Synopsis:
When Dr. Maker was diagnosed in 2011, she, like most people, knew almost nothing about breast cancer. What she did know is that she didn’t feel safe simply following her doctors’ advice. She needed to understand for herself all her treatment options, the statistical outcomes for each option, and all the potential side effects, so she could make informed decisions. Because of her academic background and expertise as a researcher, she discovered a great deal about the disease and its treatments that few lay people are aware of.
The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Breast Cancer is the story of her journey and the things she learned along the way. This information helped her to make informed decisions about her treatment, and it also helped her to make the lifestyle changes that she hopes will keep her in remission. This is the book she wished she had before, during, and after her treatment.
Topics that will help readers take charge of their recovery include how to find the best doctors and hospitals; how to build a support system; and pros and cons of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and hormones. Topics that will help readers stay in remission include how to make the body less receptive to cancer, including changes in diet, exercise, supplements, and stress reduction. Readers may not make the same decisions that Dr. Maker did, but the information in the book will empower them to make the decisions they consider best for themselves and their loved ones.
Rating: 5-stars
Review:
The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Breast Cancer by Janet Maker, Ph.D., is the most informative book I have read. As a young woman myself, I was impressed with the content inside. The material isn’t boring like most informative books that I come across. It has topics of concern that women should be more aware of and what they can do. Sure, we have heard those things before, but what makes this different than others is that even I, a non cancer victim, can take information from this. There’s a lot about the types of foods, plastic, and carcinogens that we probably ingest every day constantly and not think twice about…that’s what makes this book so important. The layout and words are educational and from a former breast cancer survivor. Maybe, it is also the fact she can write education yet informative books welll. But whatever the case is, this was wonderful to read. As a college student, I was satisfied with the level of material presented to me. It is definitely worth its weight in gold. This isn’t a memoir…it is like a textbook in a way that it alerts the reader to the many issues and factors relating to this cancer and many other cancers as well. I enjoyed reading this. Overall, I highly recommend it to others.
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