Twisting Fate: My Journey with BRCA - from Breast Cancer Doctor to Patient and Back

Twisting Fate: My Journey with BRCA - from Breast Cancer Doctor to Patient and Back
Author: Pamela Munster
Publisher: The Experiment, LLC
Total Pages: 186
Release: 2018-09-25
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1615195149

From a woman who’s made her living researching breast cancer—and who lived through it herself—a personal yet practical guide to the medical and emotional facets of this life-changing diagnosis A leading oncologist at the University of California San Francisco, Dr. Pamela Munster has advised thousands of women on how to cope with the realities of breast cancer, from diagnosis through treatment and recovery. But her world turned upside down when, at forty-eight years old and in otherwise perfect health, she got a call saying that her own mammogram showed “irregularities.” That single word thrust her into a wholly new role—as patient, and not only that of cancer but of the feared BRCA gene mutation as well. Suddenly, she realized that being a true “expert” in a disease was far beyond the scope of her medical training, and that she had a lot to learn if she wanted to hold onto her precious life. Weaving together her personal story with groundbreaking research on BRCA—responsible for breast cancer and many other inherited cancers affecting both women and men—Twisting Fate is an inspiring guide to living with the uncertainties of cancer. With authority, insight, and compassion, Dr. Munster uses her voice to create a safe space for genuine healing and honesty in a world otherwise too-often dominated by fear—and she is living proof of how important it is to embrace all the twists and turns of fate.

Twisting Fate: My Journey with BRCA - from Breast Cancer Doctor to Patient and Back

Twisting Fate: My Journey with BRCA - from Breast Cancer Doctor to Patient and Back
Author: Pamela Munster
Publisher: The Experiment, LLC
Total Pages: 186
Release: 2018-09-25
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1615195149

From a woman who’s made her living researching breast cancer—and who lived through it herself—a personal yet practical guide to the medical and emotional facets of this life-changing diagnosis A leading oncologist at the University of California San Francisco, Dr. Pamela Munster has advised thousands of women on how to cope with the realities of breast cancer, from diagnosis through treatment and recovery. But her world turned upside down when, at forty-eight years old and in otherwise perfect health, she got a call saying that her own mammogram showed “irregularities.” That single word thrust her into a wholly new role—as patient, and not only that of cancer but of the feared BRCA gene mutation as well. Suddenly, she realized that being a true “expert” in a disease was far beyond the scope of her medical training, and that she had a lot to learn if she wanted to hold onto her precious life. Weaving together her personal story with groundbreaking research on BRCA—responsible for breast cancer and many other inherited cancers affecting both women and men—Twisting Fate is an inspiring guide to living with the uncertainties of cancer. With authority, insight, and compassion, Dr. Munster uses her voice to create a safe space for genuine healing and honesty in a world otherwise too-often dominated by fear—and she is living proof of how important it is to embrace all the twists and turns of fate.

Resurrection Lily

Resurrection Lily
Author: Amy Byer Shainman
Publisher: Archway Publishing
Total Pages: 242
Release: 2018-12-05
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1480867071

Resurrection Lily shares a story of inheritance and intuition, of what can surface in the body and the spirit when linked by DNA. As Amy Byer Shainman discovers she has inherited a BRCA gene mutation that puts her at high risk of developing certain cancers, she struggles to come to terms with preventively removing her breasts when she does not have a breast cancer diagnosis. Through her experience making decisions about her health, Amy becomes invigorated with purpose and establishes herself as a leading advocate for those with BRCA and other hereditary cancer syndromes, tirelessly working to educate others facing the same daunting reality. Painting a timely and moving portrait of what it feels like to carry a BRCA gene mutation, Resurrection Lily provides firsthand insight into the patient experience. Weaved throughout Amy’s open and vulnerable story is the expertise of her doctors, education from top medical experts in cancer genetics, and whispered lifesaving guidance from her grandmother Lillian.

Previvors

Previvors
Author: Dina Roth Port
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 245
Release: 2010-10-05
Genre: Health & Fitness
ISBN: 110144391X

The first guide to all surgical and nonsurgical options for women with a high risk for breast cancer. Advances in genetic testing and risk assessment have changed the face of medicine, but with them has come a Pandora's box of dilemmas. Imagine discovering you had a significant risk for developing breast cancer. What would you do? Through the incredible true stories of five young friends, as well as interviews with more than seventy top breast cancer experts, health writer Dina Roth Port addresses the universal questions of women everywhere who have watched family members suffer from the disease and wondered, "Am I next?" Full of practical information, Previvors is the first comprehensive book to guide women through the difficult process of determining their risk, weighing the options, and coping with the emotions of deciding to undergo surgery. Readers will learn: •The pros and cons of getting tested for the BRCA gene •How to decide between surgical or nonsurgical options •The latest research in breast cancer surveillance •The advanced new world of breast reconstruction •How to overcome body image and sex issues post-surgery, and more From navigating health insurance coverage to finding the right medical team, Previvors is an invaluable resource for women facing decisions about their risk and future health. Watch a Video

Understanding BRCA

Understanding BRCA
Author: Clarissa Foster
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2017
Genre: BRCA genes
ISBN: 9781781611203

"Do you have a close relative who has died from, or is experiencing, aggressive breast, ovarian or prostate cancer? Have they been tested for the BRCA gene mutation? Have you? At the age of 35 and following the death of her mother from ovarian cancer, Clarissa Foster was found to carry a harmful mutation in the BRCA2 gene which drastically increased her risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. She searched for a book that would help her to understand the full extent of what it meant to carry a harmful mutation, the options available to her to lower her risk and, most importantly, how it would feel to undergo risk-reducing surgery. Finding nothing that answered her needs, she set about reading all the available medical literature and liaising with relevant medical professionals to answer her questions. This book is the result of that research and of the decision she took based on it – to have a bilateral mastectomy and salpingo-oophorectomy. Within the context of her own painful experience of family cancer and of elective surgery, Clarissa explains what the BRCA mutation is, what it signifies, what the individual’s choices are and what the fall out can be in terms of a woman’s body image, identity and sexual functioning."--Publisher's description.

Dangerous Boobies

Dangerous Boobies
Author: Caitlin Brodnick
Publisher: Seal Press
Total Pages: 203
Release: 2017-09-12
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1580056768

After watching too many family members die of cancer, at age 28, public speaker and comedian Caitlin Brodnick was tested for the BRCA1 gene mutation and tested positive, indicating an 87% chance she'd likely be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. She had a preventative double mastectomy, thereby becoming an everywoman's Angelina Jolie. Dangerous Boobies: Breaking Up with My Time-Bomb Breasts goes in depth into her experience from testing to surgery and on to recovery. With a warm, funny, and approachable voice, Caitlin tells readers the full story, even sharing what it was like to go from a size 32G bra -- giant, for a woman who is barely over five feet tall! -- to a 32C. Engaging and open, she admits to having hated her breasts long before her surgery, and enjoying the process of "designing" her new breasts, from the shape of the breasts to the size and color of the nipples. While Caitlin's primary narrative explores the BRCA gene and breast cancer, her story is also one about body acceptance and what it takes to be confident with and in charge of one's body. Her speaking engagements and comedy routines have shown that the wider topic of breasts, breast size, and personal identity is resonating with younger readers.

After Breast Cancer

After Breast Cancer
Author: Hester Hill Schnipper, LICSW
Publisher: Bantam
Total Pages: 322
Release: 2008-11-26
Genre: Health & Fitness
ISBN: 0307481204

As women quickly discover, their life when treatment ends is very different from what it was before their diagnosis. Often exhausted, anxious, and emotionally volatile, they are beset by physical discomforts, fearful of intimacy, afraid for their children, worried about recurrence. Anticipating a return to “normalcy,” they discover that the old version of normal no longer applies. There could be no more knowledgeable guide for women embarking on this complicated journey than Hester Hill Schnipper, who is herself both an experienced oncology social worker and a breast cancer survivor. This comprehensive handbook provides jargon-free information on the wide range of practical issues women face as they navigate the journey back to health, including: •Managing physical problems such as fatigue, hot flashes, and aches and pains •Handling relationships: your children, your partner, your parents, your friends. •How to regain emotional and sexual intimacy •Coping with financial and workplace issues •Genetic testing: why, whether, when •How to move beyond the fear of recurrence •And much more This indispensable book will help you rediscover your capacity for joy as you move forward into the future—as a survivor.

Breast Cancer Genes and the Gendering of Knowledge

Breast Cancer Genes and the Gendering of Knowledge
Author: Sahra Gibbon
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 230
Release: 2006-12-14
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0230626556

The book examines the social and cultural context of new genetic knowledge associated with breast cancer. It looks at how this knowledge and technologies are used and received in two contrasting social arenas - cancer genetic clinics and a breast cancer research charity.

Pragmatics of Human Communication: A Study of Interactional Patterns, Pathologies and Paradoxes

Pragmatics of Human Communication: A Study of Interactional Patterns, Pathologies and Paradoxes
Author: Paul Watzlawick
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Total Pages: 293
Release: 2011-04-25
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 0393707229

The properties and function of human communication. Called “one of the best books ever about human communication,” and a perennial bestseller, Pragmatics of Human Communication has formed the foundation of much contemporary research into interpersonal communication, in addition to laying the groundwork for context-based approaches to psychotherapy. The authors present the simple but radical idea that problems in life often arise from issues of communication, rather than from deep psychological disorders, reinforcing their conceptual explorations with case studies and well-known literary examples. Written with humor and for a variety of readers, this book identifies simple properties and axioms of human communication and demonstrates how all communications are actually a function of their contexts. Topics covered in this wide-ranging book include: the origins of communication; the idea that all behavior is communication; meta-communication; the properties of an open system; the family as a system of communication; the nature of paradox in psychotherapy; existentialism and human communication.

Radical

Radical
Author: Kate Pickert
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2020-09-29
Genre: Health & Fitness
ISBN: 9780316470346

Kate Pickert worked as a health-care journalist and knew medical treatment well, but it all changed when she was diagnosed with an aggressive type of breast cancer at age 35. Pickert used her journalistic skills to identify the cultural, scientific, and historical forces shaping the lives of breast-cancer patients in the modern age.