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Imagine the hope and comfort you will feel surrounded by forty inspiring breast cancer survivors as they share stories of celebrating life twenty, forty, even fifty years after diagnosis. You’ll be welcomed into an inner circle of support as each woman shares her personal journey through breast cancer and insight about why she believes she has thrived for decades beyond diagnosis. Whether you are a survivor, caregiver, family, friend, or part of an oncology team, this book will help quiet fear, calm anxiety, and offer the priceless gift of hope. Beverly McKee, MSW, LCSW, is a mental health therapist and Stage III breast cancer survivor. She was inspired to compile this powerful collection of stories after planning a party set for October 17, 2052, exactly forty years in the future from the date of her own diagnosis. You are invited to meet these unforgettable women during a worldwide book tour! For details and to learn how you can join an exclusive online book club visit www.BeverlyMcKee.com.
The purpose of this dissertation was to examine in depth the lived experience of women who had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Six subjects were chosen who were very different personally and in their experience of the disease. The work was specifically concerned with the meaning they made of their illness and whether having it could ever be perceived as a gift. First, there is a general overview of the disease which includes information relative to occurrence, diagnosis, treatment, coping and assimilation. It is followed by a discussion of meaning and its relationship to illness, the breast, a cancer diagnosis and cancer of the breast. Narratives then tell the stories of the six subjects. The narratives, written following the transcription of taped interviews with the subjects, were shared with the subjects prior to inclusion in the dissertation making this an interactive approach consistent with its phenomenological premise. The dissertation suggested that the experience of breast cancer led to some measure of transformation. Subjects expressed attitudinal changes related to the meaningfulness of life. Transformational changes ranged from alterations in relationships to, in one case, a radical shift in how the subject dealt with anger. The work speaks to the depth psychological perspective that transformation occurs outside as well as inside the consulting room and to the relationship between life-threatening illness and meaningful life changes.
In 1998, at the age of 52, I had breast cancer and a left-side mastectomy. That was my eighth major operation, but my first for the treatment of a life-threatening disease. Almost immediately after the operation, I became aware that there were unexpected benefits to be reaped from this experience, benefits which ended up changing my life and many of my attitudes. Eventually I decided to write a book detailing those many benefits and my thoughts on a variety of topics related to health, health care, self-image, and the value of courage and optimism in the face of adversity. Surviving breast cancer left me a happier, calmer, more focused, and more appreciative person. Now my principal message to other women is that breast cancer does not have to be an entirely negative, terror-inducing experience. On the contrary, it can leave them better off than they were before, both physically and emotionally. I know, because it happened to me. My book is primarily the story of that physical and emotional journey. The five appendices offer a wealth of practical information on risk factors for breast cancer, ways to help prevent it, and much more.
"I will always and forever feel I have a 'hole' in my life where my mother once existed." "I think, when you have to think about the fact you might have to take care of your parents someday and juggle kids at the same time...It's a scary proposition." "We had open communication during and before the breast cancer. But then after the breast cancer, I was often afraid to bring things up, in trying to protect Mom." This insightful book tells the stories of women whose mothers had breast cancer. It uses their own voices to express the common fears and expectations of daughters in the periods before and during their mothers' illnesses, involving genetic risks, death and dying, and changes in their relationships. The case studies, tables and figures, and two appendices will benefit health professionals and counselors, while the poignant narratives will help mothers and daughters better understand their experiences with breast cancer. "I was kind of surprised to be alive and free of cancer at age 42, when at this point my mother was crippled by metastases. When I get to be 43--the age at which my mother died, or maybe when I get to 44--it's like, 'what do I do?' I have this life that I didn't expect to have." Breast Cancer: Daughters Tell Their Stories presents the results of a qualitative, grounded theory study of breast cancer survivors, providing in-depth information about an aspect of breast cancer that has been previously overlooked. The book examines the daughters' experiences through four phases--the period prior to mother's illness, the period during mother's illness and treatment, the period following mother's death (if mother dies), and the long-term impact. From this study, recommendations are compiled for providing or improving services for tomorrow's daughters. "The radical mastectomy left her scarred and disfigured below her nightgown. It was bruised and nasty looking. That was kind of scary. I think that has terrified me since. Sometimes I'll have pains in my left breast and that's what I visualize. It's terrifying." "I'm not really obsessed about dying of cancer. I'm more along the line of, 'If this is going to happen to me, and there's a chance it's going to, I'm gonna survive. I'm not going to die from it." From an empathetic perspective, this book reveals how many daughters react to and deal with their mothers' diagnoses, depending on their age and family situation at the time of their mothers' illnesses. It shows how daughters can gain a more accurate idea of their level of risk by providing educational materials and developing new strategies for communication. It also helps breast cancer survivors see how their illnesses can shape their daughters' future outlook, offering new inspiration for resolving and preventing family crises.
“I will always and forever feel I have a 'hole' in my life where my mother once existed.” “I think, when you have to think about the fact you might have to take care of your parents someday and juggle kids at the same time…It's a scary proposition.” “We had open communication during and before the breast cancer. But then after the breast cancer, I was often afraid to bring things up, in trying to protect Mom.” This insightful book tells the stories of women whose mothers had breast cancer. It uses their own voices to express the common fears and expectations of daughters in the periods before and during their mothers' illnesses, involving genetic risks, death and dying, and changes in their relationships. The case studies, tables and figures, and two appendices will benefit health professionals and counselors, while the poignant narratives will help mothers and daughters better understand their experiences with breast cancer. “I was kind of surprised to be alive and free of cancer at age 42, when at this point my mother was crippled by metastases. When I get to be 43—the age at which my mother died, or maybe when I get to 44—it's like, 'what do I do?' I have this life that I didn't expect to have.” Breast Cancer: Daughters Tell Their Stories presents the results of a qualitative, grounded theory study of breast cancer survivors, providing in-depth information about an aspect of breast cancer that has been previously overlooked. The book examines the daughters' experiences through four phases—the period prior to mother's illness, the period during mother's illness and treatment, the period following mother's death (if mother dies), and the long-term impact. From this study, recommendations are compiled for providing or improving services for tomorrow's daughters. “The radical mastectomy left her scarred and disfigured below her nightgown. It was bruised and nasty looking. That was kind of scary. I think that has terrified me since. Sometimes I'll have pains in my left breast and that's what I visualize. It's terrifying.” “I'm not really obsessed about dying of cancer. I'm more along the line of, 'If this is going to happen to me, and there's a chance it's going to, I'm gonna survive. I'm not going to die from it.” From an empathetic perspective, this book reveals how many daughters react to and deal with their mothers' diagnoses, depending on their age and family situation at the time of their mothers' illnesses. It shows how daughters can gain a more accurate idea of their level of risk by providing educational materials and developing new strategies for communication. It also helps breast cancer survivors see how their illnesses can shape their daughters' future outlook, offering new inspiration for resolving and preventing family crises.
From the book jacket: Chemo Brain. Fatigue. Chronic Pain. Insomnia. Depression. These are just a few of the ongoing, debilitating symptoms that plague some breast cancer survivors long after their treatments have officially ended. After The Cure is a compelling read filled with fascinating portraits of women who are living with the aftermath of breast cancer. Having heard repeatedly that the problems are all in your head, many don't know where to turn for help. The doctors who now refuse to validate their symptoms are often the very ones they depended on to provide life-saving treatments. Sometimes family members, who provided essential support through months of chemotherapy and radiation, don't believe them. Their work lives, already disrupted by both cancer and its treatment, are further undermined by the lingering symptoms. And every symptom is a constant reminder of the trauma of diagnosis, the ordeal of treatment, and the specter of recurrence. Most narratives about surviving breast cancer end with the conclusion of chemotherapy and radiation, painting stereotypical portraits of triumphantly healthy survivors, women who not only survive but emerge better and stronger than before. After The Cure allows us to hear the voices of those who are silenced by the optimistic breast cancer culture, women who live with a broad array of health problems long after therapy ends. Here, at last, survivors step out of the shadows and speak compellingly about their real stories, giving voice to the complicated, often bittersweet realities of life after the cure.