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HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif., August 24, 2001--"Some
things are hard to understand. Five months after giving birth to our beautiful
son David Tod, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I was only 35. My husband
Randy and I had been married for two and a half years, and just became parents
for the first time. Our lives with little David were merely beginning. I certainly
didn't want my life to come to an end--not then anyway."
That's how author Nancy Mikaelian Madey sets
the scene for her new book, "Facing Fear: A Young Woman's Personal Account
of Surviving Breast Cancer." A deeply personal and intimate account of
Madey's struggle with--and ultimate victory over a deadly disease, the book
is a clarion call of hope and inspiration to young women who are fighting
the same battle. Madey tells her story in her own words and takes you on a
journey through the highs and lows of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Read about the stark choices she faces when
her doctor discovers a new occurrence in the opposite breast just 16 months
later. Madey makes a decision that no woman would want to make--a double mastectomy.
Find out how reconstructive surgery restored her femininity and built her
confidence. Witness how her life comes full-circle when she discovers she's
pregnant with her second child.
In a unique section of the book called, "Perspectives",
the author's husband, family, and friends share their thoughts and feeling
on how they dealt with her breast cancer experience. "I felt this was
an important element to include," said Madey, "as a cancer patient
you want to know how your family and friends are affected, but you don't dare
ask because you feel responsible for causing them pain."
Being diagnosed with breast cancer is a devastating
blow for any woman. And when you're under 40, it threatens to rob you of all
that is precious in life: the chance to have children, raise a family and
pursue a career.
"Nationwide statistics show that one in
eight women will get breast cancer in her lifetime," said Dr. Choong
H. Baick, Clinical Professor of Surgery and Director of the UCI Breast Health
Center in Orange, Calif. "It's a common disease among women age 50 and
over, and is currently on the rise for women under the age of 40," he
said. "Although Madey's book targets young women, it's an inspirational
story of courage and hope that can benefit anyone who has been diagnosed with
breast cancer, or knows someone who has been affected by the disease."
"Facing Fear: A Young Woman's Personal
Account of Surviving Breast Cancer" (ISBN # 0-595-15117-5) is published
by iUniverse.com--a web-based publisher. Madey's book is available by order
only from traditional bookstores everywhere, online from Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com,
Borders.com, iUniverse.com, or by calling the publisher toll-free at 1-877-823-9235.
The 6 x 9 paperback book is 184 pages and sells for $12.95. For more information,
visit the author's website at http://www.survivingbreastcancer.com
Madey is available for book signings, special
events and speaking engagements. She can be reached via e-mail at nancy@survivingbreastcancer.com
Madey is a native of Racine, Wis., and holds
a degree in Mass Communications from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
She also contributed to "Chicken Soup for the Kid's Soul"--a New
York Times best seller. She lives in Huntington Beach, Calif. with her husband
and two children.
________________________________________________________________________
The Journal Times Wednesday, August 8, 2001
Racine, Wisconsin
Racine Native Writes About Her Dual Battles with Breast
Cancer
BY PHYLLIS SIDES
RACINE, Wis., - Getting beyond the
devastation of being diagnosed with breast cancer five months after the birth
of her first child is the story Racine native Nancy Mikaelian Madey tells
in her book "Facing Fear: A Young Woman's Personal Account of Surviving
Breast Cancer."
She decided to write about her experience because
she couldn't find any books on breast cancer that targeted women under 50,
Madey said Tuesday at Barnes & Noble Booksellers in Racine.
"Everything I read pertained to women over
50. As a two-time breast cancer survivor at 35 and 37 years of age, with no
family history, I understand the impact this disease can have on young women,"
Madey said.
Through her book, Madey wants to be a resource
for younger women, to help them deal with the disease.
"I had just had my first child and I didn't want my life to come to an
end," she said of the time immediately following her diagnosis.
"Being diagnosed with breast cancer is
devastating for any woman, and when you're under 40, it threatens to rob you
of all that is precious in life: the chance to have children, raise a family
and pursue a career," she said.
Sixteen months after her first occurrence, Madey
received a second diagnosis that cancer was found in her other breast.
"I was extremely shocked. The odds of this happening to me the very next
year were only .08 percent," Madey said.
It was particularly surprising because she was
considered to be cancer-free after a lumpectomy followed by seven weeks of
radiation therapy. "This was not a reoccurrence, it was a brand new occurrence,"
she said.
It was then Madey decided to have a double mastectomy.
"Having a double mastectomy was a good decision for me and my husband.
It provided us with peace of mind," she said.
After the surgery, Madey had reconstructive
surgery and celebrated the birth of her second child a year later.
Madey's book is the story of how she learned to face and overcome the fear
and make the difficult decisions necessary to fight the disease.
"I focused on losing the cancer, not my
breasts," said Madey. "I learned I couldn't run from the fear, I
had to face it."
Madey was a marketing manager for a distributor of microcomputer products
before her cancer diagnosis. She now works with local cancer groups in the
area near her Huntington Beach, Calif. home.
"My new career is getting the word out
about breast cancer awareness, education and early detection," Madey
said.
"Before I was diagnosed I thought I was
too young to get breast cancer-especially with no family history of this disease.
I want others to know that just being a woman puts you at risk," said
Madey.
Madey's book is available by order only from
traditional bookstores and online from Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, Borders.com,
iUniverse.com or by calling the publisher iUniverse.com toll-free at 1-877-823-9235.
The paperback book is 184 pages and sells for $12.95.
________________________________________________________________________
The Journal Times Thursday, August 2, 2001
Racine, Wisconsin
RACINE, Wis., - Barnes & Noble
Booksellers, 2710 S. Green Bay Road, will hold a book signing by author Nancy
Mikaelian Madey at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Madey is a Racine native and author of "Facing
Fear: A Young Woman's Personal Account of Surviving Breast Cancer." She
will talk about her experiences as a breast cancer survivor and sign copies
of her book.
Madey's compelling story of survival will appeal
to women of all ages. At the age of 35, after just giving birth to her first
child, Madey received the devastating news that she had breast cancer. Her
book recounts the impact the disease had on herself, her husband, her children
and her friends, delving into how she dealt with the emotions of being diagnosed
with the disease twice by the time she was 37. Madey grew up in Racine but
now lives in California. In addition to this book, she has contributed to
"Chicken Soup for the Kid's Soul," a New York Times best seller.
March 3, 2006 - Local Huntington Beach resident, Nancy Mikaelian Madey, wrote
a true and personal story that was accepted for publication in the newly
released Chicken Soup for the Kid’s Soul 2. Madey’s contribution,
The Genuine Van Gogh, was selected from thousands to be included in the
internationally acclaimed Chicken Soup for the Soul series.
Madey’s true story along with many others will inspire and motivate kids ages 6-10 with subjects that teach, but do not preach. Kids will learn positive character traits such as, choosing to do the right thing, making friends by being a friend, accepting others’ differences and staying true to one’s self.
CO BRAND. Kid’s Soul 2 has partnered with Arby’s restaurants nationwide in a six-week “Helping Kids Make Healthy Choices” marketing campaign. Designed to promote healthy eating habits and life choices, the national promotion will take place from March 13, 2006 through April 23, 2006 in 3400 restaurants in the U.S. and Canada. The fun includes special kid’s meal bags, custom designed toys and printed premiums, and in-restaurant signage. Parents can benefit too with an online book special offering Chicken Soup for Every Mom’s Soul at discount when they buy a Kid’s Soul 2. Visit www.chickensoup.com/arbys for details.
GIVING BACK! Chicken Soup for the Soul Enterprises, Inc. and its publisher, Health Communications, Inc. have teamed up to give proceeds from the sales of this title to a nonprofit organization for kids. Big Brothers Big Sisters Association is a nonprofit organization dedicated to mentoring at-risk youth and helping them overcome the many challenges they face. Founded in 1904, Big Brothers Big Sisters is the oldest and largest youth mentoring organization in the United States.
Motivational speakers Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen created Chicken
Soup for the Soul in 1993. The series, now with its more than 101 titles,
has been translated into 40 languages. Nineteen of the titles hit the New
York Times and USA Today bestseller lists, and seven reached #1. Canfield
and Hansen are joined in Chicken Soup for the Kid’s Soul 2 by Patty
Hansen and Irene Dunlap, co -authors of Chicken Soup for the Kid’s
Soul, Chicken Soup for the Preteen Soul, Preteen Soul 2 and Girl’s
Soul.