Harvard doctor. Breast cancer surgeon. Breast cancer survivor. Carolyn Kaelin, MD, MPH, knows the twists and turns breast cancer can take from both sides of the stethoscope. At 42, Kaelin, the director of the Comprehensive Breast Health Center at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and assistant professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Suddenly, she faced losing her breast, hair, eyebrows, energy, and far more. A mother of two, a wife, a working woman, and an avid skier and cyclist, she was forced to put so much that she cared about on hold.In her new book, LIVING THROUGH BREAST CANCER, Kaelin draws on years of clinical expertise and her own experiences to offer a uniquely authoritative resource. Driven by up-to-date research, this compassionate book guides women from the first numb, fearful days after hearing their diagnosis through the confusing maze of treatment options and on toward making the best possible recovery. As a survivor herself and a breast cancer surgeon for over a decade, Kaelin is well placed to suggest strategies for facing the emotional and physical challenges that go hand-in-hand with this disease. Strengthening her voice are numerous insights from other women who have dealt with breast cancer and information gleaned from other top breast cancer experts, as well.
The first section of LIVING THROUGH BREAST CANCER contains clear, concise information about obtaining the correct diagnosis, creating a strong medical team and support network, and making well-considered decisions about treatment options ranging from surgery and anticancer drugs to radiation. Kaelin helps women understand the overwhelming flood of information coming their way, distilling medical terms into plain language to help them become active partners in their treatment.
Next, LIVING THROUGH BREAST CANCER addresses self-esteem issues often experienced by women who have had breast cancer. Kaelin shares stories of how she and other women felt about their losses and offers advice about different options available for handling hair, skin, nails, and teeth affected by chemotherapy and other treatments.
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Reconstructive breast surgeries are described in detail and questions many women have—how does a recreated breast feel and look?
How do different surgeries affect activity?—are answered. In-depth information is also offered on the growing variety of breast forms now available to women. The simplest option of all—leaving the body as is—is described, too, by women who have made that choice.
Finally, LIVING THROUGH BREAST CANCER discusses how women can regain their balance and move toward recovery. Kaelin explains the improvements to health and ease of movement that exercise and good nutrition can make. She responds to concerns surrounding sexuality, fertility, menopause, and the mind to help women emerge from their odyssey as strong and healthy as possible.
Caring, comprehensive, and uniquely authoritative, LIVING THROUGH BREAST CANCER provides women with the most inclusive guide to dealing with the medical, emotional, and aesthetic ramifications of breast cancer and its treatment. Throughout, the book relies on solid, timely research and new ways of thinking that can change the lives of breast cancer survivors for the better.
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CAROLYN M. KAELIN, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.S., is the director of the Comprehensive Breast Health Center at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a surgical oncologist at Dana Farber Cancer Institute, and assistant professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School. A nationally respected researcher in the field of women’s health, she currently is lead researcher on three studies on quality of life with breast cancer. She is the recipient of the prestigious Mary Horrigan Connor’s Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions and leadership in women’s health.
FRANCESCA COLTRERA is a medical writer in the Boston area who has covered women's health and many other topics for well over a decade. She is a frequent contributor to Harvard Health Publications and has written for several health web sites. Her work also has appeared in Redbook, Self, Technology Review, and the Boston Herald.
About Harvard Medical School
http://hms.harvard.edu/
Harvard Medical School has more than 5,000 full-time faculty working in eight academic departments based at the School's Boston quadrangle or in one of 47 academic departments at 18 Harvard teaching hospitals and research institutes. Those Harvard hospitals and research institutions include Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Cambridge Health Alliance, The CBR Institute for Biomedical Research, Children's Hospital Boston, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Forsyth Institute, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Joslin Diabetes Center, Judge Baker Children's Center, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Mental Health Center, McLean Hospital, Mount Auburn Hospital, Schepens Eye Research Institute, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, VA Boston Healthcare System.
About Brigham and Women’s Hospital
BWH is a 735-bed nonprofit teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School and a founding member of Partners HealthCare System, an integrated health care delivery network. Internationally recognized as a leading academic health care institution, BWH is committed to excellence in patient care, medical research, and the training and education of health care professionals. The hospital's preeminence in all aspects of clinical care is coupled with its strength in medical research. A leading recipient of research grants from the National Institutes of Health, BWH conducts internationally acclaimed clinical, basic and epidemiological studies. www.brighamandwomens.org
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