On that crisp October morning, as I stood on the deck of my home, gazing out at the serene lake, I heard a voice within me that would forever change my life. The words were simple yet profound, “Your results are positive, but don’t worry.” At that moment, I knew that the breast biopsy I had recently undergone would confirm what I already suspected - that I was embarking on my own journey of grief and healing. My life has been shaped by experiences of grief and loss, including the loss of my brother during high school, my mother shortly after college, and my father in my early 30s. As a former pastor and hospital chaplain, I had also helped countless others navigate this path, but now it was my turn to face it head-on. In Bye, Bye, Boobies, I share the story of my breast cancer journey— from mourning and grief to joy and celebration. This memoir offers a gift and guide to others whose lives are being invaded by breast cancer. It’s also a resource for those who will have to make a decision to say goodbye to parts of a body that have served them well. From throwing my own “Bye-Bye Boobies” party to discovering other creative and empowering ways to navigate cancer and grief, I hope this book provides useful tools, much-needed humor, and soulful guidance to help you on your own journey.

Holly K. Thrasher survived breast cancer and was told that a pair of breast implants would be the silver lining after a double mastectomy. Soon after breast reconstruction was completed, she realized that something was very wrong as her health had begun to decline. She complained to her doctors about the more than forty symptoms she was experiencing, but nobody had any answers to explain them. It took her over two years to find out that she was suffering from Breast Implant Illness (BII) as a result of an autoimmune response to the implants. She was told breast implants were safe and side effects were rare. She was caught completely off guard by the cure for BII and had to say bye-bye to her boobs a second time to regain her life and health. She had the implants removed and her chest reconstructed once again, but this time to FLAT. Bye-Bye Boobs blows the whistle on implant safety and symptoms and is a cautionary tale for anyone considering them. Holly chronicles her journey including everything you need to know before you consider implants for cosmetic or reconstructive reasons.

After watching too many family members die of cancer, at age 28, public speaker and comedian Caitlin Brodnick was tested for the BRCA1 gene mutation and tested positive, indicating an 87% chance she'd likely be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. She had a preventative double mastectomy, thereby becoming an everywoman's Angelina Jolie. Dangerous Boobies: Breaking Up with My Time-Bomb Breasts goes in depth into her experience from testing to surgery and on to recovery. With a warm, funny, and approachable voice, Caitlin tells readers the full story, even sharing what it was like to go from a size 32G bra -- giant, for a woman who is barely over five feet tall! -- to a 32C. Engaging and open, she admits to having hated her breasts long before her surgery, and enjoying the process of "designing" her new breasts, from the shape of the breasts to the size and color of the nipples. While Caitlin's primary narrative explores the BRCA gene and breast cancer, her story is also one about body acceptance and what it takes to be confident with and in charge of one's body. Her speaking engagements and comedy routines have shown that the wider topic of breasts, breast size, and personal identity is resonating with younger readers.

This is an open access title available under the terms of a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license. It is free to read on Oxford Academic and offered as a free PDF download from OUP and selected open access locations. This book offers a close examination of the ethical, political, and practical dimensions of donation-based online crowdfunding for basic needs including medical treatment, housing, food, and education. Crowdfunding uses online platforms and social networks to raise money from friends, family, and complete strangers for a variety of projects and needs. This practice has grown massively worldwide in recent years in terms of the numbers of crowdfunding campaigns and donors, money raised, visibility, and cultural influence. While the money raised through crowdfunding has helped millions of recipients, there is also reason for concern around how it may undermine campaigners' privacy and dignity, mirror and exacerbate social inequities, mask and deepen social injustice, defraud donors, and spread misinformation and hate. Author Jeremy Snyder places this discussion of crowdfunding in the wider historical and ethical context of giving practices. In doing so, Snyder shows that crowdfunding can repeat and exacerbate problems with traditional giving practices while creating other, new problems. Snyder concludes by presenting nine values that should guide donation-based crowdfunding: benefit, choice, solidarity, privacy, dignity, equity, social justice, non-maleficence, and accountability. These values can help crowdfunding donors, campaigners, recipients, platforms, and policy makers preserve the good that can come from crowdfunding while addressing some of its many negative aspects.

Hi, My name is Angela and I was diagnosed with breast cancer at the young age of 36. This is the book I wish was out when I was diagnosed. I went through several complications that you would'nt believe, and this is my story. I take you with me on my journey through medical chaos, as I try to keep up with daily living. I have a crude sense of humor, and do not hold back on much, especially my language. I hope you enjoy my light, yet crude way on such a deep subject

A young mother and physician experiences an unexpected education when diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer.

Gay bars have been closing by the hundreds. The story goes that increasing mainstream acceptance of LGBTQ+ people, plus dating apps like Grindr and Tinder, have rendered these spaces obsolete. Beyond that, rampant gentrification in big cities has pushed gay bars out of the neighborhoods they helped make hip. Who Needs Gay Bars? considers these narratives, accepting that the answer for some might be: maybe nobody. And yet... Jarred by the closing of his favorite local watering hole in Cleveland, Ohio, Greggor Mattson embarks on a journey across the country to paint a much more complex picture of the cultural significance of these spaces, inside "big four" gay cities, but also beyond them. No longer the only places for their patrons to socialize openly, Mattson finds in them instead a continuously evolving symbol; a physical place for feeling and challenging the beating pulse of sexual progress. From the historical archives of Seattle's Garden of Allah, to the outpost bars in Texas, Missouri or Florida that serve as community hubs for queer youth—these are places of celebration, where the next drag superstar from Alaska or Oklahoma may be discovered. They are also fraught grounds for confronting the racial and gender politics within and without the LGBTQ+ community. The question that frames this story is not asking whether these spaces are needed, but for whom, earnestly exploring the diversity of folks and purposes they serve today. Loosely informed by the Damron Guide, the so-called "Green Book" of gay travel, Mattson logged 10,000 miles on the road to all corners of the United States. His destinations are sometimes thriving, sometimes struggling, but all offering intimate views of the wide range of gay experience in America: POC, white, trans, cis; past, present, and future.

From world-renowned scientist Jane Goodall, as seen in the new National Geographic documentary Jane, comes an inspiring message about the future of the animal kingdom. With the insatiable curiosity and conversational prose that have made her a bestselling author, Goodall - along with Cincinnati Zoo Director Thane Maynard - shares fascinating survival stories about the American Crocodile, the California Condor, the Black-Footed Ferret, and more; all formerly endangered species and species once on the verge of extinction whose populations are now being regenerated. Interweaving her own first-hand experiences in the field with the compelling research of premier scientists, Goodall illuminates the heroic efforts of dedicated environmentalists and the truly critical need to protect the habitats of these beloved species. At once a celebration of the animal kingdom and a passionate call to arms, Hope For Animals Their World presents an uplifting, hopeful message for the future of animal-human coexistence. Praise for Hope For Animals Their World "Goodall's intimate writing style and sense of wonder pull the reader into each account...The mix of personal and scientific makes for a compelling read."-Booklist "These accounts of conservation success are inspirational."-Publishers Weekly

After a lifetime of seeking all things spiritual, wellness, and at times woo-woo, Paige Davis finds herself facing a breast cancer diagnosis at thirty-eight years old. She quickly realizes, however, that cancer is not her crisis point but a landing pad of experiences that’s inviting her to integrate her mind, body, and spirit. Ultimately, she embraces her diagnosis through a lens of love rather than as a battle to be fought—a perspective that allows her to find peace in the present moment, and heal from the inside out. In Here We Grow, Davis provides a refreshing new paradigm of integrative living that doesn’t deny the hardship of a situation, but instead encourages meeting difficulty through embodied heart-centered presence. Utilizing mindfulness, meditation, and mind-body disciplines, she shares a tool kit for transformation as she learns to befriend her body, cope through compassion, face survivor’s guilt, create a “new normal” post treatment, and discover the unexpected awakening of intuition and open-heartedness in the healing journey. Filled with honesty, humor, and present-moment awareness that reveals our true capacity for joy, connection, grace, and resilience, Here We Grow is Davis’s story of meeting fear and uncertainty with mindfulness, meaning, and the unconditional love inherent in us all.

This evidence-based guide for professionals covers essential information to help support parents breastfeeding past the first six months, including starting solids alongside breastfeeding, nursing manners, and common problems and challenges. The recommendation of breastfeeding beyond six months is well-established, but many birth professionals don't feel confident enough to support parents. This book, packed with case studies of real-life parents and practical tips, helps to educate healthcare professionals - as well as parents themselves - to feel better informed. Each chapter combines professional, research-led evidence with a parent-focused resource section for a fully integrative approach. Centring families and their personal journeys, Supporting Breastfeeding Past the First Six Months and Beyond is an invaluable guide for all lactation consultants, birthing professionals, healthcare workers and parents.