The women, the first advocates, who were so courageous in not only sharing their stories, but in taking on the medical profession and the media to fight for what they believed in - should all be our heroes. Ladies such as Betty Ford, Shirley Temple Black, Happy Rockefeller, Betty Rolin and Rose Kushner - they were the impetus behind much of the change in how we view breast cancer and how we are treated.
One of the anecdotal stories in this large book tells of a breast surgeon presenting his patient at a medical conference. He literally did just that. He spoke about her and her surgery and even lifted her remaining breast at one point as if she were an inanimate object! She never moved, nor spoke. How times have changed! (And thank goodness)
For anyone who is involved in any way with breast cancer, or who is interested in medical history, this is a fascinating read. It is good to understand why certain procedures came into play. It is humbling to realize how much pain and suffering many women endured in years past, and some in the not so distant past (1970s). Breast surgeons in the 1800s performed mastectomies without any anesthesia nor any sterile precautions.
I am grateful for the chance to raise my voice in this day and age, to be able to be a part of my medical team and make my own informed decisions about my treatment, to be able to fight for research dollars and give my input into potential studies of this disease.
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