“So well written – useful detailed information and knowledge is matched by Kathleen’s personal journey, with considerable insight into being ‘at the other end of the stethoscope’ which many health professionals can forget. I was also aware of an underlying message of ask questions, again and again if you need to, and get all the details – stick your bottom on the seat until you are satisfied. Informed decision making is much more powerful for the person concerned rather than feeling that you have been on a conveyor belt. Well done Kathleen for writing this book of your own experience coupled with so much good information.”

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“The book is addictive!  Not sure doctors are allowed to prescribe addictive medicine.”

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“The book is brilliant. Clearly and sympathetically explained on the one hand and then a very powerful and sensitive insight into the personal difficulties of facing the Big C. A great deal of it resonated very much with me, A triumph.”

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“The story is very emotionally engaging and powerful.  I was talking about the book to my son, and will ensure he reads it.  He is currently working at a very remote G.P. practice.  I want him to become an empathetic doctor who understands the other side.”

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“Know someone who has suffered from cancer? Had it yourself? Even if you haven’t experienced either, this book is worth a read and everyone should read it. It encompasses every emotion from fear, sadness, shock, but even happiness and laughter.”

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“My only complaint is that I couldn’t put it down, so found myself reading it into the early hours. Well written and gripping.”

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“Wow, a true masterpiece!

Not biased in any way, very respectful of others. The writer doesn’t push her opinions onto anyone, she just makes people aware of what they are. Her experience as a doctor, turing into a patient, is definitely and interesting angle .

I love the way she doesn’t hold back on her inner thoughts. There are also a few jokes, that keep it uplifting during the more worrying times.

The book definitely highlights just how wrong some people in the medical world can be. I’m sure most readers will be able to relate to Dr Thompsons struggles. She is also very self critical of her own mistakes and choices, I find this very refreshing.

The cover almost shows woman in a straight jacket, struggling to get out. This helps to illustrate Dr Thompsons struggles, both mentally, and physically throughout her diagnosis and treatment.

I have never been through Cancer myself, however I think this book gives me an emotional insight into others who are dealing with the experience. If I ever meet anyone going through cancer, they will be receiving a copy of this book from me!”

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“I consider this book is vital reading for any person who is suffering the trauma of breast cancer. It is technically informative and offers advice on how to approach the medical profession for advice, the questions to ask and how to understand the answers. It will be a great aid for lessening the anxiety that cancer sufferers experience by giving them the necessary knowledge that will reduce the fear of the unknown.”

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“Having performed in the ring at the cancer circus myself, Dr Thompson’s book strikes a perfect chord. Being caught in the maelstrom of diagnosis and treatment, the emotional hiatus that surrounds it and having your life hijacked “for your own good” by the myriad well-meaning dramatis personae, is immensely confusing and lonely. This book written with clarity, compassion and lovely touches of humour, brings a sense of calm and order to the mayhem. Each carefully crafted chapter provides practical guidance and useful internet links for further reading, entwined with a compelling personal account of what it was like to go through “the system”.

Step by step we are walked through what all the medical stuff means, what might be expected from hospital visits and treatments, what might go wrong, and what to do if anxious about or unsatisfied with medical care. All aspects are thoroughly covered including suggestions on how to optimise well being (and even possibly outcome) using complimentary approaches and embracing a healthy (but not boring) lifestyle.

In her own story, Dr Thompson recounts her challenges in a non-judgmental and positive way, even at times when the NHS appears to have been distinctly lacking. By being so frank and eloquent about her own experience, she shows us that it is quite normal to feel sensitive, vulnerable and irrational at times, but that one can get through it. Her calm reassurance gives us all the encouragement needed to face whatever may be ahead.

For healthcare personnel, this is a valuable insight into the good and the bad of practice by someone who knows and understands your daily challenges.

For patients, if you keep Dr Thompson at your side, you will not be so lonely.“

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“Here is a book that confronts a subject which is still a mystery and a taboo for many. A search through related books within Amazon offers cures ranging from Jesus to chicken soup, but Kathleen Thompson grabs the subject with both hands and shakes it until the facts fall out. She then presents these facts in a sensible and level-headed way, talking from experience about her fears, her wishes and her dreams for the future. The fact that Thompson is a doctor herself is of course helpful, but she talks about her own experiences at the mercy of other medical experts, experiences that for her were mostly positive. But there were times when her treatment was less than perfect, and she had to take a stand – not so much against medical opinions but against the treatment she had been offered. What this book offers is balance; an intelligent, humane and practical response to an emotive subject. This is a must-read for sufferers of cancer and for their families and those close to them. Make no bones about it, this is an important book.”

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