Just Get Me Through This! - Revised and Updated

Book excerpt: You Can Get Through This Your doctor told you it was breast cancer. So now what?! You'll need plenty of essential advice—the kind that only comes from someone who's been there. In Just Get Me Through This! Deborah A. Cohen and Robert M. Gelfand, M.D. help you deal with all the ups and downs of the breast cancer experience. From the shock of diagnosis to getting through treatment to getting on with your life, they pack it with plenty of straight talk and practical tips. This newly updated edition also includes advice from two prominent breast cancer surgeons. Discover: The latest data on hormonal treatments How cornstarch can help you breeze through radiation Why a calendar can help you get through chemotherapy Information on the latest drugs used as part of chemotherapy How to ease back into an intimate relationship Who might be your best ally when you're feeling blue The surefire way to beat insurance and workplace hassles What medical professionals say about everything from surgery to soy Each step of the way, this wise and witty companion will be there with unfailing inspiration and heart-to-heart support. It's also simple to use, with an accessible format—to make even the toughest days a whole lot easier. A Harvard Business School and Smith College graduate, marketing executive Deborah A. Cohen was, like so many others, going about her life as a young and healthy woman when she was unexpectedly struck with a diagnosis of breast cancer. As a result of her illness, the Wisconsin native became active in several breast cancer advocacy efforts, including "Climb Against the Odds," a Cancer Coalition's Leadership Education and Advocacy Development Program, and Peer Review Committees for the American Cancer Society's research programs. The research and writing of Just Get Me Through This! was a natural next step for Cohen in her commitment to helping others cope with and battle this disease. Robert M. Gelfand, M.D., is an oncologist with a private practice in New York City. He is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Weill-Cornell Medical Center and at New York Presbyterian Hospital, where he also teaches. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania and his medical degree from the State University of New York at Brooklyn. He completed his residency in internal medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital and a fellowship in hematology and oncology at The New York Hospital-Cornell University Medical Center. Dr. Gelfand is married and has three daughters. Faith A. Menken, M.D., is a surgeon practicing at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City. She went to medical school at Cornell University Medical College and did her internship at Mount Sinai Hospital and her residency at the New York Weill-Cornell Medical Center. She lives in New York City. Eugene J. Nowak, M.D., is a surgeon practicing at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City. He went to medical school UMDNJ/New Jersey Medical School and did his internship and residency at the New York Weill-Cornell Medical Center. He lives in New York City.