Breastless Intimacy

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.