How I Said Bah! to Cancer

by Stephanie Butland

This book tells how one woman said 'Bah!' to cancer through thinking strategies, a proactive approach to treatment and a determination to keep the rest of her life going and retain a sense of humour (most of the time!).

Genres: Nonfiction

274 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2011

About the author

Stephanie Butland is a writer, who is thriving after breast cancer. (She used to say she was a survivor, but that was a bit lacking in joie de vivre.)
Although she’d never have chosen it, her dance with cancer has changed her life in many positive ways. Now she is happier, healthier, and more careful with her precious life and the precious people and things in it.

Her writing career began with her dance with cancer, and now she is  a novelist.

Aside from writing, she works as a speaker and trainer, and she works with charities to help raise awareness and money in the hope that cancer will soon be about as scary as a wart.

She lives in Northumberland.

Reviews

[Vicki · Rating 1 out of 5]

First I have to say that if there was the option I would have given it no stars at all.

I had already seen the blurb for this book and was thinking about buying it myself when it came up for review on Cancer Voices, so I started to read it with the hope that it really was "truthful, personal, funny and above all helpful" as stated on the back cover.

I didn't get far before I came to the conclusion that this is really nothing more than a bit of self promotion for the author and her consultancy business as a 'Master Trainer' in the de Bono Thinking methods. I hope that her conviction that she was cancer free after the surgery, let alone the chemo, rads and Herceptin, turns out to be the case and that she does not have a progression of the disease and find out how condescending, shockingly rude, dismissive and superior this book appears to someone with secondary cancer. She seems to dismiss us all as the walking dead who occasionally cross her path when we are wheeled into radiotherapy on a bed to have a treatment when we already seem to be unconscious and teetering on the brink of death (p180).

The stupidity of comments like 'made sure none of the likely side effects was weight gain' (p 190) when it came to deciding whether to take part in a drug trial is crass to say the least. Some of us don't have the luxury of worrying about something as superficial as that when it comes to the options we have for treatment.

I made myself read the whole of the book so I could review and I had hoped that her attitudes would improve but they didn't. I actually found this book to be highly offensive and it is absolutely the worst cancer advice book I have come across.

[Eli Kej · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book raw and bloody scary! Stephanie is very open and detailed about her journey and a cancer dance. The whole book is stuffed with useful information about breast cancer, treatments, possibilities. Not just for ladies diagnosed but also for families and friends.
It helped me to understand of what was going on with my brother who was diagnosed with leukaemia. I can say that because of that I am a member of Blue Sky Club on most of days.
Plus I am interested in the work of de Bono - Thinking hats, mentioned frequently in the book.
Stephanie thank you xxx

[Anne Forbes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of great advise to both cancer dancers, friends of and family. Will keep in mind. And I like the knitting part, as I’m also an avid knitter. Lots
Of good therapy in knitting! Thanks