I wish I'd had this book last year when my treatment was over. It would have prepared me for the flood of emotions and fears that I grappled to understand and deal with...I was done, why was I so depressed???? There is an abundance of information available for the person who is newly diagnosed and during treatment, but very litte for after and what I've read did not address the major concerns, like follow up testing...what test, how often? Now, a year later I feel that I truly do understand and will probably re-read that chapter before every follow up visit.

This would be a very helpful gift for someone you care about when she finishes treatment.

I purchased, After Breast Cancer: Answers to the Questions You're Afraid to Ask, for a friend of mine who was diagnosed with primary breast cancer two years ago. Before giving my friend the book, I read it, so I would not be suggesting a book that might "scare" her. Having metastatic breast cancer myself, I found myself wishing I would have had such a resource after my initial diagnosis. The book is extremely well-written and addresses all of the key issues of dealing with a breast cancer diagnosis. It's educational and offers the patient a "take-charge" mentality of a breast cancer diganosis. This book is a "must read" for women (and men) who are dealing with or have dealt with breast cancer.

Of all the books out there on breast cancer survival, this one is the very best. It is full of first hand accounts from people who have coped with treatment and the after effects of breast cancer.

Unlike many of the fluff books on the market about breast cancer survival, this book is organized into sections that cover the various fears and topics that concern the aftermath of treatment. It goes beyond other books by presenting factual and helpful information everyone needs to face those fears and make logical decisions concerning follow up testing.

I read this book in one sitting and wish it had been written when my treatment ended. Every breast cancer patient should have this book and so should their oncologist!

This book reachs out and touchs your very heart and soul, dealing with my breast cancer I felt so alone despite a tremendous support system. Musa's book reached out and showed me I was not alone, she spoke so down to earth about feelings and fears. This is a do not miss book.

I've found many of the published, first-person accounts of women dealing with breast cancer to be superficial and/or self-congratulatory. This book, however, is just FULL of information and deep insight. So many of the thoughts and feelings echoed my own. The narrative flows smoothly from personal experience and intense emotion to important, accurate technical information. Each topic is presented with clarity and objectivity. Every woman diagnosed with breast cancer should put this book at the top of their "must have" list.

When I was first diagnosed with breast cancer, I wolfed down this book, for it reflected back to me my own feelings---anxiety, intense loneliness, wild uncertainty, fear of the disease and fear of the treatment for the disease, the weeks and weeks of living in that strange land of chemo and exhaustion---and also the "good" part of learning that I had a life-threatening illness: the sudden and sharp clarity of the value of life itself, the quantum leap in perspective, finding the fortitude to endure, and being supported by the wonderful travelers in the treacherous land of cancer.

After treatment, I read the book again, slowly, and discovered even more--not about treatment choices and pathology, but about growing in strength and knowledge through true, deep self-examination. The author is at times frightened,angry, disgruntled, searching, tired, relieved, elated and always honest. The writing is precise and engaging, the author always going a little deeper than most other writers to get to the truth of her experiences---and therefore finding what is common to us all.

I have recently discovered that the author donates all the profits from her books on cancer to cancer research and treatment.

A personalized and at the same time highly informed guide to life with breast cancer. A subsample of highly articulate Breast Cancer Discussion List participants, who agreed to be interviewed by Mayer, are repeatedly quoted throughout, as Mayer invokes their voices and occasionally her own, to put the realities of life with cancer into an experiential context, then place these experiences into the appropriate wider context of medical expertise or psychotherapeutic wisdom. Topics covered: the shock of recurrence, treatment choices, complementary therapies, side effects, family and friends, remissions, disease progression, hard choices and last days. Well-balanced treatment of everything, but most crucially the controversial High-dose Chemotherapy decision. A truly impressive compendium of resources unfolds in Appendices B and C.

Mayer assumes (and this was news to me, unwelcome news) that a depressing percentage of those who are touched by breast cancer will event! ually, maybe in a few months, maybe in a couple of decades, have to deal with a metastasis. Life with the metastasis may then go on for another 12 or so years, even longer as new treatments come on line. There may be blissful further remissions during this phase or a lurching from crisis to crisis until the end. One husband of a breast cancer sufferer wrote of their experience: "This disease began as a mist, deepened into a fog, and ended like a tornado."

Life in this sort of world, similar in ways to life in HIV-land and both vastly alien to the world of the healthy, is made more tolerable by the companionship of others that is offered by books like this. Mayer's emphasis is on the real. "Real help comes from hearing real stories, and from learning you are not alone." "In real lives, along with precious moments of peace and transcendence, there is also pain and anger and a terrible sadness."

Will appeal to: People such as those rep! resented by the Breast Cancer Discussion List - educated, ! secular-but-spiritual, liberal and accepting of Western medicine.

When I was first diagnosed with metastatic cancer, nearly five years ago, my most difficult adjustment was facing the reality of my situation. Publications I desperately needed to read hadn't yet been written. Musa Mayer has written the book I needed to find five years ago. As a contributor, I wanted to cross over the ocean of suffering and connect to life. As the author, Musa has taken the larger step of daring to look beyond her own fears, to the reality of lives with metastatic breast cancer. She is able to demonstrate a reality filled with human emotion... beyond the blanket of fear. This is the book that would have taught me that I am not alone. The stories, the resources, a vision of a larger reality in a world of personal ambiguity. I am proud to have contributed to this effort.

Ms. Mayer has used her own wisdom and the voices of people who have metastatic breast cancer as well as of their family, friends, significant others and breast cancer activists to explore the difficulties and possibilities of life with a potentially terminal disease. The book is inspirational, profound and practical. If you are human, you are likely to die of a terminal disease and you will find this book helpful in charting your course and making your journey through such an experience as positive as possible.

As a painter, consumed by my own work at times, this book was such a treat. A wonderful and compelling look at one of the most influential artists of my career thus far. so emotional and real.

"Night Studio" is not only a compelling portrait of a great artist, but also a riveting story about life with an artist consumed and obsessed by his work. Plus, there's lots of cool pictures. This is NOT a dry biography.

As a person with metastatic breast cancer, I bought this book because it seemed to focus on LIVING with metastatic disease when everything else I've read lumps metastatic disease in with death and dying. Unfortunately, this book was more of the same. If misery loves company, then this is the book for you. I, personally, don't want to read about women just like me with diagnoses similar to mine and then read about their death later on in the book. How is that "uplifting"? When and if the time comes when my disease can no longer be treated, then maybe I would consider a book like this useful. But when is someone going to write a truly uplifting and informative book about LIVING with metastatic disease? Also, the medical information was very sparse and nothing new; in fact some of the information seemed somewhat dated.

Breast cancer is so much more complicated than removing the breast(s). I have a feeling that many people don't figure this out until they have been diagnosed with it. Then, you have to take a crash course in Cancer 101. It is intimidating and scary to make decisions about something which you know nothing about.

Musa makes it easy to comprehend a lot of the technical information. She has a way of breaking down the many facets of this disease, and bringing order to a complex issue. It is easier to digest so much information and make informed decisions when someone has completed an outline of the puzzle for you.

As an early stage breast cancer survivor myself, I was apprehensive about reading this book. Why borrow trouble; ignorance is bliss. But, considering that my mother was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer less than a year ago, reality seemed like the viable option for me.

Fear of breast cancer returning or spreading can be just as difficult as treatment for cancer. I felt calmer after reading about some of the people Musa profiled in her book. It's hard to explain this in a book review, but sometimes people have a way of saying things (or writing them) that makes them less overwhelming. The way that Musa has "explained" advanced breast cancer made it easier for me to relax and realize that there are just some things that you have to deal with...and you can.

Musa's book provided validation for my mother that she had made educated treatment decisions. It gave me a clearer picture of my mother's disease, and most importantly - a lot of hope. I probably won't have to deal with breast cancer again. If I do, I will be prepared (and armed) with valuable information.

As the spouse of someone with metestatic breast cancer, I highly recommend this book. It is a very emotional read on a very difficult subject. For months, I searched the Internet, libraries and bookstores for information. Friends sent some of the more popular cancer books. But nowhere could I find a comprehensive source of information on advanced stages of breast cancer. I didn't need a book on initial stages of cancer, miracle cures or a motivational story of one individual's treatment. I wanted a book that realistically addressed advanced stage cancer. This was the book I was looking for, and the book that provided the most help. The medical information provided is presented in a logical and solid manner. The personal stories communicate the emotional and practical implications of the disease. The writing style is articulate, concise and interesting. Musa Mayer has done an amazing job with a horrible subject.

I recommend you read some of the excerpts posted on this site, prior to ordering. They provide a good indication of the subject matter and the manner it is presented. I found this book personally very helpful. It has proven to be a trusted reference, and a tremendous source of both medical and personal information.