My Breast [Paperback]

Joyce Wadler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1994

A breast-cancer survivor sheds light on the disease that reportedly affects one out of nine women by sharing how she took control of the disease--the information, the options, the choice of treatment, and telling others. Reprint. K.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

As a journalist in her forties, Wadler discovered a breast lump that had not been found in any of the recommended mammograms or physical exams. This candid memoir records the dilemma posed by conflicting medical opinions concerning diagnosis and treatment and her subsequent surgery and therapy. Wadler's wry wit is revealed as she describes her physical and emotional reactions while looking unflinchingly at the responses of those close to her. Highly engaging in the print version (LJ 9/15/92), the story is enhanced by the author's skillful reading. Expert medical advice is provided in an afterword by Dr. Susan M. Love. This work is a successful vehicle for informing women of the threat posed by the breast cancer epidemic and is highly recommended for public libraries.
Linda Bredengerd, Hanley Lib., Univ. of Pittsburgh, Bradford, Pa.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Pocket (March 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0674789504
• ISBN-13: 978-0671879709
• ASIN: 0671879707
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,913,551 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A dress rehearsal for laughing about dying, February 11, 1998

By 

Hugh's mother (London) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Breast (Paperback)

This is a book about an upsetting subject that will cheer you up. I read it while in the throes of treatment for a completely different but also grisly medical problem. It took my mind so completely off my own situation that when I was undressing for bed later I looked down and was quite astonished to see no scar on my breast. At the same time it also addressed my own feelings in a way none of my doctors did. It helped so much to see that someone who is smart, nice and funny can be hit with a medical problem that is stupid, obnoxious and fundamentally unamusing. Maybe I too can be okay even though I'm not okay. The thought of dying really doesn't kill your own sense of the humor and poetry that lurks in hospital corridors, but it's isolating to discover that trying to share the lighter moments with others will only upset them. So it was a relief to be able to join the cocktail party in Wadler's mind -- this book reads like Nora Ephron (``Heartburn'') getting sick instead of divorced. If you've been there, you'll understand why I laughed to read Wadler's wry comment on doctors who disagreed about how to save her life: ``Great, I think, duelling doctors. I suppose it's why people get second opinions, but it's not doing a lot for my confidence about the profession.'' Even if you haven't, you'll close this book feeling glad to have joined Wadler's ``dress rehearsal for dying.''

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-read for anyone going down the cancer path, May 28, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: My Breast (Paperback)

This is not a psycho-babble, how-to-cope book nor is it a dry, dull medical book chock-a-block with technoterms. Instead, it is a funny insiders travelogue that makes anyone feel like they are not alone. My mother took it with her anywhere and often referred to the author as "my funny friend in New York."