Breast Cancer? Breast Health! The Wise Woman Way (Wise Woman Herbal Series, Book 4) (Wise Woman Herbal Series)

Weed is careful to point out that supplements and herbs can hurt as much as they can help, and she lists several alternative-medicine techniques that should be avoided no matter what. The steps she does recommend--from herbal oils for breast massage to help detect lumps early to the herbs milk thistle, dandelion, and burdock for women with liver damage from tamoxifen--are explained clearly, sometimes with fascinating quotes from centuries-old books on healing.

Weed will draw ire from some readers for recommending that mammograms be avoided. She says they tend to squeeze cancer cells into the bloodstream and can't detect cancer until it's metastatic, which are reasons enough to not have them, and adds that women would be better off by making her suggested anticancer lifestyle changes, paying more attention to their breasts, and performing regular self-exams.

The warnings about the dangers of electromagnetic fields, exposure to estrogen, and organochlorides from plastics may frighten some, but Weed means to enlighten and empower. She dedicates the book to environmentalist and Silent Spring author Rachel Carson and poet Audre Lorde, who both died of breast cancer. Extensive herbal resources, a solid glossary, and a thorough index are included.

Breast Cancer? Breast Health! The Wise Woman Way is the first step to wellness and staying healthy. Author Susun Weed has certainly done her homework, with research and a natural lifestyle. She begins with a small personal story and the awakening from it, which leads to the disclosure of her anti-cancer lifestyle, a one page insight of balance and harmony, then ends this section with a how-to on using this book, about herbs and their dangers.

She begins her chapters with the statistics of breast cancer and how they make her feel, how it makes us all feel. She leaves nothing out with her research with complete scientific data and what is accepted in the medical society and what may be likely but not proven. She explores every angle in a not so easy subject.

Moving on to "Can Foods Prevent Cancer?" Again she has done her homework and provided a wealth of information on anti cancer foods, she explores foods, herbs, oils, phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals. In "Taking Our Breasts into Our Own Hands, Breast Self Massage", Ms. Weed goes far beyond just the how-to that we so often get from our Doctors and clinics, thoroughly discussing the many aspects of self-breast exam, including an extensive list and uses of different oils.

As you make your way to the following chapters, you begin to expect much more from her. This is exactly what she gives you! With "Building Powerful Immunity, Journey to the Wise Healer Within", " Mammograms -Who Needs Them?" and the last of the first Section "There's a Lump in my Breast!", she brings you completely full circle as she delves into each of these subjects.

Section two has some of the scariest of topics, but the author gently eases your anxiety as if she is right beside you holding your hand, letting you know you are not alone by exploring every aspect of having Breast Cancer. From "What is Breast Cancer? The Diagnosis", dealing with your emotional state, to "Choosing Surgery Questions to Ask," the topics just continue to flow to give you a complete in-depth exploration, with recipes, suggestions and what to expect no matter what you decide. She gives you extensive resource lists on just about every topic. This book is not a get healed fast pill, but instead an exploratory journey, on one of the most feared and extended taboo subjects in our time. Through it all Susun reminds you; this is Your Life, take control!

Hail to Susun Weed who has brought the light in an age of darkness with this book! Every Clinic, Gynecologist and Oncologist worth their weight should read, then recommend "Breast Cancer? Breast Health! The Wise Woman Way," to all their patients. I give this wonderful archive of information my highest of recommendations!

M.L. Benton,
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November 13, 2002