After the cure

From the book jacket: Chemo Brain. Fatigue. Chronic Pain. Insomnia. Depression. These are just a few of the ongoing, debilitating symptoms that plague some breast cancer survivors long after their treatments have officially ended. After The Cure is a compelling read filled with fascinating portraits of women who are living with the aftermath of breast cancer. Having heard repeatedly that the problems are all in your head, many don't know where to turn for help. The doctors who now refuse to validate their symptoms are often the very ones they depended on to provide life-saving treatments. Sometimes family members, who provided essential support through months of chemotherapy and radiation, don't believe them. Their work lives, already disrupted by both cancer and its treatment, are further undermined by the lingering symptoms. And every symptom is a constant reminder of the trauma of diagnosis, the ordeal of treatment, and the specter of recurrence. Most narratives about surviving breast cancer end with the conclusion of chemotherapy and radiation, painting stereotypical portraits of triumphantly healthy survivors, women who not only survive but emerge better and stronger than before. After The Cure allows us to hear the voices of those who are silenced by the optimistic breast cancer culture, women who live with a broad array of health problems long after therapy ends. Here, at last, survivors step out of the shadows and speak compellingly about their real stories, giving voice to the complicated, often bittersweet realities of life after the cure.