancer while inspiring action that we all so desperately need.




Kicking Cancer in the Kitchen


Book Description

More than 100 recipes for fighting cancer and soothing symptoms of treatment.




Inheritance


Book Description

Award-winning physician and New York Times bestselling author Sharon Moalem, MD, PhD, reveals how genetic breakthroughs are completely transforming our understanding of both the world and our lives. Inheritance Conventional wisdom dictates that our genetic destiny is fixed at conception. But Dr. Moalem's groundbreaking book shows us that the human genome is far more fluid and fascinating than your ninth grade biology teacher ever imagined. By bringing us to the bedside of his unique and complex patients, he masterfully demonstrates what rare genetic conditions can teach us all about our own health and well-being. In the brave new world we're rapidly rocketing into, genetic knowledge has become absolutely crucial. Inheritance provides an indispensable roadmap for this journey by teaching you: -Why you may have recovered from the psychological trauma caused by childhood bullying-but your genes may remain scarred for life. -How fructose is the sugar that makes fruits sweet-but if you have certain genes, consuming it can buy you a one-way trip to the coroner's office. -Why ingesting common painkillers is like dosing yourself repeatedly with morphine-if you have a certain set of genes. -How insurance companies legally use your genetic data to predict the risk of disability for you and your children-and how that impacts the coverage decisions they make for your family. -How to have the single most important conversation with your doctor-one that can save your life. And finally: -Why people with rare genetic conditions hold the keys to medical problems affecting millions. In this trailblazing book, Dr. Moalem employs his wide-ranging and entertaining interdisciplinary approach to science and medicine-- explaining how art, history, superheroes, sex workers, and sports stars all help us understand the impact of our lives on our genes, and our genes on our lives. Inheritance will profoundly alter how you view your genes, your health--and your life.




Daughter of Family G


Book Description

Weaving together family history, genetic discovery, and scenes from her life, Ami McKay tells the compelling, true-science story of her own family's unsettling legacy of hereditary cancer while exploring the challenges that come from carrying the mutation that not only killed many people you loved, but might also kill you. The story of Ami McKay's connection to a genetic disorder called Lynch syndrome begins over seventy years before she was born and long before scientists discovered DNA. In 1895 her great-great aunt, Pauline Gross, a seamstress in Ann Arbor, Michigan, confided to a pathology professor at the local university that she expected to die young, like so many others in her family. Rather than dismiss her fears, the pathologist chose to enlist Pauline in the careful tracking of those in her family tree who had died of cancer. Pauline's premonition proved true--she died at 46--but because of her efforts, her family (who the pathologist dubbed 'Family G') would become the longest and most detailed cancer genealogy ever studied in the world. A century after Pauline's confession, researchers would identify the genetic mutation responsible for the family's woes. Now known as Lynch syndrome, the genetic condition predisposes its carriers to several types of cancer, including colorectal, endometrial, ovarian and pancreatic. In 2001, as a young mother with two sons and a keen interest in survival, Ami McKay was among the first to be tested for Lynch syndrome. She had a feeling she'd test positive: her mother's side of the family was riddled with early deaths and her own mother was being treated for the disease. When the test proved her fears true, she began living in "an unsettling state between wellness and cancer," and she's been there ever since. Intimate, candid, and probing, her genetic memoir tells a fascinating story, teasing out the many ways to live with the hand you are dealt.




Advances in Radiation Oncology


Book Description

This book concisely reviews important advances in radiation oncology, providing practicing radiation oncologists with a fundamental understanding of each topic and an appreciation of its significance for the future of radiation oncology. It explores in detail the impact of newer imaging modalities, such as multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) using fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) and other novel agents, which deliver improved visualization of the physiologic and phenotypic features of a given cancer, helping oncologists to provide more targeted radiotherapy and assess the response. Due consideration is also given to how advanced technologies for radiation therapy delivery have created new treatment options for patients with localized and metastatic disease, highlighting the increasingly important role of image-guided radiotherapy in treating systemic and oligometastatic disease. Further topics include the potential value of radiotherapy in enhancing immunotherapy thanks to the broader immune-stimulatory effects, how cancer stem cells and the tumor microenvironment influence response, and the application of mathematical and systems biology methods to radiotherapy.




Cancer Basics


Book Description

From the foundations of cancer to issues of survivorship, this book provides all the details and information needed to gain a true understanding of the 'basics' of cancer.