Breast cancer made Jennie Nash a wise old woman at the age of thirty-six. She learned, among other things, that her instincts are good, her kids are resilient, and that, in the fight against breast cancer, the journey for patients, family, and friends can be a surprisingly positive experience. Five years younger than the AMA-recommended age for mammograms, Jennie insisted she be tested because of a hunch brought on by a friend's lung cancer. Jennie was shocked to discover that cancer knows no age limits.

From detection and surgery to reconstruction and recovery, Jennie gives readers a road map for a journey no one chooses to take. She details both the large and small lessons learned along the way: the importance of a child's birthday cake; the pleasure of wearing a beautiful, provocative red dress; and how to be grateful rather than guilty when someone brings lasagna to the door.

A celebration of survival for everyone, Nash's account transforms one of life's most harrowing experiences into a story of reassurance and enlightenment.

Touching and courageous, The Victoria's Secret Catalog Never Stops Coming blends the medical realities of breast cancer with the wise and thoughtful opinions of author Jennie Nash. Nash shares every step of her experience with breast cancer, from the first mammogram to the final reconstructive surgery, in a series of "lessons" that divide chapters into stories that are equally meaningful to survivors and their friends and families. While many of the individual stories are sad, taken as whole this is an ultimately positive book--Nash survives with her health and family intact and is spared harrowing chemo and further metastasizing. Her lessons range from "bad news does less damage when it's shared" to "caregivers are human," and are illustrated with deeply personal stories of sobbing telephone messages, family arguments, and never-ending streams of frozen casseroles. The last lesson, "make the experience matter," revolves around Nash's first breast-cancer walk as a survivor, though it could just as easily revolve around the writing of this book, as it is sure to make a welcome difference in the lives of countless women. --Jill Lightner

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