I put UPLIFT: Secrets from the Sisterhood of Breast Cancer
Survivors together because, as a survivor, I saw the need
for a book that treated breast cancer as a do-able experience --
and, indeed, the response to it has been remarkable. The book
contains useful woman-to-woman hints -- things the doctor doesn't
say -- practical advice on topics ranging from what deodorant to use
during radiation, to what minimizes nausea during chemo, to how to
feel feminine and upbeat. This advice comes first-hand, in the words
of 370+ breast cancer survivors, their sisters, children, parents,
lovers, and friends. The new 3rd Edition adds updates, five years
later, from many of the original contributors.
The following are some uplifting tips from breast cancer
survivors. I hope you find them as inspiring as I do:
The Worry Box
"I found a box and glued colorful scraps of wrapping paper on the
top. Inside it, each morning, I tucked handwritten notes about my
worries and fears. Then I closed the lid and went on with the rest
of the day."
Nancy Burgess, in the "TAKING THE REINS" chapter.
The Art of Healing
"Go to a theater, a museum, a concert or ballet. Art can take us out
of ourselves, lift us beyond our immediate environment, enrich us
spiritually and aesthetically. Opening yourself to great beauty is
always a life-enhancer. In times of crisis, it's also healing."
Susan Stamberg, in the "TAKING THE REINS" chapter.
Pins and Needles
"Apparently, there is a dressmaker in Chicago who had prostheses
made out of her pin cushions, so that she could conveniently stick
her needles and pins into her chest when sewing and making
alterations!"
Darlene Jurow, in the "HUMOR" chapter.
Eating With Friends
“I found conventional support group meetings difficult, so I formed
my own support dinner group. We dine out every couple of months to
discuss having breast cancer. We also share stories of our spouses,
children, and travels.”
Deborah J.P. Schur, in the “SUPPORT GROUP” chapter.
Drinking Helps
“Someone told me my chemo symptoms sounded like a really bad
hangover! Their suggestion that Gatorade was good for hangovers led
to my drinking gallons of it, which helped steady that queasy
shakiness.”
Jane Vaughan, in the “CHEMO AND EVERYTHING ELSE” chapter.
Accentuate the Positive
"Perhaps the most significant outcome of my battle with breast
cancer is that I have changed my outlook on life. I now regard life
as precious and try not to focus on negative things. Eliminating
stress and resentment from my life and concentrating on the positive
things has become my goal. I am now more at peace with myself. "
Sandy Mark, in the "PURE UPLIFT" chapter.
Looking Ahead
“It’s been five years, nine months for me, but who’s counting! I
still think about my cancer, but less and less. I’m exercising more
now. I really found out how good it was after my surgery and I got
into a program for cancer survivors. I only wished I had started
earlier in life. Now I faithfully visit the Y to start off my day.”
Judy Peterson, in the “FAST FORWARD” chapter.
Editorial Reviews
From Amazon.com
A book as uplifting as the disease it discusses is tragic, Uplift is
an inspiring collection of voices of breast cancer survivors. Barbara
Delinsky, author of
The Woman Next Door and other novels, and herself a survivor of
breast cancer, presents inspirational snippets from more than 300 women
sharing breast cancer tips and experiences. Reading this book is like
listening to the friendly hubbub of a crowd of women all offering advice and
comments. They share practical tips about comfortable clothing after
mastectomy, treatments for radiation burns, nausea remedies, wigs, advice
for friends, and more. They share stories of supportive husbands,
boyfriends, and family members who continue to love them. "I will love you
till the day I die, whether you have one breast or none," says one husband.
"Breasts don't laugh, smile, share brilliance, or give kindness," says
another man. Every experience is positive and supportive, but not gushy. The
humor chapter will make you laugh aloud.
Delinsky envisioned this book as "the
support group that I had never joined but could have used, the one that
offered all the practical little secrets of survival that have nothing to do
with doctors, machines, or drugs and everything to do with women helping
women." She succeeds. (Delinsky is donating all her earnings on this book to
breast cancer research.) --Joan Price --This text refers to an
out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Publishers Weekly
Delinsky (A Woman's Place), a prolific popular novelist, lost her
mother to breast cancer and is herself a survivor of the disease.
This practical guide is a worthy addition to recent literature about
how individual women deal with this illness, like Jennie Nash's The
Victoria's Secret Catalog Never Stops Coming (reviewed above).
Delinsky has collected a compendium of survival secrets "that have
nothing to do with doctors, machines or drugs and everything to do
with women helping women" that she wished had been available to her
when she was diagnosed in 1994. She offers short personal anecdotes
contributed by breast cancer survivors of every age and background.
They recount the strategies that helped them through all aspects of
cancer, including diagnosis, treatment, support groups and how to
best conduct relationships with family, friends and in the
workplace. Upbeat in tone, the women share such tips as the types of
deodorants that may be used during radiation, how to handle hair
loss ("I called my hair dresser and had the remainder of my hair
buzzed off.... My buzzed head represented strength and control"),
what foods will lessen nausea and, in general, how to take charge of
one's life and remain positive. Almost everyone will find something
in this varied advice that applies to her particular situation.
Several women, for example, thought that hiring a professional to
clean for them was extremely beneficial during draining treatments,
while another found the mindless "therapy" involved in weeding the
garden helpful. Delinsky also contributes several reminiscences,
e.g., of her determination to remain physically strong and
emotionally healthy after her diagnosis.
For more tips and quotes visit Barbara Delinsky's site at
http://www.barbaradelinsky.com/uplift/uplift.cfm
