Breakthrough...

I haven't read it
I haven't read it personally, but I've heard some gripes about it here and there on this website. I can personally attest first hand that chemo first before surgery worked for me. I had stage III IDC with a large tumor in my outer lower quadrant (left breast). My initial MRI showed it's massive size. With three rounds of chemo (1 every 3 weeks of TAC)my tumor shrank drastically. My final follow-up MRI showed the tumor not only shrank to half it's size it also became less dense in matter. I had a skin sparing mastectomy and doing chemo first allowed my doctors to save my skin tissue for reconstruction.

I'm curious to hear others opinion on Suzanne's book. Personally if you want a good read buy Dr. Susan Love's "The Breast Book" or "Uplift" by Barbara Delinsky. The first book I mentioned is the breast bible. Everything you wanted to know about breast cancer and more... The second book called Uplift is just that. It's paragraphs upon paragraphs of women just like us, who have survived breast cancer. This book is told through their eyes and ears. Very rewarding read...

Good luck with port surgery,.
Hugs,
Lorrie

I agree
I have to agree with Lorrie. I also had chemo before surgery (neo-adjuvent chemo) which shrunk the 3 tumors I had drastically. When I had my MRI before my lumpectomy, the two smaller tumors were gone. The third one, the largest was down by nearly 50%. After the lumpectomy I finished up more chemo and rads.

I also felt that I would do whatever I had to do to take care of this and don't want the "what ifs..." down the road.

Bonnie

skipper54 said:

Don't have much faith in S.S.
My onc got on line and showed me the studies and stats and the latest protocol. Keep in mind that things go out of date rather quickly, especially from Suzanne. I had the chemo first, diagnosed with IDC, and the tumor shrank to less than half the original size. I had a mastectomy with 3 of 9 nodes removed showing involvemnet. The repeat PET scan was clear! I still did the 33 rads, just to be sure. My onc pronounced me in complete remission in June. Even if it comes back it was worth it!

SS...
I, personally, think Suzanne is of crap! Remember, her acting career is over....she's in the business of selling books and "her vitamins". I have seen her on numerous shows over the years...she won't say what kind of bc she had...where she was treated, etc...... When she has MD after her name.....
I take no stock in anything she has to say....

Snake Oil Saleswoman/ Carney Barker
I have not read any of SS's books nor will I waste my time on them. I have seen her on 'talk shows' and as far as I'm concerned she is a "Snake Oil Saleswomen" or a "Carney Barker" and has done a lot more harm than good - other than making cash for herself.

Susan

epark said:

yeap...
you guys are right...someone gave it to me because it was suppose to have great info..

Thanks for the book recommendation..I'm sending my husband to get them for me...lol..got love him...

by the way, the port is in and ready to kick some cancer @SS...i was sore afterward but they gave me some great "cocktails" and i'm feeling grrreat.

You guys are great
Eva

In anti cancer the Dr.
In anti cancer the Dr. believes in complementary treatments along with traditional meds. This i believe in. SS is full of sh#t in my hmble opinion, but she really ticks me off. So glad the port went well!

Suzanne Somers is full of
Suzanne Somers is full of crap...we have a long thread about her books/advice about cancer on here somewhere...i'd throw the book out if I were you-those books will make you second guess everything & nothing she says in them is based on science, just quack doctors & alternative therapy swamis...i mean, if taking a buttload of vitamins & meditating cured cancer - wouldn't we ALL be some chanting, vitamin taking people??!!
Sorry to sound like such a downer, but i just really dont like her way of hawking her books & preaching anti-chemo when it's saving our lives every day.
*hugs*
heather

Heatherbelle said:

Suzanne Somers is full of
Suzanne Somers is full of crap...we have a long thread about her books/advice about cancer on here somewhere...i'd throw the book out if I were you-those books will make you second guess everything & nothing she says in them is based on science, just quack doctors & alternative therapy swamis...i mean, if taking a buttload of vitamins & meditating cured cancer - wouldn't we ALL be some chanting, vitamin taking people??!!
Sorry to sound like such a downer, but i just really dont like her way of hawking her books & preaching anti-chemo when it's saving our lives every day.
*hugs*
heather

You ladies make me laugh!
I was trying to tread lightly -- I mean, Eva's new here on the board, for all I knew, Suzanne Somers was her childhood idol, or her dearest friend in all the world gave her that book, or maybe she feels the Thighmaster saved her life....

You guys, on the other hand, don't pull any punches: SHE'S FULL OF CRAAAAAP!! Tell it like it is, ladies -- you make me laugh!

Penny, I completely agree with you about complementary medicine -- I think too many people confuse "alternative" with "complementary." I believe 150% in using standard medicine to fight cancer -- when I was diagnosed, I was like, bring on the pharmaceuticals! Bring on the toxic chemicals, and the life-size microwave!

I would NEVER choose to use other treatments as an *alternative* to standard medicine, but there's lots of respected scientific evidence showing that many safe *complementary* practices, such as exercise, yoga, meditation, and acupuncture, can really help in getting through treatment, physically as well as emotionally, and even some evidence that they might help reduce the chances of a recurrence.

Traci

sea60 said:

Traci, I bought the
Anticancer book. It's very interesting and makes a lot of sense. I have to agree with you, although I have nothing against Susan Sommers, I don't think her book should be taken to heart.

Hugs,

Sylvia

Nothing against Suzanne
Nothing against Suzanne Somers, but, I really don't believe most of what she says or writes. She is NOT an oncologist and is not an expert in the field.


Hugs, Jan