Author Description

The statistics are a frightening reality: one in nine women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in the course of her lifetime. But there is also another reality about breast cancer: women are taking an active role in deciding treatment choices. Now, more than ever, women with this disease want to share their experiences, their fears, and their hopes. Comprised of a collection of nearly one hundred letters, Straight from the Heart takes us into the world of the newly diagnosed patient, as well as the woman who has been battling the disease and is urgently seeking a cure. Many describe their physical experience with chemotherapy and its side effects. One woman writes about selecting the Dow Corning implant and tells of her body's physical response to it. Still another speaks of her decision to have her breast reconstructed ten years after her surgery. Written by women from all walks of life - women of different ages and at different stages of recovery - the inspiring personal stories included here come straight from the heart. Many have won the battle, some are still fighting - but all are determined to survive. Straight from the Heart is a gift of life from women who have rediscovered their own lives. Its message is as simple as it is full of hope: Life goes on.