BLOG TOUR: Interview with Author Catherine Doughty

Hi there!

Welcome back to the place that aims to bring you something bookish every day of the week...Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.  

Today we are playing host to a tour making it's way through the blogosphere with Pump Up Your Book featuring a non-fiction book that looks at a "scary" topic from an author that puts her knowledge where her mouth is.  It's a little bit technical from the sound of it but provides not only support through trying times but much needed INFORMATION on who, what, why, and how to attack the "beast" head on...and with both eyes open.  

The "beast" is breast cancer and as it is National Breast Cancer Awareness month, when I saw this tour coming around I couldn't help but sign up.  I know it's not our usual fair (though my reading interests do take us off the map at times) but it is something that is important for so many reasons and if it doesn't affect you personally in your lifetime, it undoubted will touch the lives of those you know in one fashion or another.  In an effort to spread awareness and give another voice to the cause that might help lead a few more out of the dark maze of confusion and into the light of informed patient doing what they can to fight back, I give you author Catherine Doughty....

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INTERVIEW:  Author Catherine Doughty

It is often said that laughter is the best medicine and from the title of your book, one could easily assume that was the whole point of it. In lieu of assuming because we all know where THAT leads (...*-*...), why did you choose to take a serious and yet humorous stance on this topic?

When I was diagnosed, there was nothing available via text or ebook on breast cancer treatment strategy or how to navigate the health care maze with a breast cancer diagnosis. As a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt I began to modify tools to quickly put order into the uncertainty I was dealing with. You see for me, I believed I had four score plus ten years in my life span, so when I heard the three little words that, “You have cancer!” I was now dealing with a new reality which is the true reality for everyone. You just have right here and right now, it’s the “is” of any situation that’s certain. After that, you simply don’t know. Once you get used to that concept, living your life through the prism of uncertainty becomes a very sexy way to live because every day you have a good time!

At the time of my diagnosis, no question, there was a lot at stake and there continues to be a lot at stake to this day. However, it forced me to get a hold of myself and love every sexy second of my life and realize that I wanted even more of them. I wanted to be cancer free, smoking hot and look stunning, naked to the heterosexual male. So I had to initiate a plan and get in front of world class physicians, make order out of chaos, sift through multiple recommendations, decide and implement a surgical and treatment plan that would produce what was critical to quality for me. Be present for my children, continue to be their mother, mentor and on occasion when they needed it, their man handler!

Now, when someone falls into what I call the Cosmic Cancer Bunny Hole, there are a million different thoughts that race through your mind, and you spiral down a thousand different holes until you recognize that you still have to design a calculated treatment plan that will get you to the finish line. Hopefully cancer free with minimal risk for recurrence and a cosmesis or the look that you desire.

Certainly the topic breast cancer is serious and a very calculated approach to a solution is required. I have always had an unyielding sense of humor and it continues to be prolific to this very day. My life is humorous, and there’s funny in all of it. Even when some of the cards that were dealt to me appeared difficult, everything is bearable as long as I keep crafting Plan B., or any other solution required to get the children and I to safe footing. Here is what people don’t always consider. It didn’t matter that I had breast cancer or needed to solve for it. I had a mortgage, two little kids, a nanny, private school, graduate school, utility bills, a marriage that was in the trashcan and every other thing you could possible imagine, we’ll just close the list with ectera, ectera! So no matter what’s going in person’s life, you still have to keep food on the table, the lights, water and gas on, keep track of the children’s needs, toys, fix their lunches, snacks, prepare meals and deal with your professional responsibilities, family responsibilities on top of solving for breast cancer as well. Life doesn’t stop because you have heard the three little words. You have to deal with the cancer and your commitments concurrently. That takes a lot of forward thinking, organization, planning, energy and humor.

In conjunction with your book, you started a website called The Cancer Cat. What is your ultimate goal for the site? What heights do you hope it reaches?

I designed www.thecancercat.com for anyone who needed an award winning book on breast cancer treatment strategy or to reach me regarding my approach in crafting a solution. For anyone wanting to reach me directly or just wanted to get a feel for who I am and what the book is all about. The site was designed for reader’s wanting information only with no advertising. My hope is that it reaches anyone who has been diagnosed with breast cancer or knows someone who has been diagnosed who needs to utilize scientific methodology to get their life back in control, deal with uncertainty, look stunning and have a rocking hot good time!

If I might delve a few moments into your past...when you were initially diagnosed, what was going through your mind? Disbelief? Fear? Agitation?

Absolute disbelief! I thought there was a serious mistake, that the people in the room who were telling me this were confused and didn’t understand the difference between a papilloma and carcinoma, or it was just the effect of post-operative anesthesia. It became clear to me shortly when I was looking at my cousin, soon to be ex-husband, and surgeon that there was no mistake, it was carcinoma, and I was in trouble. Now the skin had been cut and the vasculature compromised and my options were very different now. I began to feel alone in the unfolding medical nightmare and it started to suffocate me. Once I regained the presence of mind and focused on my objectives to solve my cancer problem, I felt calm and unshaken.

If you knew then, all you know now, how do you think your reaction might have differed? For better or worse?

Knowing what I know now the only difference would have been that I would of seen that the physician that I thought was reading the breast MRI wasn’t the right one, so I would have had the study either repeated or a second interpretation. If the result came back with a finding and a recommendation for a biopsy and it was conclusive that there actually was IDC/DCIS, the mammoplasty wouldn’t have taken place. The breast cancer would have been identified and I would have been spared a significant surgery.

My reaction would have been the same, absolute, unequivocal, disbelief. Nobody initially ever

believes they have cancer. You’re always the other guy until you’re the guy!

For all my readers out there that have been, are, or might be affected in one way or another by this disease at some point in their lives....any words of wisdom from the "front lines" you'd like to share?

Once you hear the three words that you have cancer, stop, and get a hold of a copy of Breast Cancer! You’re kidding…right? Living Life Through The Prism Of Uncertainty And Having A Good Time! I cannot stress enough that you get to an academic tertiary care institute that has subspecialty expertise in breast cancer treatment. Consult with subject matter experts, world class physicians, and individuals who will assist you because you will need them. No matter where you are in the world, there are pockets of expertise to tap into. If you are having difficulty locating professionals in your area, get on the internet and determine the best cancer treatment center proximal to you. Ask for recommendations from individuals who have been where you are now, most will gladly share their learnings if you have time to listen.

Finally, for the "glance-and-go" readers out there, describe your book in no more than TEN WORDS that you feel hit the mark...

The most mesmerizing book ever written on breast cancer!

Closing thoughts....

Remember, we need to keep the pressure on medical research to design this disease out of existence. This cannot be something our young people have to deal with. Also, let me know that they can discover the science behind this Earth-shattering new award winning book. It’s the simplicity, direct step by step approach to breast cancer treatment strategy for anyone with any state of breast cancer. There’s no scholarly science, just pure scientific methodology and remarkable craftsmanship. I have prepared one of the most dramatic revealing books for anyone dealing with this dreaded disease and expertly designed it to make the reader pause and reflect on their brilliance and ability to defeat breast cancer with a proven strategy.

You will be on the edge of your seat with every single word in this book. It captures it’s readers from beginning to end, and makes them want to live their life through the prism of uncertainty and have one rocking hot good time. This is an adrenaline thrill ride from start to finish, that you cannot put down.

The book is available worldwide, including Amazon.com, both paperback and Kindle versions, Barnes and Noble, and through your favorite online or brick-and-mortar bookstore.

Thank you and all my love!

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About the author...

My name is Catherine L. Doughty, MS, CCHI. I read informatics journal articles, do frequency analyses, finance, make charts and statistical tables. I have LED lights in my cateyed reading glasses, but don’t be fooled. I am a tall, sexy, and intelligent individual who prides herself on the ability to create viable solutions for individuals and institutions, and likes to be called Cathy or Cat.

I have created my own character in this book, and I named her the Cancer Cat. She will be your go-to girl for life-saving, critical thinking and strategic advice to enable you to easily navigate your way through the medical maze and get your life back in control.

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About the book...

Breast Cancer!  You're Kidding...Right?

by

Catherine Doughty

According to Doughty, it is the simplicity – no scholarly science, just pure scientific

methodology and remarkable craftsmanship. It started with the most shocking news anyone could ever hear, “You have cancer!” Once the disbelief wore off, the questions started to surface, “Where does a person start to unravel this mystery?” “When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I had two small children ages six and nine. Clearly, there was a lot at stake, so I did what most patients do, I searched for information about the experiences of others and found nothing on treatment strategy or where to begin when a patient falls into the cosmic cancer bunny hole. There wasn’t one comprehensive resource for a patient that provided educational clinical strategy to overcome and beat this disease,” said Doughty.

“The goal in the book, Breast Cancer! You’re kidding…right? is to give patients a step by step approach utilizing scientific methodology to strategize their treatment plan and minimize the risk of recurrence, utilizing decision matrices, discussion documents, clinical consultation worksheets, and the importance of recording all pieces of information gathered from their physician consultations.” Doughty prepares one of the most dramatic revealing books for anyone dealing with this dreaded disease and expertly designs it to make the reader pause and reflect on their brilliance and ability to defeat this disease with a proven strategy.

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Special thanks to author Catherine Doughty for taking the time to stop by and chat with us today as well as to Tracee at Pump Up Your Book for the opportunity to participate in this tour.  (THANKS!) For more information on this title or the author, feel free to click the links embedded in the post.  To discover more about Pump Up Your Book, be sure to stop by their official site, like them on Facebook, or follow along on Twitter.  Be sure to check out all the fun to be had and knowledge to be gleaned from the rest of the tour stops as it makes its way through the blogosphere.

Until next time...happy reading!