“Know someone who has suffered from cancer? Had it yourself? Even if you haven’t experienced either, this book is worth a read and everyone should read it. It encompasses every emotion from fear, sadness, shock, but even happiness and laughter.”

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“My only complaint is that I couldn’t put it down, so found myself reading it into the early hours. Well written and gripping.”

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“Wow, a true masterpiece!

Not biased in any way, very respectful of others. The writer doesn’t push her opinions onto anyone, she just makes people aware of what they are. Her experience as a doctor, turing into a patient, is definitely and interesting angle .

I love the way she doesn’t hold back on her inner thoughts. There are also a few jokes, that keep it uplifting during the more worrying times.

The book definitely highlights just how wrong some people in the medical world can be. I’m sure most readers will be able to relate to Dr Thompsons struggles. She is also very self critical of her own mistakes and choices, I find this very refreshing.

The cover almost shows woman in a straight jacket, struggling to get out. This helps to illustrate Dr Thompsons struggles, both mentally, and physically throughout her diagnosis and treatment.

I have never been through Cancer myself, however I think this book gives me an emotional insight into others who are dealing with the experience. If I ever meet anyone going through cancer, they will be receiving a copy of this book from me!”

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“I consider this book is vital reading for any person who is suffering the trauma of breast cancer. It is technically informative and offers advice on how to approach the medical profession for advice, the questions to ask and how to understand the answers. It will be a great aid for lessening the anxiety that cancer sufferers experience by giving them the necessary knowledge that will reduce the fear of the unknown.”

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“Having performed in the ring at the cancer circus myself, Dr Thompson’s book strikes a perfect chord. Being caught in the maelstrom of diagnosis and treatment, the emotional hiatus that surrounds it and having your life hijacked “for your own good” by the myriad well-meaning dramatis personae, is immensely confusing and lonely. This book written with clarity, compassion and lovely touches of humour, brings a sense of calm and order to the mayhem. Each carefully crafted chapter provides practical guidance and useful internet links for further reading, entwined with a compelling personal account of what it was like to go through “the system”.

Step by step we are walked through what all the medical stuff means, what might be expected from hospital visits and treatments, what might go wrong, and what to do if anxious about or unsatisfied with medical care. All aspects are thoroughly covered including suggestions on how to optimise well being (and even possibly outcome) using complimentary approaches and embracing a healthy (but not boring) lifestyle.

In her own story, Dr Thompson recounts her challenges in a non-judgmental and positive way, even at times when the NHS appears to have been distinctly lacking. By being so frank and eloquent about her own experience, she shows us that it is quite normal to feel sensitive, vulnerable and irrational at times, but that one can get through it. Her calm reassurance gives us all the encouragement needed to face whatever may be ahead.

For healthcare personnel, this is a valuable insight into the good and the bad of practice by someone who knows and understands your daily challenges.

For patients, if you keep Dr Thompson at your side, you will not be so lonely.“

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“Here is a book that confronts a subject which is still a mystery and a taboo for many. A search through related books within Amazon offers cures ranging from Jesus to chicken soup, but Kathleen Thompson grabs the subject with both hands and shakes it until the facts fall out. She then presents these facts in a sensible and level-headed way, talking from experience about her fears, her wishes and her dreams for the future. The fact that Thompson is a doctor herself is of course helpful, but she talks about her own experiences at the mercy of other medical experts, experiences that for her were mostly positive. But there were times when her treatment was less than perfect, and she had to take a stand – not so much against medical opinions but against the treatment she had been offered. What this book offers is balance; an intelligent, humane and practical response to an emotive subject. This is a must-read for sufferers of cancer and for their families and those close to them. Make no bones about it, this is an important book.”

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”This is indeed a remarkable book by a remarkable woman.

If you or a family member has had a diagnosis of breast cancer, then this book will be essential reading. As someone who has been through the process herself, and has experienced both the caring professionalism and the shortcomings of breast cancer treatment today, Dr Thompson speaks frankly and with great wisdom, wearing, as she says, both her ‘doctor head’ and her ‘woman head’. She takes a very balanced and practical view of current breast cancer treatment and lets sufferers and their families know what to expect.

This book approaches what could be a dismal and frightening prospect with honesty and indeed good humour. We meet the people she met along her path to recovery and we feel what she felt. To follow this account of her personal experiences is enormously helpful. It is surprising that even a well-qualified and fully experienced health professional can find herself going through the maze feeling vulnerable and bewildered, but one can only admire the way in which she gradually asserts herself tactfully but respectfully where necessary.

This book will answer so many questions: How am I meant to feel? What should I ask? What should I do if I think my treatment is inappropriate? To what am I entitled? Where can I go for help if I feel I am being ill-served by the system? What can I expect will happen? There is so much sound advice here for both the sufferer and her (or indeed his) family.

Dr Thompson includes guidance on improvements we should all make to our diet and lifestyle to best avoid the incidence and recurrence of cancer. Some myths are exploded and new theories and therapies explored. This has to be the best all-round, self-help book on this subject, though Dr Thompson helpfully suggests others too. I also enjoyed the good written style of the book, which is reassuringly positive and appropriately friendly.

As someone who has been part of the way through this minefield myself, I would not hesitate to recommend this book to any breast cancer sufferer and to their nearest and dearest. I shall be presenting a copy to my lady GP with a recommendation that she makes it available to her patients.“

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“This is the most resourceful self-help book I have ever read. The book is not only for breast cancer patients, it is also extremely useful for all other cancer sufferers, their families and friends.

The author is a medical professional – she is also a great story teller telling a story that I couldn’t put down; it felt like I was watching a gripping TV drama based on true events with a very happy ending. I believe this success story will encourage thousands of cancer patients to become the braver soldiers in the war against cancer.

I was a lung cancer patient myself and I was in the battlefield for a long time. From Both Ends of the Stethoscope has helped me to build up confidence to deal with the most difficult time of my life. From this book, I learnt how to deal with good and bad medical practices; how to make important decisions; where and who I can get help from; what I need to do to take best care of my body and how to prevent the cancer recurring.

You are safe and never alone, if you keep this book at your side.

A big, heartfelt thanks to Dr Thompson’s professional guidance.”

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“This is an extremely well composed book giving a highly informative account of breast cancer with an easy, readable style. I liked the split between technical information and the author’s specific experiences. It was also interesting to see the view point of a doctor dealing with being diagnosed with cancer.

I would highly recommend this book not only to those diagnosed with cancer but also to family and friends who are supporting someone going through cancer. It is extremely helpful to understand some of the emotional turmoil the person is going through and to try and tailor your help and support accordingly. I wish this book had been available earlier to help me deal with family and friends who have been diagnosed with cancer.

Thank you Dr Thompson for putting pen to paper and giving us an insight into your experiences and for giving us some guidance on the science and possible treatments.

To everyone out there dealing with cancer this book is a must read.”

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“I would recommend this book without reservation to anyone diagnosed with breast cancer or who has relatives going through the cancer journey, regardless of the type of cancer. It is a very human account of the processes involved in the diagnosis and treatment of this illness. The medical information is clearly stated in bite sized pieces and I particularly liked the fact that these sections are interspersed with autobiographical accounts of Dr Thompson’s own experiences as a patient. The subject matter is serious but Dr Thompson has managed to keep an underlying sense of hope throughout. I was surprised to find that the book was so very readable, in fact I did not want to put it down once I has started to read. It is humerous in places and the characters we meet throughout the book are very real. It also quite moving and very different from any other medical book which you are likely to come across. This is a useful book for everyone to read. Don’t wait until you need to – read it now!”

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