Talking to my tatas : all you need to know from a breast cancer researcher and survivor

Talking to my tatas All you need to know from a breast cancer researcher and survivor

Dana Brantley-Sieders

Book - 2022

"Provides accessible science and health information for the love of your boobs, especially when they have cancer. Dana Brantley-Seiders spent twenty years working as a biomedical breast cancer researcher. Then, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She thought she knew breast cancer before it whacked her upside her left boob and left her bleeding on the curb of uncertainty. Turns out, she had a lot to learn. This book shares Brantley-Seiders' personal journey with breast cancer, from the laboratory bench to her own bedside, and provides accessible information about breast cancer biology for non-scientists. Talking to My Tatas: All You Need to Know from a Breast Cancer Researcher and Survivor, offers accurate, evidence-based scienc...e that is accessible to all readers, including the more than three hundred thousand individuals diagnosed with breast cancer every year, their caregivers, and their loved ones. Knowledge is power, and lack of it can lead to overtreatment, unnecessary pain and suffering, and even death. By demystifying the process from mammograms, biopsies, pathology, and diagnostics, to surgical options, tumor genomic testing, and new treatment options, Brantley-Seiders aims to arm breast cancer patients with the tools they need to battle this disease with a healthy dose of humor, grace, and hope"--

Saved in:
Place a Hold Save to List Email this

2nd Floor Show me where

616.99449/Brantley-Sieders
1 / 1 copies available
Location Call Number   Status
2nd Floor 616.99449/Brantley-Sieders Checked In
Subjects
Brantley-Sieders, Dana > Health.
Breast > Cancer > Patients > United States > Biography.
Breast > Cancer > Patients > Treatment.
Breast.
Erogenous body parts.
Secondary sex characteristics.
Autobiographies.
Genres
Autobiographies
Published
Lanham, Maryland : Rowman & Littlefield, an imprint of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc [2022]
Language
English
Main Author
Dana Brantley-Sieders (author)
Physical Description
xi, 279 pages : illustrations (black and white) ; 23 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN
9781538155103
  • Acknowledgments
  • Introduction
  • Part I. Breast Biology, Breast Cancer, and What to Expect with a Breast Cancer Diagnosis
  • Chapter 1. Can I Talk to You about My Personal Relationship with My Breasts?
  • Chapter 2. Cancer 101: What (Breast) Cancer Is and How It Makes Your Body Betray You
  • Chapter 3. Diagnostics: Imaging, Poking, and Prodding to Find Breast Cancer
  • Chapter 4. Tumor Gene-Expression Profiling and Surgical Options: Excise and Examine
  • Chapter 5. Radiation, Chemotherapy, and Molecularly Targeted Therapies: Weapons of Cancer Destruction
  • Chapter 6. Cancer Doesn't Discriminate, But We Do: Disparities and Cancer
  • Part II. My Breast Cancer Story
  • Chapter 7. Nobody Expects the Spanish Inquisition, Or A Cancer Diagnosis
  • Chapter 8. New Boobs, New You? The Toll Breast Cancer Takes on Your Mental Health and How to Deal with It
  • Chapter 9. I Laugh in the Face of Cancer: A Few Funny Stories
  • Part III. Science Savvy: Why You Should Listen to Your Doctor and Not Dave "Avocado" Wolfe, Gwyneth Paltrow, or Darla Shine
  • Chapter 10. Avoid the Woo! How to Spot Scams and Distinguish Pseudoscience from What's Legit When It Comes to Breast Cancer
  • Chapter 11. How to Look Past the Sensational Headlines and Get the Real Scoop from Science Reporting
  • Chapter 12. The Postcancer Feminist Manifesto: Academic-Researcher Edition
  • Chapter 13. "Boring Science" and Why Chasing New and Shiny Isn't Always the Best Goal
  • Part IV. Survivorship and Finding a New Normal
  • Chapter 14. My Condition Is Chronic, but My Tits Are Iconic
  • Chapter 15. The Top Ten Things You Can Say or Do When a Friend or Loved One Is Going Through Cancer, and What You Should Never Say or Do
  • Chapter 16. Life Goes On: Moving Forward with Humor and Hope
  • Appendix
  • Notes
  • Bibliography
  • Index
  • About the Author
Review by Booklist Review

Brantley-Sieders, a breast-cancer researcher and survivor, talks a lot about tatas, also known as tits, titties, hooters, knockers, and by many other lively terms. She also refers to them as "built-in vending machines for the tiny humans that we push out of our bodies." But sometimes breasts harbor sneakily growing abnormal cells. One in eight women, including Brantley-Sieders, get breast cancer. After her "D-day" or "diagnosis day" in April 2018, she has a lumpectomy, a breast reduction, and a lift. Then in February 2020, a mammography technician finds some "residual disease," and Brantley-Sieders has a mastectomy and multiple reconstructive surgeries (shown in before-and-after photos). During her candid and informative chronicle, she dispels myths and offers "cancer 101," a "crash course." Readers should be forewarned about her use of profanities and some explicit sexual tips. More helpful is her G-rated guidance on how to talk to someone with cancer. Do not say, "God never gives you more than you can handle." Or ask, "What do you think caused your cancer?" There is lots of good advice here, delivered with passion and humor.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

"These pages are full of science, social commentary, swear words, and, ultimately, hope," writes Brantley-Sieders, a biomedical researcher and breast cancer survivor, in this thorough and punchy guide to the disease and its treatment. As a caregiver, the author has seen patients' "horrors, heartaches, and triumphs" and as a survivor, has "experienced some of those things firsthand." She begins with a cancer "crash course" that covers diagnostic tools, surgical options, pre- and post-surgery tips, and various therapies such as radiation, chemotherapy, and hormone therapy. Part two focuses on the author's story, relating her diagnosis, which left her "shell-shocked, confused, numb, and terrified," and a litany of humorous stories, including a pre-surgical "inappropriate flirting" moment with a doctor. Part three, "Science Savvy," helps readers cut through the clutter of pseudoscience around treatments and cures, and the final section, a blunt look at "survivorship and finding a new normal," includes a list of 10 things to never say when a friend is going through cancer (things "happen for a reason" among them). Brantley-Sieders provides no shortage of resources for readers to check out (surprisingly among them are comedians who discuss their cancer experiences), and the photos documenting her experience are a plus. The result is a heartfelt survey and a solid introduction to breast cancer. (Feb.)

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Similar Items