Breast Cancer Survivor Publishes Book on Mastectomy

Though there is plenty of information online about mastectomy, Amy Curran Baker thought it would be helpful to many women if she wrote a single-resource guide that explains the recovery process from beginning to end.

A breast cancer survivor herself, the 43-year-old Baker has authored “Now What? A Guide to Recovery After Mastectomy,” officially released on Jan. 17 (the book has been available online since Dec. 31). She hopes that women who are searching for answers about their own journey with mastectomy will find them in her book.

Baker, a Cortlandt resident, was 39 years old with two young daughters when she was diagnosed with the disease in 2008. Even with significant family experience with breast cancer—her mother, maternal grandmother, and her maternal aunt had all been diagnosed—she still had many questions about the procedure she opted for: bilateral mastectomy with “direct to implant reconstruction.”

Copious research, along with her daily work as an occupational therapist, gave her an unique perspective to write the book.

“Being an OT I realized that there were a lot of basic recovery and rehabilitation issues that women might never be told about after mastectomy,” Baker said.

“Things like how to manage activities such as dressing and bathing, getting a good night’s sleep, caring for children, home management, and returning to work.” She added that the book is full of suggestions from other women who have “been there” and who offer their advice on what works and what doesn’t in the recovery process.

The book is geared toward anyone who has been diagnosed with breast cancer and is contemplating mastectomy with or without breast reconstruction—in addition to those with a hereditary predisposition to breast cancer who may be contemplating prophylactic mastectomy. Reconstruction, she emphasized, should be a personal choice.

“Sometimes I hear people say that women need breast reconstruction after a mastectomy in order to feel “whole again” and that bothers me a little bit,” Baker said—explaining that it was her personal decision to reconstruct. She does not like to think of a particular part of the body as defining the “wholeness” of a person or a woman.

With her co-authors, who are her sisters (nurses themselves), she covers other topics including range of motion exercises, post-surgical drain care, lymphedema prevention, breast prostheses, and what to look for in terms of complications with healing, wound management, scar massage, emotional recovery, and more.

Baker also wants readers to know that mastectomy is not what it used to be. “Techniques for breast reconstruction have come a long way in recent years and options are available,” she said.

 “And many women don’t know that there is a federal law called the Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act that requires group health insurers that cover mastectomy to also cover breast reconstruction, breast prostheses, and treatment for physical complications like lymphedema that may result from mastectomy.”

This comprehensive book not only benefits those looking for information: portions of the proceeds will go to two breast cancer support organizations that have been “near and dear” to Baker: and FORCE (Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered) a national hereditary cancer support organization.

Baker said she is happy to share all that she has learned. “I feel fortunate that I had access to really great physicians who were doing cutting edge work in the areas of mastectomy and breast reconstruction.”

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