Fatal to Fearless: 12 Steps to Beating Cancer in a Broken Medical System
An empowering, soul-baring personal account and guide from a two-time cancer survivor and healthcare disrupter that shows anyone how to deal with a frightening medical diagnosis in America today, providing the knowledge necessary to take ownership of personal wellbeing and maximize the chances for survival.
More than twenty-five years ago, Kathryn Giusti was diagnosed with multiple myeloma at age thirty-seven and given three years to live. With a young child, a happy marriage, and a successful career, Giusti had too much to live for. An "impatient patient," she overcame her fear and got to work, learning to advocate for her own care. This book is the result of all she's learned about how to get the best outcome from America's opaque and sometimes impossible-to-navigate healthcare system.
Fatal to Fearless tells the story of how Giusti took on the system and turned it to her advantage not once but twice when she was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years ago. It is a crash course in surviving a grim diagnosis, organized around twelve simple steps, with practical tips for everything from how to build your healthcare team and learning which online sources to trust, to understanding the science and identifying which tests to ask for in the new genomic era and how to access the treatments and studies that could save your life.
At its center is a gripping personal story that reveals difficult, yet honest truths about illness, family, friendship, marriage, and the business of medicine. Giusti lays bare her soul as she walks you through the steps for handling any diagnosis and includes insights from medicine's top insiders on the frontlines of physical and emotional healing and care.
Sick people deserve a fighting chance. Giusti's mission to democratize medicine--and healthcare--has never been more imperative, or more urgent. Hopeful, wise, and packed with hard-won knowledge, this book gives you the concrete tools and inspiration to fear less and live more.
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Kathy Giusti is a 2-time cancer survivor, business leader and healthcare disrupter. Founder of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) and Co-Chair of the Harvard Business School (HBS) Kraft Precision Medicine Accelerator, Kathy works to push for change where it's needed most, fix what is broken so others may heal, and simplify the journey for others, so they can heal themselves.
"Kathy is the quintessential boss when it comes to leadership and treating your healthcare with a business mindset. If I had not been the CEO of my health when diagnosed with Stage 2 pancreatic cancer, I more than likely would not be here today. Fatal to Fearless will change how you think about and approach a disease. It's the ultimate guide to go from WTF to What To Do." -- Maria Menounos
"When cancer comes knocking on your door as it did for me, you'll want Kathy Giusti in your war chest to have a fighting chance. She knows our fractured system better than anyone. Fatal to Fearless will be your best friend as she takes you and your loved ones step by step through the battle, with highly actionable information. Nobody prepares you to hear the words 'You have cancer, ' but with Kathy's words of inspiration and practical know-how, you can rise to meet the challenge." -- Tom Brokaw
"It's one thing for someone to survive two deadly cancers. It's another for the patient, a citizen-scientist, to put all her patient-advocacy knowledge and wisdom out there for all to benefit from, as Kathy Giusti has masterfully done in Fatal to Fearless." -- Eric Topol, MD, MACP, author of Deep Medicine, professor and EVP, Scripps Research
"This book is filled with practical, actionable information--because when you get a diagnosis like cancer, you freeze. I have been beside Kathy since she began her fight against multiple myeloma--the first cancer she's conquered because Kathy wasn't afraid to challenge traditional thinking. In Fatal to Fearless, she teaches readers to be confident as they confront their own cancer diagnosis: To confidently advocate for themselves, that there are no wrong questions to ask, and how to learn about alternative options. Essential information for anyone dealing with any medical issue." -- Deborah Norville, anchor, Inside Edition
"I've known Kathy as a vulnerable patient, fierce leader, and inspiration for scores of other patients. She's broken through every barrier. Based on lessons from her own experiences, she provides a clear roadmap and actionable playbook for beating cancer. Follow her lead in Fatal to Fearless. It's your 12-step path to survival." -- Kenneth C. Anderson, MD, Kraft Family Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School
"Fatal to Fearless converts Kathy Giusti's experiences into a 12-step plan that is a must read for patients, caregivers, and practitioners alike seeking to understand how to best navigate the challenges of a cancer diagnosis." -- Clifford A. Hudis, MD, FACP, FASCO, CEO, American Society of Clinical Oncology
