Living Beyond Breast Cancer: A Survivor's Guide for When Treatment Ends and the Rest of Your Life Begins

Amazon.com

"Breast cancer is never completely over," says author Marisa C. Weiss, M.D., a radiation oncologist. Even when x-rays are negative and doctors proclaim remission, breast-cancer survivors often suffer from continued health problems along with elevated levels of anxiety, and the specter of recurrence is just a small part of the picture.

Living Beyond Breast Cancer: A Survivor's Guide for When Treatment Ends and the Rest of Your Life Begins has won endorsements from both Bernie Siegel and former surgeon general C. Everett Koop. It deftly and with compassion maps out a guide for going back to a "normal" life: for handling fears of recurrence and worries that family members will develop breast cancer and for managing physical posttreatment problems, including the lingering side effects of radiation, fertility difficulties, changes in sex drive, and feelings of unattractiveness.

Living Beyond Breast Cancer is comprehensive--at more than 500 pages, it has the room to thoroughly cover pain control and medication, genetic testing, weight management, hormone and tamoxifen therapy, alternative treatments such as traditional Chinese medicine, breast reconstruction, and the various tests for recurrence, from PET and CAT scans to MRIs and blood testing for cancer markers. It's also a superb reference for emotional issues, from depression and generalized anxiety to insecurities about reentering the job market and revealing the cancer experience to coworkers. Weiss includes many quotes from breast-cancer survivors, so readers know they're not alone. The extensive resources and excellent index add to this book's immense helpfulness. --Erica Jorgensen

Book Description

"How can I know if I'm really cured?"
"Will anyone ever be attracted to me again?"
"Will I ever get to enjoy sex again?"
"It is safe for me to get pregnant?"
"How do I live well beyond menopause without estrogen replacement therapy?"
"What do I tell my boss?"
"My daughter wants to know if she's going to get breast cancer too.  What should I tell her?"

If you are one of the 2.6 million women in the U.S. living beyond breast cancer, these may be some of the questions troubling you.  You've been through diagnosis and treatment; now you're ready to move from "I have breast cancer" back to "I am leading a normal life."   Living Beyond Breast Cancer will help you understand and manage the tough issues you face as you go on beyond treatment, and well into the future.

You'll learn how to become as healthy as possible for as long as possible by eating right, managing your weight, and finding an exercise program  that works with your lifestyle.  You'll find out what to do if you've got to stop taking hormones or want to start.  You may also need advice on achieving intimacy and having a baby.  You'll also find invaluable guidance on growing older and navigating troubling symptoms of menopause, particularly when they're brought on by chemotherapy or tamoxifen or by stopping hormone replacement therapy.  A normal life includes dealing with job and health care issues and wills. So you'll find in-depth information on these subjects too.

You're a survivor, and you've got a future.  This empathetic book, filled with comprehensive medical information, practical advice, and the voices of survivors who have lived through everything you're going through, will help you celebrate your second chance at living beyond breast cancer.

Customer Reviews:

Needs to be updated.......2006-02-28

There's a lot of good information in this book...for 1998. Breast cancer treatment and survival has come a long way since then; this book should reflect that. Also, was surprised at how much stuff they covered that *wasn't* post-treatment. A lot of what this book covered was in other books for the newly diagnosed and those going through treatment -- I wanted more about actual life after treatment, not more recaps of breast reconstruction.

Disappointing.

The Very Best for Metastatic Information!.......2001-05-07

I've been reading and researching breast cancer on and off for 4 years. A year ago my breast cancer metasticized, and it's hard to find honest information (or any information) about metastatic disease. The title to this book is misleading, because it doesn't mention the fantastic, updated metastatic information. It is by far the most comprehensive, readable treatment of this I've found. I'm ordering several copies to give away.

A comforting guide in the privacy of your home!.......2000-09-04

My daughter was sitting with my husband and myself in the office of my radiation oncologist. She spotted "Living Beyond Breast Cancer" on the bookshelf. She like myself was so lost when we found I had breast cancer. Neither my husband, daughter or myself knew what was going to happen. She began reading the book and could not put it down. When the Dr. came into the room he made comment about the book she was reading. She was so elated with all the facts, which are printed in such simple language that we could understand. The Dr. saw her enthusiasm and offered for her to take it home. Since that time I have not been able to seperate myself from this book. As I progress thru my mastectomy, I find new items of interest. It also helped me understand what my partner, my husband, was feeling. I read one of the chapters to him, at our breakfast table. We sat and cried and agreed that the way he was feeling was as written in the book. I never realized just how much he hurt and how comforting it was to him to know there was a book written that could tell me how he felt.

I have since recommended this book to others. If you cannot get out to support groups or are afraid to go, this book gives you all the support you could ever ask for in the comfort of your home or office. I am 62 years old and a very active business woman. I wondered if my business life was over. The book proved my fears to be very wrong.

For myself and my daughter, it is our lifeline! Thank you Dr. Marisa Weiss and also Ellen Weiss. You have done a tremendous favor to women like me.

Finally, a resource that I can relate to and use!.......1998-04-23

This is the type of book I've been wanting. It offers wonderful support and needed information. The authors are empathetic and straight forward, guiding us to reach beyond (hence the title, of course) the psychological boundaries that women who have survived a bout with breast cancer put on ourselves. It offers clear, concise suggestions for what to do now and for facing the future, which may or may not include a recurrance of breast cancer. There are sections which are not applicable to me, but this is bound to be true when a text is so comprehensive. After checking this book out of the library three times, I have realized that this is a book all women who have had breast cancer need to own for themselves.

The Breast Cancer Survivor's Fitness Plan (Harvard Medical School Guides)

Average customer rating:

Excellent Exercise Options
The Breast Cancer survivor's Fitness Plan (Harvard Medical School Guides)
You can be strong!

The Breast Cancer Survivor's Fitness Plan (Harvard Medical School Guides)
Carolyn M. Kaelin , Francesca Coltrera , Josie Gardiner , and Joy Prouty
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Exercise & Fitness | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0071465782

Book Description

The only breast cancer recovery program designed by a Harvard doctor and survivor and approved by the American Council on Exercise (ACE)

Feel healthy again. Regain control of your life.

Exciting new research reveals that regular exercise can reduce the chance of breast cancer recurrence and extend your life. Exercise can also help you recover energy, strength, and flexibility diminished by lifesaving breast cancer treatments.

Dr. Carolyn Kaelin is a leading breast cancer surgeon who understands the important links among exercise, recovery, and the quality of life--and she is a breast cancer survivor, too. Designed with master trainers Josie Gardner and Joy Prouty, The Breast Cancer Survivor's Fitness Plan features effective, inspiring workouts tailored for each type of surgery and adapted for differing fitness levels.

Feel strong again and

Improve your flexibility and balance
Rebuild your muscles
Protect your bones
Enhance your appearance, vitality, and all-around health

For more information on Dr. Kaelin about breast cancer treatment and recovery, read her award-winning book Living Through Breast Cancer.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Exercise Options.......2007-09-02

Excellent Exercise Options-It's important to know what will work for you and for your situation. Very well explained and good illustrations.

The Breast Cancer survivor's Fitness Plan (Harvard Medical School Guides).......2007-01-11

This book is packed with information. The explanations are clear and easily understood. The exercises recommended are illustrated and instructions are explained in layman's terms. It provided information that I did not receive from my doctor regarding those all important exercises. Ex. Warm Ups after surgery.

I subscribe to the school that knowledge is power and this book provided more information to me that was helpful. I recommend it.

You can be strong!.......2006-08-31

This is a great book for women with breast cancer who want to be strong or stay strong. It has great information on what kind of exercise we need and has specific exercises for our various surgeries. When I started chemo everyone told me that 80% of women gain weight. I was lucky to find a local fitness program for people with cancer (Living Strong Living Well) and I was able to work out during the time I took Taxol. Not only did I not gain weight but I know how to lift weights and feel so strong. This book will now help me get through Tamoxifen and work on being fit for life. Well done!

Be a Survivor: Your Guide to Breast Cancer Treatment, Third Edition (Book and DVD)

Average customer rating:

Excellent source of information
New Treatments in an Environment of Understanding
Terrific educational tool for the patient with breast cancer
BE A SURVIVOR reviewer is 76 year old author, surviver, now thriver
A 'must' for any breast cancer sufferer - especially the newly diagnosed

Be a Survivor: Your Guide to Breast Cancer Treatment, Third Edition (Book and DVD)
Vladimir Lange
Manufacturer: Lange Productions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0966361083

Book Description

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION Be a Survivor - Your Guide to Breast Cancer Treatment - book with DVD - 3rd ed. By Vladimir Lange, MD A unique book-with-DVD combination that informs and empowers Dr. Vladimir Lange is a Harvard Medical School trained physician, nationally recognized for patient education programs. When his wife, also a physician, was diagnosed with breast cancer, both were overwhelmed by the complexity of the information they had to process. Be a Survivor was inspired by their desire to make the journey easier for others. Be a Survivor is the "must read" book for every woman diagnosed with breast cancer, and for those who care for her. The book is: COMPLETE - it covers all aspects of the disease - from diagnosis, to breast reconstruction, conventional and complementary therapies, and life after cancer. It also includes a chapter for the woman's husband or partner. ACCURATE - rather than reflecting a single specialist's point of view, the book is based on the combined experience and wisdom of 28 experts in various fields. REASSURING - written with compassion and understanding, the book also includes candid stories by survivors and their partners. USER-FRIENDLY - hundreds of color photos, graphics and diagrams help clarify important concepts. UP-TO-DATE - the book covers the very latest developments, including brachytherapy, perforator flaps, skin sparing mastectomy and much more. UNIQUE - Be a Survivor is the ONLY book on breast cancer that comes with a DVD, so the reader can see videos of procedures, hear survivors' stories, and enjoy the animated 3-D graphics. See the DVD for a clear overview. Read the book for additional details. Use both as a valuable source of information that will help you assume an active role in your treatment and recovery. \\\\\\\\\\\\ This Book Will Help You

• Assemble the best team of experts to ensure successful treatment

• Decide whether mastectomy or breast conservation is the right choice for you

• Evaluate your breast reconstruction options

• Understand why you may not need chemotherapy

• Learn about new treatments, such as brachytherapy

• Consider appropriate complementary therapies

• Communicate effectively with your partner. //////// PRODUCT DETAILS LIST PRICE: $24.95 Paperback: 180 pages plus DVD Publisher: Lange Productions (June, 2005)

Customer Reviews:

Excellent source of information.......2007-08-06

I was introduced to this book at work and am now giving it to women newly diagnosed with breast cancer. I am on oncology certified nurse in the radiation oncology department of my cancer center. In January 2007 I also became our Breast Cancer Patient Navigator. I find this book gets excellent reviews from patients and their families alike. It is a great source of information, covering all the topics from diagnosis to living life 'after cancer'. I only wish I would have had this book when I was on my personal breast cancer journey! I highly recommend this book for someone newly diagnosed with breast cancer.

New Treatments in an Environment of Understanding.......2006-06-11

"Many experts believe that Herceptin represents the future direction of breast cancer drugs, because it targets a particular protein on the cancer cell, rather than attacking all cells at random. As research progresses, scientist hope to make all anti-cancer drugs as specific as possible." ~ pg. 97

Designed to compliment the book, the DVD provides an environment of understanding with explanations for all the procedures and various situations that will occur after a diagnosis. New treatments like Immunotherapy are discussed and there is an extensive resource section with additional CD options, including a CD-ROM program that is an interactive guide to treatment.

Helpful up-to-date information about why you may not need a mastectomy and only a lumpectomy is encouraging and gives hope. Radiation and Chemo is also discussed in detail. Throughout both the DVD and book, women tell their stories and that gives a sense of the range of experience. There are over 150 color photographs and graphics to illustrate important points.

A variety of questions are given in each section so you know what to ask your doctor. The stages of breast cancer are given so you know exactly what your doctor is talking about. The main sections include:

Facing Breast Cancer - Your feelings, support groups, healthcare teams and overview of treatment options.

Breast Cancer Basics - Types of Breast Cancer

Diagnosis and Staging - Tumor Testing, the Pathology Report, Additional Tests, How Stage is Determined

Surgery - Reconstruction, Lumpectomy and Mastectomy options, Lymph Nodes

Reconstruction - Choosing a Plastic Surgeon, External and Internal Options

Radiation Therapy - How treatment is given, Brachytherapy

Chemotherapy - Side Effects, Common Chemotherapy Drugs

Hormone Therapy - How Treatment is Given, Who should be Treated, Side Effects

Immunotherapy - Future Therapies and Herceptin

Clinical Trials - Participation Ideas and getting the newest treatments...

Life after Cancer - Emotional Recovery, Physical Recovery

The Guide for Your Partner is a special section your partner can read. If possible, watching the DVD together would be ideal because it explains all the basics in the book.

Be a Survivor is an excellent resource because it gives you all the questions you need to ask and answers a number of pertinent questions any woman will be asking the moment she is diagnosed.

Vladimir Lange, MD is one of the most respected doctors in this field of study and this book came into being after his own wife was diagnosed with breast cancer.

~The Rebecca Review

I can also recommend "Reconstructing Natalie" by Laura Jensen Walker.

Terrific educational tool for the patient with breast cancer.......2006-03-30

Be a Survivor was chosen by our women's health professional group as the educational tool of choice to use with patients diagnosed with breast cancer. The book offers excellent graphic examples to reinforce the information provided and enlightens the reader through documented personal experiences with breast cancer. As a health care practitioner who has never experienced breast cancer it is an excellent tool for education and a take home reference for the patient throughout the breast cancer experience. The accompaning DVD is an excellent way for the patient and / or family to view the information when they are at home. The DVD also allows for a different learning medium for those visual learners.

BE A SURVIVOR reviewer is 76 year old author, surviver, now thriver.......2005-11-13

BE A SURVIVOR is a clear, sensitive rendering of the whole breast cancer treatment process. It is upbeat, reflecting my attitude: "Been there, done that."
The diagrams were my first close look at what happened in my breast and lymph nodes, and the sidebar questions to ask were vital. Even if I wrote them down ahead, I often would come out of doctor's offices not knowing answers.
I did wonder if a male breast cancer patient would get all he needed from this book since the main thrust is on women and the pictures are of women in relationship to men, though Dr. Lange is generally sensitive to using 'partner' instead of assuming the sex of a partner.
I would have liked to see on page 73, more emphasis placed on Chinese herbs as big aids in dispensing with nausea. They saved me from misery. And to swimming as both psychologically relaxing and a large help in stretching the arm to prevent lymphedema. I call myself a thriver now--nice word to put at the end of his next book edition. Fine book, I am giving it to someone today.
Lynn Scott, Author of the Memoir: MY MOTHER, MY ALZHEIMER CLIENTS, AND ME.

A 'must' for any breast cancer sufferer - especially the newly diagnosed.......2005-10-14

The third updated edition of this classic is out - fully revised, and with a free DVD containing patient interviews. While Dr. Lange regrettably notes the need for a revised updated edition did not come from the elimination of breast cancer as a threat; he does offer a new approach to educating women about breast cancer. Dr. Lange's wife, also a physician, was diagnosed with breast cancer 17 years ago: even as doctors it took them weeks to understand all the information surrounding it. BE A SURVIVOR culls all the details into an easily-understood format to help educate readers, providing a DVD which contains voices of survivors and videos of the procedures. A 'must' for any breast cancer sufferer - especially the newly diagnosed.

Healing Outside the Margins: The Survivor's Guide to Integrative Cancer Care

Average customer rating:

Empowering and Respectful
a gift
Solid, well researched, and from the heart--indispensible!
My favorite part of the book
Gives hope

Healing Outside the Margins: The Survivor's Guide to Integrative Cancer Care
Carole O'Toole
Manufacturer: LifeLine Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Alternative Medicine | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0895261936

Book Description

Helps you establish a plan using multiple treatments, and then evaluate the various therapies, physicians, and programs available.

Customer Reviews:

Empowering and Respectful.......2002-06-09

This book offers the reader a factual, non-biased compilation of available complementary therapies. As a cancer survivor, she teaches us that when facing a cancer diagnosis and standard allopathic therapies, we can, no we must, be an active participant in assessing all the possible treatment paths as we make our decisions and choices in our path to healing. Not only do we hope to understand what is happening to us, we must take an active role in regaining our good health.

Ms. O'Toole teaches us that we must trust our selves and our abilities in this process. For when we do, we make the best possible decisions for our lives. This book is a wonderful guide for those facing treatment as well as their loved ones.

a gift.......2002-04-19

This book is such a gift, written with authority, clarity, and empathy. For anyone who wonders what to expect from different complementary therapies, this book is invaluable. For those facing decisions about maintaining health while fighting cancer, this book is a blessing. The author transforms her struggle to stay alive and maintain well-being into a resource for the rest of us.

Solid, well researched, and from the heart--indispensible!.......2002-04-15

As a bodywork practitioner presented with the dilemma of offering help and services to clients confronted with the trial of their lives, I had high expectations of this book. I wasn't disappointed. This book is solid, well researched, and substantive. I will recommend it without reservation to my clients. Not just clients facing cancer, but any client troubled by a chronic or acute physical condition or discomfort who seeks resources to improve their health and well-being. This takes effort, education, information, and resources. What this book offers is a structure and framework to evaluate "what's out there", and help a person to decide "Is this for me?" "Is this for me now, or later?"

What I especially appreciate is the author's emphasis on trusting your own intuition---and backing that up with succinct, well-organized information to facilitate rational decision-making in support of one's intuition. This book isn't just another nice book about a cancer experience; it's a well thought out resource to think through and make decisions on developing your complementary health care. Thank you, Carole O'Toole!

My favorite part of the book.......2002-04-14

I found the description of what to expect in a treatment session especially helpful. I just started chiropractic treatments recently and, even though I did not go to one of the practitioners listed in the guide, I still knew exactly what to expect and felt more comfortable starting treatment. Thanks you for relieving some anxiety!

Gives hope.......2002-04-12

This book describes many complementary alternatives to conventional breast cancer treatments. Having been through conventional treatment myself, these alternatives are NEVER presented by mainstream practitioners and it is a pity that many people never hear about these potentially effective options. This book is a must for anyone who is interested in saving their life.

Average customer rating:

Dare to share this book with others
I LOVED THIS BOOK!
A Phenomenal Read
Memoir, Scrapbook, and Resource Guide--All Rolled Into One
Gorma Smith, Review of A Survivor's Guide to Breast Cancer

A Survivor's Guide To Breast Cancer
Alice F. Chang
Manufacturer: NEW HARBINGER PUBLICATIONS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1572241853

Book Description

Diagnosed with a malignant tumor in her breast in 1993, Dr. Alice Chang, a clinical psychologist who treats people with life-threatening illnesses, relates her own battle with breast cancer and with getting the emotional care she needed. She then offers the support and reassurance that only a survivor can provide, and gives advice to women facing the disease.

Customer Reviews:

Dare to share this book with others.......2004-01-22

When I first read this book, I realized I had found a very personal and sensitive resource to share with a friend who was just beginning the journey through breast cancer survival. Dr. Chang's words provided what I did not know myself or did not yet have the courage to offer to my friend. This book gives information that one needs to know about breast cancer. Of equal importance, it captures the whole array of feelings that cancer unleashes on a person. Add this book to your personal collection -- some day you or someone you know will be glad you did.

I LOVED THIS BOOK!.......2000-06-04

This book is a must read for students of medicine, psychology, counseling, social work, and health related fields! Dr. Chang provides insightful and educated information concerning helpful and harmful behaviors of helping professionals. Her description of her cancer treatment was detailed and realistic. I could not put the book down! Dr. Chang's emotions and behaviors during various stages of her treatment were very similar to my experience undergoing treatment for colon cancer. I think that this book will give the average population an awareness of what it is like to have cancer!

A Phenomenal Read.......2000-04-20

Dr. Chang's book A Survivor's Guide to Breast Cancer is a pehonmenal read. For the newly diagnosed, it can prepare and educate the patient and those who support her. for those in the midst of treatment, this book will help confirm and validate a patient's emotional and physiological experiences. The patient that has completed active treatment will be able to use Dr. Chang's book as an adjunct to therapy, to help process and bring to closure the ordeal she has been through. A patient's family members, friends, and even treatment team would benefit from this candid book. It is through Dr. Chang's selfless and uninhibited sharing that any one interested, will come to know "first hand" what it's like to have breat cancer. Dr. Chang leaves nothing out - from resources to practical suggestions, to coping strategies including the value of humor. It's a must read for breast cancer patients and anyone that works with them.

Memoir, Scrapbook, and Resource Guide--All Rolled Into One.......2000-04-13

Dr. Alice Chang has written an incredibly moving account of her own bout with breast cancer. The book is truly an inspiration! The parts I like best include first, the conversational tone. Second, Alice models ideal patient behaviour. I'm taking this book with me next time I visit my physician. Third, she's very methodical in what she reports. I never doubted the accuracy of her word. Fourth, I really like the photographs. At first I thought the idea was kind of hokey, but once I looked at them, I quickly changed my mind. Last, there is a wonderful resource guide for anyone dealing with cancer, either personally or for a loved one. Alice, thank you so much for your more than wonderful work!

Gorma Smith, Review of A Survivor's Guide to Breast Cancer.......2000-03-25

I bought the book early on a Saturday at a fund raiser for Handi-Dogs. I was privileged to meet Alice in person before I read the book. She was introduced to me by my brother and we spoke briefly. I went home, sat down and thought I would read just a bit of the book. About 2 AM I finished the book. I shed tears, laughter, humility, pride, joy in this brief time. What a special, special person she is. I am purchasing her book for my friends. Even if one does not have cancer or have a friend or relative that does, it is a book about an intelligent, gentle, brave woman with a deep sense of responsibility to help others. I felt I had sat at the feet of a "true teacher" and "superior person". There are indeed angels here on earth to guide us.

Be a Survivor: Your Interactive Guide to Breast Cancer Treatment

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Be a Survivor: Your Interactive Guide to Breast Cancer Treatment
Valdimir Lange
Manufacturer: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: CD-ROM

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Survivor's Guide to Breast Cancer: a Couple's Story of Faith, Hope, & Love

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Survivor's Guide to Breast Cancer: a Couple's Story of Faith, Hope, & Love
Robert C. Fore
Manufacturer: Smyth & Helwys Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

In the spring of 1996, Rorie could no longer ignore the disease that strikes 1 in 8 women. After 25 years of marriage, she and her husband, Robert, both health care professionals, were faced with the diagnosis of breast cancer, which resulted in Rorie's having a double mastectomy and treatment that included chemotherapy, radiation, and breast reconstruction. Together they faced the challenge and relied on their faith in God and their love for each other to survive and share their inspirational story with others in the same circumstance. Candid, open, and honest, their story is a beacon of hope.

Average customer rating:

Survivor's Guide to Breast Cancer
Yvonne Goide
Manufacturer: OPTIMA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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