Reconstructing Hope: Intrusions, Oxymorons & Transformations in the Breast Cancer Marathon

by Donna Sidwell DeGracia

A breast cancer diagnosis is a most unwelcome intruder in life, one that signals a long marathon of tests, treatments, and emotional stress ahead. With that journey come moments of conflicting anger and triumph, confusion and clarity—and it leaves survivors so transformed, they might not even recognize themselves afterward. In Reconstructing Hope, two-time survivor Donna Sidwell DeGracia offers support for people living out any phase of their breast cancer marathon.

Inside you'll find personal stories from DeGracia and other people keeping their pace and leaning forward at the breast cancer finish line. As a physician assistant, DeGracia shares medical insight on mammograms, mastectomies, cancer types and stages, and more. And poems between each chapter remind you that hope comes from beauty as much as it does from knowledge and community.

Let Reconstructing Hope be your friend and coach as you battle onward in your breast cancer marathon. You have all the pieces of hope already inside you—now it's time to assemble them.

261 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 6, 2020

About the author

Donna Sidwell DeGracia is a physician assistant and an educator whose life and work have taken her from distant corners of the globe to intimate conversations about aspects of life that patients may not have shared with anyone else. Sometimes it is her own experiences as a patient, or as one acculturating to a new culture, that give her the insight needed for difficult conversations. As an educator, she is adept at breaking difficult topics into easily understood components. Her writings reflect her experience and perspective as well as the humility of one who has had the honor of walking with others through their pain. She recognizes both the need for and the fragility of hope as well as the difficult task of re-establishing or reconstructing hope that is lost.

Reviews

[Sara Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve never felt so seen or had something resonate with me the way this book has. It is both informative and beautifully written, and provides incredible insight into what it is like to experience breast cancer. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone going through their own breast cancer journey or anyone impacted by a breast cancer diagnosis.

[Kate Wintheiser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reconstructing Hope was an insightful and emotional read. The patchwork of stories stitched together from a variety of experiences and perspectives created a well-rounded peek into the world of breast cancer from both those experiencing it and the people around them. The author splits the book into three sections, and into multiple chapters within each section, making it a great read for a busy person. Despite my erratic reading schedule, I felt this book had a significant impact on me; I found myself either crying, laughing, or a combination of the two almost every time I sat down to read. I would recommend this book to anyone entering the healthcare field or anyone looking to gain more insight into the nuanced world of living with and recovering from a cancer diagnosis.

[Sarah Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing. It calms the chaos of a cancer diagnosis and puts it into words everyone can understand. I highly recommend reading this if you have been diagnosed with breast cancer or if you know anyone who has had breast cancer.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must-read for women enduring the breast cancer marathon.