Dear
Auntie, Why Me?
Book Details:
-A 6 by 9 book consisting of 309 pages, written by Peggy Anderson
-The cover is by Mary Boman, who lost her daughter to cancer, a UMD researcher a few years back. One day Peggy ran into Mary at Walgreen’s, and Mary shared her grief. Peggy was determined to ask Mary, if she ever wrote a book to have her do the cover. When Peggy thinks of Mary, she thinks of flowers, life, remembrances, and celebrations. She feels Mary’s painted flowers are a gift and a celebration of life as well as remembrances to all that are special in our lives. Peggy realized from talking to others that grief lasts a long time and is hard to get through.
-The illustrations through out the book are by Joel Skinner, a UMD graduate who spends time each day drawing.
-A book in a very unusual format, letters to her Auntie and some replies back. The book is filled with illustrations, graphs, and charts, and a significant amount of detail on breast health and breast cancer. The non-fiction letters are perfect for the reader who likes true stories, the comprehensive picture book is there for the visual reader who loves to look at pictures, and the book is loaded with a significant amount of detail for the analytical reader based on lots of sources and research.
The purpose of writing the book came in steps: Originally this book consisted of letters to her Auntie and some of the replies back. The book started out as a joke, when her Auntie told her to write a book on the computer, when she couldn’t sleep nights due to severe hot flashes.. It originally started off as letters that would help their own children to understand the symptoms, causes, and ways to prevent breast cancer. Then the idea of putting these letters into a book came about, so that there could be more documentation on what a cancer patient goes through from diagnosis to remission. Peggy felt other women could profit from the extensive time and energy she spent on researching BC. She had spent a lot of time frustrated by not finding the information that she so desperately wanted to find. As time went on she wanted to write a book to donate the money to breast cancer training, education, treatment, and diagnosis for SMDC foundation and she also wanted to honor the medical staff that gave their hearts and energy to their difficult jobs in spite of it never showing on their faces. Peggy, a retired school teacher, then decided to add illustrations and more detail to the book, so that all types of readers could read it. The reader who wants to truly understand all the steps a patient goes through and the feelings, as well as what other family members go through should read this book. The book is filled with interesting stories other cancer patients have endured as well as stories from daily life. Sprinkled throughout the book is a sense of humor as Peggy tells stories “out of school” about her doctors and other medical staff, and many other people she knows in the community. Her Auntie also tells many interesting stories about relatives and people she knows to help Peggy become more insightful from her wealth of wisdom and to work through her grief over cancer.
-Truly a book to learn about breast care and preventing breast cancer.
-A way to understand the struggle a breast cancer survivor goes through
-What cancer families go through as well as what causes cancer.
-This book looks at the causes of breast cancer from Peggy’s experiences to researched causes.
-A book that honors the doctors and medical staff that give their heart and soul to this profession day after day with a smile, a laugh, or a joke.
-Many women will find this book insightful as they look at the causes, ways to prevent breast cancer, signs of breast cancer, treatments (past and new), facts and statistics they may or may not want to know.
-A book that honors Aunties, life, and all people in all walks of life.
-A voice to the concern that women have when they can’t find information and one that is full of information in one place.
-It helps the fearful understand the signs of recurrence.
-A book that tells you how to be your own best advocate by questions to ask various doctors and how to keep track of your own progress.
-What the author wished she would have known before getting breast cancer.
-There are many numerous topics covered but some include cancer types, mammograms, biopsies, hot flashes, breast MRI’S, the importance of exercise and going to the Center for Personal Fitness, lymphedema, checking your breast and lymph glands, healthy eating, hormone therapy, vitamin, mineral, herbal therapy, stages of grief, what’s new in breast cancer treatments in the United States, a survivor’s journal, how you can help in your community and make a difference in your life and others, faith therapy, quotable information from cancer resources and books to name just a few topics.
-The author feels women need to look at their own bodies, life style choices and environmental toxins to find the causes of their cancer.
-Most importantly a book that lets women know that they should check their breasts and lymph nodes for cancer. Early localized breast cancer if often curable if caught early enough and at an early stage.
-Peggy is a voice for others but she knows the concerns women have and wants all their voices to be heard in unison. She has become passionate about breast education and feels women need to become their own advocates by knowledge. Peggy feels women need to be informed about the signs, causes, and ways to prevent breast cancer!
Cost: $21.45 with taxes. The money is being donated to SMDC after taxes by the author.
The book is not a Harry Potter but one that can have an effect on woman’s breast health and breast cancer. You will leave this book with a stronger faith, a better understanding of breast health and cancer, and people who make a difference in other people’s lives. It will help you to ponder, cry, laugh, wonder, reflect, and understand all there is to know about this topic in one book.
Thank you for supporting this cause. Only together can we make a difference and our voices be heard.
The Author, Peggy Anderson