Diagnosed with breast cancer at age 41 in 2009, Santa Barbara interior designer/marketing consultant Andrea Hutton fought back, and wrote about her experience in the new book, Bald Is Better with Earrings: A Survivor’s Guide to Getting Through Breast Cancer (Harper Wave, 224 pages), which she will sign at Antioch University (602 Anacapa St.) on Wednesday, July 15, 5-7 p.m. Here’s an excerpt:
Top Five Tips for Dealing with Your Self-Image
1) Don’t be embarrassed to seek emotional and psychological help. Dealing with your self-image is a huge part of healing, and most cancer patients can get enormous benefits talking with people outside their inner circle. It takes a looooooong time to work through it all, and your friends and family can only understand so much. They really want and need you to focus on your fight, your success, and your life, but you need to have time to process the rest. And it should take … well, as long as it takes.