Breast Cancer: A Journey From Fear to Empowerment

If you're unfortunate enough to get breast cancer, the first question you may ask yourself is, 'Why me?'; Cath Filby asked herself the same question seven years ago when she was diagnosed. A double mastectomy, followed by chemotherapy, complementary therapy and reconstruction, using tissue from her stomach, followed. But this wasn't the end because Cath decided to write about her experiences in the hope that she could help others going through cancer to understand that, with faith, determination, support and an open mind, the journey through breast cancer can be far more bearable than you think. Cath describes each element of her treatment with a no-holds-barred approach but intersperses her story with a sprinkling of humour and more than a small dose of hope. She describes how, 17 years to the day following her 17 year old son's death in a road accident, she was diagnosed and had to decide on the correct course of treatment when so many options, both conventional and alternative, were available to her. Her comprehensive research concluded with a combined approach to therapy, using conventional medicine, supported by natural therapies that helped to alleviate many of the side effects of her treatment. The strict diet and exercise plans that she followed, with the support of her family, are also described in detail. She turns the devastating prospect of losing her hair into an almost pleasurable experience, with her Raquel Welch wig, although sympathetically admired by her husband, being described by her daughter as looking like 'Ann Diamond on a bad hair day';. She describes the scene in her hospital room, the night before her 5-hour breast reconstruction operation, when her surgeon was briefing her, while a hospital maintenance man was two feet away from the bed, up a ladder, with his head and shoulders through the ceiling, attempting to repair the air conditioning system! It is an inspiring book by an inspiring writer and will surely give any reader a clear understanding that the journey through breast cancer can be far more straightforward than the confusing maze that many sufferers are presented with.