Margaret Phalor Barnhart, Author Your first question will likely be, "If you had breast cancer in 1987, why would I want to read something that occurred 30 years ago?" The simple answer is that both you and I hear about the breast cancer diagnoses frequently and women are still being treated with mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiation. In fact, many women are choosing to have both breasts removed. When I was diagnosed at the age of 46, I was quite ignorant about the whole thing. I depended on my internist for information and got a second opinion regarding the mastectomy. When I started chemo I sent my husband to the library (no internet at that time) and he brought home three books. Two were thick tomes about the chemistry involved in chemotherapy. The third was about a woman who died from breast cancer and her husband had her diary published. No help there.

I was not raised in a family where we talked about feelings, nor did we have much to say about our bodies. That is why the poetry in "Breast Cancer, an Emotional Journey," covers such intense feelings that I never shared. Most obvious was depression. The anger that comes out in the poetry was never displayed. I think trust in God was evident in both writing and art; but once again, never talked about. Much of the poetry was written in the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep. The art came during the day when I had trouble focusing my attention on writing. Most of this poetry, art and prose was included in a book called, "Journey Unknown, Focusing on the Emotional Aspects of Cancer, Mastectomy and Chemotherapy.

" This book is now out of print. I believe you will be interested in the middle section of "Breast Cancer, an Emotional Journey," that includes letters from my family and friends, at my request, that define their feelings and reactions to my breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. You will notice that I use an easy to read font. That is intentional. People going through chemotherapy have limited concentration. Many of the pages stand alone. Of course, I don't expect everyone to have the same experiences and feelings that I did. Whether the book is purchased for you or someone you know, it will have meaning.

www.margaretbarnhart.com.