A single person may be in need of prompt assistance in case of emergency being able to find real peace of mind with an effective system of personal medical alarms. We know how early intervention can have major consequences in a case emergency, and how it is desirable to bring this action within the reach of everyone.

This suggests that Direct Alert: A reliable and affordable fully oriented assistance to low autonomy.
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An excellent book for anyone who is considering reconstructive surgery although it is quite large and could be daunting for some. This is a very detailed book about breast cancer treatment options with particular reference to reconstruction. It is focussed on helping women to make decisions about what the best option is for them. There are also photos as well as diagrams, although they are black and white and don’t show ones that haven’t worked out as well as might be hoped. Read the rest of this entry »

Why read The Breast Cancer Book?

This is the book Val Sampson needed when she was first diagnosed with breast cancer. Its purpose is to offer hope and support in coping with the fear and sense of loneliness that often comes with a diagnosis of cancer.
Highly practical, The Breast cancer Book clarifies the confusing choices you need to make. It looks at:
the conventional medical treatments of surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy
the part which can be played by complementary treatments
how to manage your life, and answers questions on how to break the news to family, friends and children
Based on the author’s own experience, that of other breast patients and co-written with experts in the field, The Breast Cancer Book shows women that it is possible to lead a happy and fulfilling life after a diagnosis of breast cancer and that the power to achieve this lies within the individual.
About the authors
Val Sampson is a freelance journalist who has written for many newspapers and magazines including The Times, The Daily Mail, Woman and You magazine. Debbie Fenlon was Val Sampson’s breast care nurse when she was first diagnosed. She is now an oncology lecturer with the Institute of Cancer Research in association with the Royal Marsden NHS Trust.
Chapter guide
1 Hoping and Coping
2 Fear and how to handle it
3 Cancer and the power of language
4 Who to tell?
5 How to get support from the people around you
6 What is cancer and who should you talk to?
7 Getting into the hospital system
8 Surgery and reconstruction
9 Other conventional treatments
10 Living with secondary disease
11 Mind therapies
12 Body therapies
13 Looking good and feeling better
14 The way ahead
Glossary
Useful addresses
Further reading
Index

208 pages ISBN: 0 09 185613 2
The Breast Cancer Book. Sampson, Val and Fenlon, Debbie. Published by Vermillion 2000
Press coverage
Extracts from the book serialised in The Times Section 2, 5-7 September 2000.
Article in Good Housekeeping on personality and illness, October 2000 edition.
Article in Sunday Mirror’s Personal magazine – Val Sampson’s experiences, 17 September 2000.
Article in Mail on Sunday’s You magazine on talking to children about cancer, 10 September 2000.
Tatler, October edition – talking to your partner
Sunday Mirror’s Personal magazine 17 September – Val Sampson’s story.
Pink Ribbon magazine, September 22 – sex and breast cancer.
ITV’s This Morning September 11 and 13 – Val Sampson on Hope and Breast Cancer; Debbie Fenlon on Prostheses, Diet and Self-examination
Woman, October 9 – an interview with Val Sampson
LBC radio and Liberty Radio, September 23 – an interview with Val Sampson
ITV’s Live Talk, 6 October – Val Sampson appearing in discussion
Best magazine, Jan 2001 – interview with Val Sampson
Radio Oxford phone-in with Debbie Fenlon and Val Sampson – Jan 30 2001
The Times Health pages, Jan 30 2001 – feature on breast reconstruction by Val Sampson

Hello My Sister In Law Have Just Been Diagnosed With Breast Cancer That Has Spread To Both Breast And Her Liver. SHE 38 WITH 3 CHILDREN 10 Year Old Boy 12 Year Old Girl And 14 Year Old Girl Mitchelle Jade & Carly We Our Taking Care Of The Children While She Has Been In Hospital. This All Happened Just Yesterday 27/09/2000 TODAY SHE HAS BEEN TOLD THERE IS NO HOPE. Everybody Is Crying And Just Totally Devastated. Having A 14 Year old Girl On The Phone Saying “THEY SAID MY MUMS GOING TO DIE” Is Something I Never Ever Want To Go Through That Again I Cried For 20 Minutes After. I Haven’t Cried In Years “Can’t Remember Last Time I Kept It Together And Told Her There Is Loads Of Different Medicine And Treatment These Days And We Have To Think Positive. And We Our Going To Keep Thinking Positive I Need Help On What To Do Now We The Family Our Willing To Re mortgage Our Homes We Just Need To Know What To DO Now. My Sister In Law Went To The Doctor 2 Years Ago With A Lump In Her Breast The Doctor Siad It Was Just A Sys “NOTHING TO WORRIED ABOUT” Now She Is Riddled With It. CAN SOMEONE TELL ME THE NEXT STEP TO GO. THE DOCTORS SAY THE SPECIALIST ISN’T AVAILABLE UNTIL MONDAY 2/10/2000. The Doctors Our Advising Her To Have Chemotherapy. WHAT SHALL WE DO AS WHAT I HAVE READ THAT THIS COULD RESTRICT HER OF CERTAIN ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT. PLEASE IF ANYONE CAN ASSISTED IT WOULD BE GRATEFULLY APPRECIATED MARTYN Livewire@freeuk.com

Thanks so much for your reply and information. My breasts are largish – I wear a 38D bra so am thinking about going for the lumpectomy. I will be having radiotherapy whichever operation I have. I have been offered reconstruction if I opt for mastectomy (but not for a year or so as my doctor says my cancer is quite a dangerous type and he wants to concentrate on treatment for now). If my breast ends up fairly disfigured, do you know if reconstruction is ever carried out after a lumpectomy? thanks so much.

Breast Cancer Care are working in partnership with a group called “Deaf Women against Breast Cancer”. We offer support to other deaf women with breast cancer via trained volunteers who have had breast cancer and are either hard of hearing or deaf. To talk with a volunteer you can either fax us your details and request for a volunteers on 020 77384 3387 or leave a message on our free textphone 0808 800 6001. A breast care nurse will return your call and can talk through any issues you may wish to discuss and can make a referral to our volunteers. You can also email us at info@breastcancercare.org.uk or visit the website www.breastcancercare.org.uk

For me reconstruction has been definitely worth having. But I’d highlight a couple of points: make sure your surgeon is expert at it – ask to see photographs of women he/she has operated on before. Ask how many reconstruction operations he/she carries out a month (your breast care nurse should also know how many he/she carries out). Talk over carefully exactly the sort of reconstruction operation he/she has in mind, some are more complicated and take longer to recover from. Ask your breast care nurse to put you in touch with someone who has had reconstruction (the same kind to the sort that is suitable for you) and talk to her about how she found it. Both Debbie and I talk at greater length about reconstruction in The Breast Cancer Book.

The Breast Cancer Book
by Val Sampson and Debbie Fenlon
Order a copy through Amazon, at £5.59 ! (RRP £6.99).

“The Breast Cancer Book has a unique combination of practical advice, information and personal experience that will be of enormous benefit to women and their families. This book should be essential reading for anyone wanting to know more about breast cancer.” Ian E. Smith, Professor of Cancer Medicine, Medical Director, Royal Marsden Hospital and the Institute of Cancer Research.

“This is an excellent book and I would recommend it to any woman with breast cancer.” Christine Fogg, Chief Executive, Breast Cancer Care.

“Thank You for this wonderful book. My friend bought it for me while I was in hospital in Singapore last month recovering from surgery – it has been the greatest gift I have ever received. Words of hope, practical information I needed and never dreamed of, Sheer fascination and exactly what I wanted to know. It is now accompanying me on my journey through Chemo, Radiation and meditation techniques.” LB

“What a relief to have found your book. It’s by my side constantly and never fails to help and cheer me up. With this book, whatever I am worrying about or feeling, there seems to be a reassuring answer. Thank you”