Just before her forty-second birthday, Jennifer A. Douglas learned she had a ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). While her form of cancer was non-invasive, the diagnosis was still, understandably, devastating and triggered a string of emotions. Her path–as she clearly points out in A BREAST CANCER JOURNEY (Living it One Step at a Time)–was intensely personal. Nevertheless, many of the feelings and experiences she describes are sure to resonate with other breast cancer sufferers who are navigating their own particular paths. Douglas escorts readers through the whole process in a chronological format, which is both helpful and logical. Chapters deal with the problems faced at each particular stage, and Douglas clarifies procedures and confusing medical terminology, while also addressing the feelings that come up and how she managed them. She also tackles factors sometimes sidelined in the medical literature: relationships, work issues, and finances–including the tricky question of insurance. Added to the mix is the testimony of other breast cancer sufferers, all at different stages of diagnosis and from diverse backgrounds. This helps offset the subjectivity of hearing only one woman’s perspective and highlights the truism that every woman’s journey is different. In short, this book serves as a kind of handbook, a traveling companion for women battling breast cancer.
Through it all, Douglas’ prose is simple, straightforward, and warmly matter-of-fact. She recounts medical processes in detail, demystifying jargon and explaining available options without bias. Where relevant, cost and insurance issues are covered too. The author acknowledges and gives credence to emotions and family relationships throughout. And there is a gentle advisory slant that never becomes didactic. For example, Douglas subtly advocates personal agency: one example would be when she listened to her inner voice and sought a second opinion; another was her challenging the radiographer’s actions on the day of her surgery, when Douglas turned out to be right. Asking questions and doing research is urged. Also helpful is the extensive list of resources included at the back of the book. And while some chapters may not be applicable to everyone, the structure makes it easy to dip in and out at will. This is, as Douglas herself points out, is the book that she wishes she could have read at the start of her own journey.
Any woman diagnosed with breast cancer (or indeed her friends and family) will find Jennifer A. Douglas’ A BREAST CANCER JOURNEY (Living it One Step at a Time) an invaluable source of information, advice, and support.
~Amanda Ellison for IndieReader