I put UPLIFT: Secrets from the Sisterhood of Breast Cancer Survivors together because, as a survivor, I saw the need for a book that treated breast cancer as a do-able experience—and, indeed, the response to it has been remarkable. The book contains useful woman-to-woman hints—things the doctor doesn't say—practical advice on topics ranging from what deodorant to use during radiation, to what minimizes nausea during chemo, to how to feel feminine and upbeat. This advice comes first-hand, in the words of 370+ breast cancer survivors, their sisters, children, parents, lovers, and friends. The new 3rd Edition adds updates, five years later, from many of the original contributors.
The following are some uplifting tips from breast cancer survivors.
The Worry Box
"I found a box and glued colorful scraps of wrapping paper on the top. Inside it, each morning, I tucked handwritten notes about my worries and fears. Nancy Burgess, in the "TAKING THE REINS" chapter.
The Art of Healing
"Go to a theater, a museum, a concert or ballet. Art can take us out of ourselves, lift us beyond our immediate environment, enrich us spiritually and aesthetically. Opening yourself to great beauty is always a life-enhancer. In times of crisis, it's also healing."
Susan Stamberg, in the "TAKING THE REINS" chapter.
Pins and Needles
"Apparently, there is a dressmaker in Chicago who had prostheses made out of her pin cushions, so that she could conveniently stick her needles and pins into her chest when sewing and making alterations!"
Darlene Jurow, in the "HUMOR" chapter.
Eating With Friends
"I found conventional support group meetings difficult, so I formed my own support dinner group. We dine out every couple of months to discuss having breast cancer. We also share stories of our spouses, children, and travels."
Deborah J.P. Schur, in the "SUPPORT GROUP" chapter.
Drinking Helps
"Someone told me my chemo symptoms sounded like a really bad hangover! Their suggestion that Gatorade was good for hangovers led to my drinking gallons of it, which helped steady that queasy shakiness."
Jane Vaughan, in the "CHEMO AND EVERYTHING ELSE" chapter.
Accentuate the Positive
"Perhaps the most significant outcome of my battle with breast cancer is that I have changed my outlook on life. I now regard life as precious and try not to focus on negative things. Eliminating stress and resentment from my life and concentrating on the positive things has become my goal. "
Sandy Mark, in the "PURE UPLIFT" chapter.
I'm exercising more now. I really found out how good it was after my surgery and I got into a program for cancer survivors. I only wished I had started earlier in life. Judy Peterson, in the "FAST FORWARD" chapter.
For more tips and quotes visit Barbara Delinsky's site at http://www.barbaradelinsky.com/uplift/uplift.cfm
Barbara Delinsky is a bestselling author. Her novels are highly emotional, character-driven studies of marriage, parenthood, sibling rivalry, and friendship. They regularly appear on the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today Bestseller Lists. UPLIFT: Secrets of the Sisterhood of Breast Cancer Survivors is Barbara's first non-fiction work.
Barbara donates all of her proceeds from the sale of UPLIFT to her charitable foundation for breast cancer research. So far, the sale of the book has allowed the Barbara Delinsky Charitable Foundation to fund three years of a breast surgery fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital. The focus of the fellowship is to launch the career of a surgical oncologist with an additional year of training focused on innovative breast cancer treatments and research, hopefully offering returns to the field of cancer research for decades to come.
Breast Cancer Survivor
Nearly everyone knows a friend or relative who has been stricken by breast cancer and who have succumbed to the disease. Breast cancer remains the most common of cancers affecting women. It kills more women than any other kind of cancer, except lung cancer. About 150,000 women in the United States develop breast cancer each year, and 25 percent die of the disease.
Women whose female relatives have had breast cancer or have a breast cancer survivor in the family are more likely to be victims than women from families in which breast cancer is not present. The disease appears to be linked statistically also to women who do not have children before their 30s or who do not have nurse their babies; to women who reach the menopause later than normal; and to women who began menstruation earlier in life than normal.
There is increasing evidence also that ovarian activity may play an important role in the development of breast cancer. Women with ovarian tumors and women who use supplementary estrogen have been shown by some studies to be at increased risk, while the process of having many children and nursing them, which suppresses estrogen hormone activity, is associated with a decreased risk of developing breast cancer. However 55 percent of the diagnosed cases are for women who have no known risk factors.
Cancer of the breast may occur as early as the teens, but this is rare. It is generally not found before the age of 30, and the incidence peaks around the time of menopause. Then there is a second period after the age of about 65 when the incidence of breast cancer rises again.
A breast cancer survivor would have a real change in his or her life. Surviving this deadly disease would make them realize about a number of things that they have done with their lives and they would have a second look about their lifestyle and ask why they had had acquired this kind of disease.
The following are some uplifting tips from breast cancer survivors.
The Worry Box
"I found a box and glued colorful scraps of wrapping paper on the top. Inside it, each morning, I tucked handwritten notes about my worries and fears. Nancy Burgess, in the "TAKING THE REINS" chapter.
The Art of Healing
"Go to a theater, a museum, a concert or ballet. Art can take us out of ourselves, lift us beyond our immediate environment, enrich us spiritually and aesthetically. Opening yourself to great beauty is always a life-enhancer. In times of crisis, it's also healing."
Susan Stamberg, in the "TAKING THE REINS" chapter.
Pins and Needles
"Apparently, there is a dressmaker in Chicago who had prostheses made out of her pin cushions, so that she could conveniently stick her needles and pins into her chest when sewing and making alterations!"
Darlene Jurow, in the "HUMOR" chapter.
Eating With Friends
"I found conventional support group meetings difficult, so I formed my own support dinner group. We dine out every couple of months to discuss having breast cancer. We also share stories of our spouses, children, and travels."
Deborah J.P. Schur, in the "SUPPORT GROUP" chapter.
Drinking Helps
"Someone told me my chemo symptoms sounded like a really bad hangover! Their suggestion that Gatorade was good for hangovers led to my drinking gallons of it, which helped steady that queasy shakiness."
Jane Vaughan, in the "CHEMO AND EVERYTHING ELSE" chapter.
Accentuate the Positive
"Perhaps the most significant outcome of my battle with breast cancer is that I have changed my outlook on life. I now regard life as precious and try not to focus on negative things. Eliminating stress and resentment from my life and concentrating on the positive things has become my goal. "
Sandy Mark, in the "PURE UPLIFT" chapter.
I'm exercising more now. I really found out how good it was after my surgery and I got into a program for cancer survivors. I only wished I had started earlier in life. Judy Peterson, in the "FAST FORWARD" chapter.
For more tips and quotes visit Barbara Delinsky's site at http://www.barbaradelinsky.com/uplift/uplift.cfm
Barbara Delinsky is a bestselling author. Her novels are highly emotional, character-driven studies of marriage, parenthood, sibling rivalry, and friendship. They regularly appear on the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today Bestseller Lists. UPLIFT: Secrets of the Sisterhood of Breast Cancer Survivors is Barbara's first non-fiction work.
Barbara donates all of her proceeds from the sale of UPLIFT to her charitable foundation for breast cancer research. So far, the sale of the book has allowed the Barbara Delinsky Charitable Foundation to fund three years of a breast surgery fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital. The focus of the fellowship is to launch the career of a surgical oncologist with an additional year of training focused on innovative breast cancer treatments and research, hopefully offering returns to the field of cancer research for decades to come.
Breast Cancer Survivor
Nearly everyone knows a friend or relative who has been stricken by breast cancer and who have succumbed to the disease. Breast cancer remains the most common of cancers affecting women. It kills more women than any other kind of cancer, except lung cancer. About 150,000 women in the United States develop breast cancer each year, and 25 percent die of the disease.
Women whose female relatives have had breast cancer or have a breast cancer survivor in the family are more likely to be victims than women from families in which breast cancer is not present. The disease appears to be linked statistically also to women who do not have children before their 30s or who do not have nurse their babies; to women who reach the menopause later than normal; and to women who began menstruation earlier in life than normal.
There is increasing evidence also that ovarian activity may play an important role in the development of breast cancer. Women with ovarian tumors and women who use supplementary estrogen have been shown by some studies to be at increased risk, while the process of having many children and nursing them, which suppresses estrogen hormone activity, is associated with a decreased risk of developing breast cancer. However 55 percent of the diagnosed cases are for women who have no known risk factors.
Cancer of the breast may occur as early as the teens, but this is rare. It is generally not found before the age of 30, and the incidence peaks around the time of menopause. Then there is a second period after the age of about 65 when the incidence of breast cancer rises again.
A breast cancer survivor would have a real change in his or her life. Surviving this deadly disease would make them realize about a number of things that they have done with their lives and they would have a second look about their lifestyle and ask why they had had acquired this kind of disease.
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