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Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite
Real Talk, Real Hope: Breast Cancer Your Way by Dr. Loren Rourke walks readers through the cancer journey, from screening to treatment and everything in between, grounded in clinical practice. Rourke describes how mammography functions and how screening schedules are determined for patients at differing risk. She breaks down breast anatomy and talks about diagnostic information, from imaging to tissue analysis, and decision-making based on grade and stage. Rourke speaks on treatment approaches and explains how care teams are formed and how opinions may change. She addresses emotional health alongside family communication and recovery logistics, and even discusses libido and sex, followed by real patient accounts to show how different women moved through care. All share how life arranges itself afterward, across different points in care.
As someone who, very sadly, has a 100% breast cancer affliction rate on my maternal side, going back three generations, but no known genetic markers to tell us why, Real Talk, Real Hope by Dr. Loren Rourke did so much to help me understand what most clinicians have been unable to effectively convey. Rourke's style of writing is simple and straightforward, and frequently feels conversational. This makes what she shares accessible and easy to absorb. The standout section for me is Rourke's discussion of survivor’s guilt, seen in patients with minimal disease and in families affected by inherited risk. She explains that guilt can arise when outcomes differ among relatives and says these feelings may warrant professional support. This is me. I felt like she was sitting across the table, describing my own pain in the most compassionate, understandable terms. For readers who are desperate for an open and honest read, and also for a flicker of hope, this is the book for you. Very highly recommended.
