cover image Examining Myself: One Woman's Story of Breast Cancer Treatment and Recovery

Examining Myself: One Woman's Story of Breast Cancer Treatment and Recovery

Musa Mayer. Faber & Faber, $19.95 (176pp) ISBN 978-0-571-19828-3

In addition to a detailed account of her medical and reconstructive surgery for breast cancer, mental health counselor Mayer ( Night Studio ) demonstrates the psychological and literary insight which helped her to survive her trials. The author claims that extensive reading about cancer as well as a women's support group helped her to overcome her fears, self-pity, despair at conflicting professional opinions, feelings of rage and ``alienation from the normal healthy world.'' Above all, she refused to believe that her suffering had no purpose. She recalls how a spiritually inspiring trip to Nepal and Tibet helped to heal her psychic wounds. Now, five years after surgery, Mayer concludes with an encouraging report on recent advances in chemotherapy. (Oct.)