Author: Barbara Stevens

Publisher: HCI

Published: 2000-10-01

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781558748323

The words "you have breast cancer" have the power to terrify a woman and the people who love her, irrevocably changing their lives forever. The underlying premise of Not Just One in Eight is that breast cancer, like other life-threatening diseases, is not a one-person disease. It is above all a family disease-one that tests the mettle of each family member. Not Just One in Eight is the culmination of the author's five-year odyssey to understand the physical and emotional ramifications of a breast cancer diagnosis, from the moment of its pronouncement, to how a woman and her family experience the disease. Not Just One in Eight focuses on nineteen breast cancer survivors; eighteen women and one man. Each story chronicles one survivor and their support team. By weaving together the survivor and the support team's perceptions, the true picture is revealed in one coherent story. How did each person handle the diagnosis? What medical decisions were made? How and why did they reach those decisions? What fears did they confront? Were relationships strengthened or weakened? How did children cope? Did the fear of dying increase or decrease with time? Each story ends with a postscript: Where are they today? Patricia A. Ganz, M.D., a renowned oncologist and researcher, explains the latest breast cancer research. Janis Raynak, a malpractice attorney with an emphasis on breast cancer cases, reveals how women can prevent a misdiagnosis, and offers recourse if a misdiagnosis is made. Lastly, the survivor and her partner candidly discuss their views on sex and sexuality. How did and how does a breast cancer diagnosis affect this very important part of our lives. As a survivor and the daughter of a mother who had breast cancer, Stevens provides a compassionate, informative and provocative look at how a woman and her family can survive a breast cancer diagnosis.