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.