We grow up believing our parents are invincible.  When we’re young, we never think about the day our parents won’t be around – as if they’ll always be by our sides, comforting us through difficult times and praising us for a job well done.

My innocent beliefs ended in February 2004 when my mother, Ann Williams, called me to share some news. I was living in Colorado, and she was in Wisconsin.  The only thing I remember hearing during that conversation was, “…and the test came back positive for breast cancer.”

Since that phone call, my mom accepted chemotherapy, watched me cut off her hair so she wouldn’t have to see clumps of it on her pillow in the mornings, underwent a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery (my sister tending to her bandages and tubes), swallowed endless pills on a daily basis and sat through countless follow-up visits with the doctor.

But it was also during this time that relationships strengthened, new friendships started, and my mother’s extremely strong and independent spirit took over her.  She knew everyone around her was worried (you could see it in our kitchen from the endless supply of cards, casseroles and baked goods from friends and neighbors piled up on the counters and in the refrigerator), but her spirit never wavered.

If someone got the “Oh Ann, I’m so sorry this is happening” look in their eye, my mom would reply, “This isn’t going to get me.”  And the conversation would move on to what time my brother’s soccer game was that night, or the latest movie she'd like to see.

My mother didn’t ignore what was happening to her body, but it didn’t affect her soul.  I believe her positive attitude of, “I will fight this.  This will not get me!” has kept her cancer-free for four years and counting. 

There were many books my mom read during this time, and I believe many of them have the same theory – that a positive outlook on your current situation will get you through.  Here are some breast cancer books that she found helpful:

  • Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book : New Edition 2005, by Susan M. Love - Dr. Susan Love's guide for the soundest, most supportive advice, once again they will find all the help they need in this new edition, from guidance on screening techniques and benign disease to comprehensive and heartening advice on living with breast cancer.
  • How to Prevent and Treat Cancer with Natural Medicine, by Michael Murray - A comprehensive, practical approach to combating and preventing cancer, readers can assess their risks through a screening questionnaire, learn to change their internal environment to thwart cancer, and discover the science behind the emotions and attitudes that play a significant role in prevention and treatment.
  • 100 Questions and Answers about Breast Cancer, by Zora Brown, Elizabeth Platt and LeSalle D. Leffall - The only text to provide the doctor and patient's view, the second edition of this best-selling book gives you authoritative, practical answers to your questions about treatment options, post-treatment quality of life, sources of support, and much more.

I believe the messages and information in these books allow cancer patients to confront the disease on their own terms.  The readers can interpret them in their own way, and from my mother's point of view, they told her to stay strong, fight and keep working for a positive outcome.

Finding humor in every situation was another approach my mother adopted, particularly when we found ourselves in the upstairs bathroom next to her room as she watched me take a scissors to what was left of her hair. Contemplating her new “streamlined” look, she said, "Looks like I'll be saving money on shampoo!" And after her double mastectomy? "Well, this solves my problem of bra shopping, doesn't it?"

The way she handled herself through cancer and beyond has made me see a different side to my mother, and also myself.  Having a positive attitude and doing what’s necessary to get through the hard times so you can get to the things you enjoy in life has resonated for me in my daily life.

Breast cancer can be a scary and traumatic time for any woman (or man) and their family and friends, but the survivors, who show their strength and prove to the rest of us what we're all really made of, allow life to go on in a more beautiful and productive way.

Additional Breast Cancer Resources
Complete Cancer Cleanse: A Proven Program to Detoxify and Renew Body, Mind, and Spirit, by Cherie Calbom, John Calbom, Michael Mahaffey - Cherie Calbom, "The Juice Lady," therapist John Calbom, and Michael Mahaffey, a 20-year cancer survivor, present a unique, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting cancer.

Uplift: Secrets from the Sisterhood of Breast Cancer Survivors, by Barbara Delinsky - Uplift offers short personal anecdotes contributed by breast cancer survivors of every age and background. They recount the strategies that helped them through all aspects of cancer, including diagnosis, treatment, support groups and how to best conduct relationships with family, friends and in the workplace.

Breast Cancer Survival Manual: A Step-by-Step Guide for the Woman With Newly Diagnosed Breast Cancer, by John Link, Carey Cullinane, Jane Kakkis - The Breast Cancer Survival Manual provides essential updates on treatment and care, enhancing the basic information that has made this the most trusted guide for women diagnosed with breast cancer for the past decade.

Living Through Breast Cancer: What a Harvard Doctor and Survivor Wants You to Know about Getting the Best Care While Preserving Your Self-Image, by Carolyn M. Kaelin, Francesca Coltrera - In Living Through Breast Cancer Kaelin draws upon her experiences as both doctor and patient to offer you a priceless source of understanding, support, and guidance on coping with and beating breast cancer.

Love, Medicine and Miracles: Lessons Learned about Self-Healing from a Surgeon's Experience with Exceptional Patients, by Bernie S. Siegel - Unconditional love is the most powerful stimulant of the immune system. The truth is: love heals. Miracles happen to exceptional patients every day--patients who have the courage to love, those who have the courage to work with their doctors to participate in and influence their own recovery.

After Breast Cancer: A Common-Sense Guide to Life after Treatment, by Hester Hill Schnipper, Lowell E. Schnipper - Unconditional love is the most powerful stimulant of the immune system. The truth is: love heals. Miracles happen to exceptional patients every day--patients who have the courage to love, those who have the courage to work with their doctors to participate in and influence their own recovery.

Breast Cancer: The Complete Guide, by Yashar Hirshaut, Peter Pressman, Jane Brody - Unconditional love is the most powerful stimulant of the immune system. The truth is: love heals. Miracles happen to exceptional patients every day--patients who have the courage to love, those who have the courage to work with their doctors to participate in and influence their own recovery.