Illustrated Novella The Test Asks, When Facing Breast Cancer, is There a Therapeutic Benefit to Having a Bad Attitude?

Santa Fe, NM, October 05, 2012 --(PR.com)-- “Women are often made to feel that treatment outcomes depend on their attitudes,” writes Barbara Ehrenreich, writer and breast cancer survivor. Reporting the results of a large study that found participation in support groups adds nothing to a patient’s life expectancy, she notes, “We need to understand that a good attitude won’t cure the disease and a bad attitude won’t accelerate it.”

That a good attitude may not help is alarming news for some patients. But is it also a relief? Anyone who has ever been the recipient of a cancer diagnosis, or been close to someone who has, knows the feelings that most commonly follow: anger, fear, despair, powerlessness—in short, a difficult-to-control trip to the dark side. “You need to have a positive attitude,” people advise. Since this is difficult to pull off, add guilt and self-blame to this list of emotions, which can unfortunately lead to, “If I don’t survive this, its my fault.”

Margaret Forrest’s illustrated novella, The Test, follows the 12 tense days a woman experiences after the discovery of a lump in her breast, from Day 1’s panic to Day 12 when her test results finally come in. Since her mother died of breast cancer, she assumes the worst. She cannot muster a good attitude, is impatient when a well-meaning friend gives her a guided imagery cd for stress reduction, worries that she won’t be able to “be strong and heroic and prepared to battle through no matter how bad it gets,” assuming that this is what is required to survive.

But, as The Test suggests, perhaps heroic needs to be redefined. Perhaps heroic is facing the challenges life hands us as best we can. For many, this may mean rejecting the pressure to be upbeat and positive. For many, it may mean giving yourself room to have a bad attitude.

The Test, now available in ebook and print editions.
Publishing Details:
The Test, illustrated novella by Margaret Forrest

Print edition, August 15, 2012, Spadefoot Press, 118 pages, ISBN 978-0-9858672-2-5

The Test, print, Amazon page

Also available as an ebook for Kindle, Nook and iPad:
The Test, Apple iBookstore
The Test, Amazon Kindle Store
The Test, B&N Nook

To read the opening chapter of The Test and see the illustrations, please visit: http://margaretforrest.com

For Spadefoot Press, please visit http://spadefootpress.com

email at emissives@spadefootpress.com

Media Contact: James Borwick (505) 428-9137

For author interviews, contact Margaret Forrest at m@margaretforrest.com