by HopeForTwo | May 26, 2017 | Book Corner
By: Sue Lawrence, PhD
Do you still have cleavage with just one breast? is one woman’s intimate story of her struggle to navigate a breast cancer diagnosis received while newly pregnant and recently married. Author Sue Lawrence chronicles her emotional experience in a series of journal entries.
Sue’s story is shared with a frankness and vulnerability that makes the reader feel present in her endeavor. She concisely puts to paper every raw emotion encountered during her journey back to good health, deeply exploring this diagnosis’ impact on her fledgling marriage and role as a new mother. We arrive at the realization that one can experience a range of emotions surrounding a cancer diagnosis, all of which are acceptable. This cathartic examination concludes with beneficial “Tips for Cancer Warriors” which she shares at the end of her book.
Do you still have cleavage with just one breast? is available for purchase through www.SpringtimeBooks.com and www.amazon.com . For details about receiving a signed copy, contact the author directly at: suelawrence.rejoice@gmail.com.
by HopeForTwo | Dec 13, 2016 | Book Corner
By Megan Pomputius
“Still My Mommy is the story of a little girl whose brave mommy is fighting cancer. Fighting cancer makes her mommy look a little different so she wonders if her mommy will still be the same.”
In 2013, Megan Pomputius received an ovarian cancer diagnosis while raising her two year old daughter. Her diagnosis and treatment led to many questions from her child, motivating Megan to write a children’s book to help other mothers and families facing similar circumstances. Written from the child’s point of view, Still My Mommy is a helpful resource for families to assist young children in understanding that even though many physical changes may occur during a mother’s illness and treatment, she remains the same person. An easy read, reassuringly addressing common concerns faced by many families coping with this experience. Thoughtfully illustrated by Andrea Alemanno.
Still My Mommy, in hardcover, is available for purchase through Mascot Books: https://mascotbooks.com/mascot-marketplace/buy-books/childrens/still-my-mommy/ or through the author’s blog: www.stillmymommy.weebly.com.
by HopeForTwo | Dec 13, 2016 | Book Corner
By Stephanie Hosford
Stephanie Hosford, a member that came to us for help in 2008 and has been a valuable Hope for Two volunteer support woman, has penned a well-written story of her nine month roller coaster ride of being a mother of one, adopting a child from China, and then finds out that she is expecting another child just days after being diagnosed with breast cancer. Suddenly, Stephanie, a 37 year old Occupational Therapist and a tri-athlete from Los Angeles, was fighting for her life, her children, and her sanity. The book was born out of her blog by the same name, where she chronicled her crazy journey. She takes readers on a gut-wrenching, tearful, and joyous ride, from the first days after hearing the words, “You have cancer” to the tender homecomings of her new baby and then her adopted daughter. Her personal story is filled with hope, humor, and examples on how to find your inner strength when you need it the most.
Bald, Fat & Crazy is available for purchase at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and any independent bookseller.
by HopeForTwo | Dec 13, 2016 | Book Corner
By Alana Somerville
Alana Somerville is a vibrant young woman and mother of two. When she was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in 2010 at the age of thirty-three, Alana decided that she had no other option but to fight for her life. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, she fought back and became her biggest advocate, which definitely played a huge part in her survival.
Alana is an elementary school teacher whose passion for writing, teaching and surviving helped her to create this book. After a life altering cancer diagnosis, multiple surgeries and sixteen weeks of chemotherapy, it was through her will to live and not let herself be beat that she became her own advocate and began to play a major role in her own health care. She was inspired to write this book to help other women realize the importance of a positive attitude throughout this journey called “Cancer”, but she also wanted to write this book so that her children could one day completely understand this battle that she fought for them.
Of special note, Alana writes her book as a Canadian within the Canadian Health Care System. Chemosabe: Cancer Warrior is available for purchase at www.cancerwarriorbook.com.
by HopeForTwo | Dec 13, 2016 | Book Corner
By Amy Burns
When Amy Burns was diagnosed with breast cancer at 35 years old, she was shocked and terrified. Her baby had just turned one, and she and her husband (a stay-at-home-dad) were entertaining the idea of a second child. She was the career-woman in the family, and suddenly she was facing death.
Her memoir, written through poetry, moves through her story chronologically, from sharing the news of her cancer diagnosis with her husband while still on the phone with the nurse: ” I mouth it to you—the hard C of it choking my confidence and/ catching on my tonsils./ After the news,/ I see your eyelids like wet newsprint” to the end where she admits that her “prayers are more fervent now,/ dogged like spring leaves,/ warm and sticky with a baited question.” She’s living a new life of uncertainty that challenges her attitude on a daily basis. This is an honest story of hope, lightheartedness, and frankness for women who either have breast cancer or know someone who does.
Dr. Michelle A. Proper, MD, states, “As a radiation oncologist, I treat breast cancer patients daily. Breast Cancer at 35 gave me an intimate, brilliant and raw account of the other side of the exam table. I will be recommending this memoir to my young patients to help give them insight into the emotions that emerge in everyday life with breast cancer.”
Breast Cancer at 35: A Memoir is available for purchase through Amazon.com.
by HopeForTwo | Dec 13, 2016 | Book Corner
By Kristen Math
Kristen Math had it all. She was married to her best friend, Thomas. They had four young children and a baby on the way. After struggling through a difficult childhood, she built her life around her family. When she was sixteen weeks pregnant, Kristen was diagnosed with cancer. The fight for her life and for the survival of her unborn baby unearthed her darkest memories. When she was at her lowest point, cancer provided her with the unexpected opportunity to confront the past and finally face herself. Kristen’s battle with cancer is a story of courage and redemption. It is proof that in the darkest hours of our lives, we can find strength and healing.
A member of Hope for Two, Kristen writes very movingly of her experience. Her insightfully honest, often raw depiction of events makes this book one that readers will not want to put down until finished. The straightforward manner in which she expresses her feelings as she travels this road will be very relatable to others going through a diagnosis of cancer during pregnancy.
A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss is available for purchase at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and other online retailers.
