Breastless Intimacy: A Celebration of Love, Loss and Learning

by Cynthia Leeds Friedlander

Overview

Breastless Intimacy is a memoir about the author's journey through a non life-threatening diagnosis of breast cancer shortly following the death of her sister from advanced metastatic breast disease. It is also about the author's experiences with men as a single woman who has had her breasts removed. She writes, "This is a book from my heart. I have written it as a gift, as a celebration of love, loss and learning. It's a book for those who are making, or have made, decisions to alter their bodies and are dealing with intimacy after those alterations. I recognize that it's less likely to be a book for those who are suffering or have suffered from advanced breast cancer and its many terrifying treatments. I watched my sister go through that end of the breast cancer spectrum and made choices to protect myself from those nightmares.

Long before Angelina Jolie made her decision to have her breasts removed, I made difficult choices that were right for me and I have decided to share my experiences with others. Recognizing how easy it is for me to express what I need and want to say, I have developed a sense of desirable obligation to reveal openly what I have gone through. By describing a wide variety of my experiences, I can provide a mirror for others to validate their own experiences and to open up a whole new world of perspectives, possibilities and adventures for them."

Breastless Intimacy is a series of vignettes. Each one is written so that it stands alone and can be read in any order or as a single separate piece. The book is divided into four sections: (1.) The author's physical journey through life in relation to her breasts and their loss. (2.) Encounters with men and what she learned from each. (3.) Speaking out to the world to be strong and vigilant in the face of danger. (4.) An epilogue, describing the shock of experiencing a failed and wilted saline breast implant and the full circle and relationships in her life at that time.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780989953627
Publisher:	Word Craft Press
Publication date:	09/27/2013
Pages:	200
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.46(d)

About the Author

In September of 1992, Cynthia Leeds Friedlander's sister died of aggressive metastatic breast cancer. Three months later, she was diagnosed with stage zero breast cancer and chose to have bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction surgeries. In 1998, Friedlander wrote a poignant memoir about her sister's journey and her own through breast cancer diagnoses and surgeries and about her encounters with men, as a breastless single woman. Twenty years after her bilateral mastectomy surgery, she went through implant exchange surgery as a result of the collapse and internal leakage of one of her original saline implants. Following that more recent implant exchange surgery, she wrote Full Circle, an epilogue to her memoir.

When Angelina Jolie made her announcement that she had chosen to have prophylactic bilateral mastectomy surgery, Friedlander became highly motivated again to get her memoir published and get her story out there on a big platform.

"This is a book from my heart. I have written it as a gift, as a celebration of love, loss and learning. It's a book for those who are making, or have made, decisions to alter their bodies and are dealing with intimacy after those alterations. ... By describing a wide variety of my experiences, I can provide a mirror for others to validate their own experiences and to open up a whole new world of perspectives, possibilities and adventures for them."

Cynthia Leeds Friedlander, author of "Speak Easy, The Communication Guide for Career and Life Success"- is a seasoned executive coach and career counselor, adept in managing sensitive work-related issues. In addition to her corporate consulting, she has a private counseling practice, and has worked with thousands of individuals, throughout her extensive coaching career. Prior to becoming a career coach, she taught French and Group Guidance. Cindy grew up in the fashion industry and came to New York for the first time with her parents on a buying trip when she was six years old. She lives in New York City and has an 1830s country farmhouse in Upstate New York. She is a dog lover, folk and blues music devotee, and nature enthusiast.
www.wordscraftpress.com

Editorial Reviews

2014-01-07
Friedlander's memoir recounts vignettes about the author's life after a bilateral mastectomy. Three months after her sister lost a two-year battle with breast cancer, Friedlander (Speak Easy: The Communication Guide for Career and Life Success, 2009) received a diagnosis of stage 0 breast cancer. Although the condition was noncancerous, she made the decision to remove both breasts. Written in a clear, determined voice, each piece stands alone, though there's a sense of continuity as well as some repetition. Ranging from poetic prose to reflective musings, the writing is open and honest. Though Friedlander acknowledges that her decision to remove both breasts was extreme, she also notes that just having witnessed her sister's intense suffering from the disease influenced her decision, further asserting that different circumstances might have led to a different decision. While this book isn't directed at those with advanced breast cancer, Friedlander's experiences may help other women dealing with a similar precancerous condition by providing them with a better understanding of the consequences of taking aggressive action. Having removed what is considered the embodiment of womanhood and sexuality, Friedlander writes, "When you lose the most prominent physical symbol of your gender, you must claim your female identity without that symbol." She candidly reveals her life as a divorced woman in her late 40s, experiencing intimacy after her surgery and all the bouts of self-consciousness and inadequacy that came with it. Despite a period of testing the water for the first few years, Friedlander eventually jumped in with both feet to experience all life had to offer and to make the most of the hand she was dealt. All of her heartbreak, tears and success led her to one conclusion: "Well-being always comes from within." An illuminating collection of writing that's full of introspection and emotional transcendence.

Kirkus Reviews