“Fighting Cancer with Faith, Hope, and a Healthy Dose of Laughter”

	Contents
	Foreword-Written by Dr. Vincent Caggiano, Medical Director of Sutter Cancer Center in Sacramento, California	11
	Acknowledgments	13
	Introduction	17
1.	For Better or Worse-Bad news on our first wedding anniversary that was not part of our happily-everafter plan.	21
2.	Beauty and the Breast-Also known as reconstruction or the "build-a-breast" route. Kind of like Lego's™, except the pieces don't snap together.	31
3.	To Baldly Go Where I'd Never Gone Before-Bald is beautiful. If Capt.Jean-Luc Picard, Michael Jordan, and Yul Brynner can look good bald, why can't I?	41
4.	How to Lose Thirty Pounds in Thirty Days: The Chemo Diet Way-The original Slim-Fast liquid diet. (But not one I'd recommend.)	53
5.	Of Chips, Suppositories, and Hospital "Hats"-The insurmountable joys of hospital life.	63
6.	What's Love Got to Do with It?-Everything. How the support of faith, family, and friends can make all the difference.	73
7.	Country Bear Jamboree Is Not a Rest Stop-Celebrating the end of chemotherapy with a trip to Disneyland. I was looking for a rest stop, he was looking for the rides.	85
8.	Single Women, Single Breasts-The unique challenges single women face after "losing" one (or both) breasts.	95
9.	Humorous Tales from the Front-Or what happens when your bra "stuffing" travels to the center of your chest during an important business meeting.	105
10.	Her Body, His Pain-His fear and pain that are often overlooked in the midst of her disease-a revealing look at how husbands cope.	113
11.	I'll Show You Mine If You'll Show Me Yours-Sharing with other women helps diffuse the fear of The Big C.	125
12.	I Will Never Leave You or Forsake You-Confronting the not-so-funny fear of dying, at 3 A.M., alone in my hospital bed.	133
13.	Laughter Is the Best Medicine-I'm living proof. Scientific studies show that laughter helps the healing process.	141
14.	Where Do I Go from Here?-Helpful hints for women with breast cancer.	149
15.	Moms, Mammograms, and Other Things for Which I'm Thankful-A list of gratitude.	157