https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B4PV1YVY/
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-cancer-couple-mike-barb-hutmacher/1142119830?ean=9781639447466
“The Cancer Couple” by Mike & Barb Hutmacher
The Cancer Couple looks like a great book. What can you tell us about it?
The Book answers lots of questions such as:
What was it like for Mike to accidentally learn that he had Stage 4 Melanoma? Why did it take one year to confirm his suspicion that his cancer was considered terminal? What happened when Barb developed Stage 3 breast cancer while Mike was battling Melanoma?
What were the effects of radiation, medication, surgery, chemo and immunotherapy treatments on them? What were the effects on their relationship? How did they tell their children and friends that they had cancer? What did cancer treatment cost?
So many books about personal cancer experiences focus on the introspection of how life has changed for them. However, they tend to ignore the intimate details of the treatment process that caused those changes to body, mind, and spirit. From the punishment your body must endure to heal, to the intolerable doubts that can cloud your mind, this book provides a different perspective.
The book is a tribute to veterans of the war on cancer, whether they have won or lost their battles. It is also for the friends and family on the sidelines who provide support while appearing to be strong yet are deflated by the odds. It is for everyone to learn that you simply don’t want to be one of the millions each year who develop this ugly disease.
This is how we choose to share our journeys. It’s our hope that readers will find value in our stories. For those who are just beginning their journey, we wish them the absolute best!
That’s an amazing cover. Can you tell us about it?
We didn’t want a cover that illustrated doom and gloom. Therefore, we chose a photo of ourselves taken on a day when we both felt pretty good even though we were at the height of our treatment regimes.
What inspired the idea for the book?
So many books about personal cancer experiences focus on the introspection of how life has changed for them after suffering with cancer. However, they tend to ignore the intimate details of the treatment process that caused those changes to body, mind, and spirit. From the punishment your body must endure to heal, to the intolerable doubts that can cloud your mind, this book provides a different perspective.
The unique part of this expose is that both my wife, Barb, and myself developed cancer simultaneously. She was diagnosed six months after I was diagnosed. I was already in the midst of my battle when she began her battle.
Here are examples of what we address in the Book:
What was it like for Mike to accidentally learn that he had Stage 4 Melanoma? Why did it take one year to confirm his suspicion that his cancer was considered terminal? What happened when Barb developed Stage 3 breast cancer while Mike was battling Melanoma?
What were the effects of radiation, medication, surgery, chemo and immunotherapy treatments on them? What were the effects on our relationship? How did they tell their children and friends that they had cancer? What did cancer treatment cost?
How did you come up with the title for the book?
Since we both had cancer simultaneously, the Book needed a title that differentiated the other books that address how a couple deals with the situation when only one spouse has cancer, not both.
Did anything stick out as particularly challenging when writing The Cancer Couple?
I thought it appropriate to describe some of the technical medical issues of Melanoma and Breast Cancer. It was difficult to decipher complicated details, e.g., types of breast cancer and Melanoma, hormones, risk factors, prevention methods and many others. There are innumerable medical sources of valuable information on these cancers. However, they don’t all agree. It took a great deal of time to make sure I reported these details accurately.
What do you like to do when not writing?
Barb and myself are both retired from health care occupations but we both work part-time. We are avid golfers. We enjoy getting out on the links as often as we can.
Where can readers find out more about your work?
The Book is available on Amazon as an ebook (https://www.amazon.com/Cancer-Couple-Simultaneous-Treatment-challenges-ebook/dp/B0B4PV1YVY/ref=sr_1_1?crid=ICSLMRYY8YUO&keywords=the+cancer+couple&qid=1674235492&sprefix=the+cancer+couple%2Caps%2C290&sr=8-1) and on Barnes & Noble as a paperback and ebook (https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-cancer-couple-mike-barb-hutmacher/1142119830?ean=9781639447466).
What scene or section did you have the most fun writing?
The Section entitled "Your Pet”. I thought it appropriate to describe how Buster reacted to both of us being sick. He knew something was wrong. It was fun trying to “see” us through his eyes.