Silver Linings

A personal account of Kat Folland's experience with breast cancer treatment.

From the introduction:

I got married on April 26th, 2008. On June 21st, 2008 I found two lumps in my right breast. Mammogram, sonogram and core-needle biopsy confirmed it: I got my cancer diagnosis on July 10th, 2009. I was 38.

By the time my mastectomy surgery came around, I realized that I had nowhere near the necessary energy to give everyone who asked a complete answer about how I was doing. So I started what I called then a "running memo" on a totally no-frills static page that didn't link to anything else. I didn't want to call it a blog, because I'd seen too many stupid blogs.

I wrote each entry as if I were speaking to my friends. Along the way, people started complimenting me on my writing and suggesting that I turn the blog into a book. I laughed the first time someone said that, but after the next, it started me thinking.

What you're about to read has been edited for formatting, with very few exceptions. It nearly killed me to leave the phrasing and word-choice, etc. the way I had written it. When I write fiction I polish and polish and polish. But to really share my experience, I had to leave it in my words as I said them then.

90% of royalties will be donated to the Young Survival Coalition.