A Common-Sense Guide to Life After Treatment
September 1, 2003
Although countless books and pamphlets have been written for women recently diagnosed with breast cancer, little exists for women who have finished their treatment. While many outsiders assume that the end of treatment brings only relief, women who have had breast cancer know that the post-treatment chapter in the breast cancer experience is one of the most difficult. Schnipper, a breast cancer survivor and an oncology social worker, helps prepare women for life after breast cancer by imparting information and advice in an intimate and direct manner. She covers all aspects of the experience, including physical recovery, coping with family members who expect everything to go back to normal immediately, fertility and fear of recurrence. The idea of transformation underlies the book, and she devotes a moving chapter to the different ways some women have gained or regained a sense of spirituality. As Schnipper writes, "Our lives have been changed in many ways and we have tried to be understanding and flexible about our possibilities.... Our hearts and souls, however, need time to catch up." In this volume, readers will find a guide that might help them better understand their infinitely complex circumstances and find hope.
August 1, 2003
Oncology social worker Schnipper had worked with breast cancer patients for more than 15 years when she was diagnosed at age 44. And finding the cancer shoe on the other foot was an eyeopener. Acknowledging the number of excellent books written about breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, she wrote this volume for all the women still "suffering" once active treatment has ended. The daily and routine appointments are over, the medication is no longer prescribed, and women find themselves "thrust back into the land of the well," though they feel anything but. Schnipper's aim is to reassure all these women that whatever they are feeling (e.g., anger, grief, frustration, depression, abandonment, and malaise) is natural and temporary, though the specifics of each woman's trauma and the recovery time are as unique as her pathology. Referring to her own post-treatment anxieties and quoting from other women, Schnipper presents a one-on-one support vehicle that will be most appreciated by women who are looking for confirmation of their own sudden lack of control ("surviving breast cancer seems to be a crapshoot"). She ends each chapter with bullet-points that sum up her discussion. Schnipper also covers physical recovery and issues of hair loss, weight, sexuality, complementary therapies, professional concerns, and children, among others. Written in an approachable and engaging manner, this book is highly recommended for all collections.
Copyright 2003 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.