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Hell & Back: Wife & Mother, Doctor & Patient, Dragon Slayer
A hilariously funny and informative memoir to guide breast cancer patients, their families and friends through the rocky terrain.Dr. Aronoff is the perfect Sherpa.
Impossibly deep armpits, wigs named Brenda, nipples shaped like bullets and when to play the C-card. These are some of the things they never tell you about breast cancer.
In this uplifting and poignant tale, Dr. Tali Lando Aronoff shares an honest account of her journey through the various stages of advanced breast cancer and beyond. As a pediatric ENT surgeon and mother of two toddlers and an infant just out of the Neonatal ICU, she was blind-sided by her cancer diagnosis.
This well-crafted and appealing book uses small-bite storytelling to explore heavy topics such as body image and complex relationships with friends and family. Dr. Aronoffs voice is unique and relatable combining the knowledge-base of a physician and the personal insight of a patient.
This is the book for the recently diagnosed, those in the thick of it or those who are finished with the battle, their family and friends and everyone else in between, including the doctors who care for them.
Candid and honest her perspective as a doctor shines through heart-warming filled with truth I laughed out loud. Patients will surely benefit
Subuhee Hussein, MD, Oncologist
Loved it. Totally relatable and informative. F*@ck Cancer!
Sara C., Breast Cancer Survivor
Health care providers can learn a lot from reading this It is so important to understand the full impact of this illness on the patients we care for. Dr. Lando Aronoff is a surgeon and outstanding writer.
Carolyn Wasserheit, MD, Oncologist
Impossibly deep armpits, wigs named Brenda, nipples shaped like bullets and when to play the C-card. These are some of the things they never tell you about breast cancer.
In this uplifting and poignant tale, Dr. Tali Lando Aronoff shares an honest account of her journey through the various stages of advanced breast cancer and beyond. As a pediatric ENT surgeon and mother of two toddlers and an infant just out of the Neonatal ICU, she was blind-sided by her cancer diagnosis.
This well-crafted and appealing book uses small-bite storytelling to explore heavy topics such as body image and complex relationships with friends and family. Dr. Aronoffs voice is unique and relatable combining the knowledge-base of a physician and the personal insight of a patient.
This is the book for the recently diagnosed, those in the thick of it or those who are finished with the battle, their family and friends and everyone else in between, including the doctors who care for them.
Candid and honest her perspective as a doctor shines through heart-warming filled with truth I laughed out loud. Patients will surely benefit
Subuhee Hussein, MD, Oncologist
Loved it. Totally relatable and informative. F*@ck Cancer!
Sara C., Breast Cancer Survivor
Health care providers can learn a lot from reading this It is so important to understand the full impact of this illness on the patients we care for. Dr. Lando Aronoff is a surgeon and outstanding writer.
Carolyn Wasserheit, MD, Oncologist
294 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 3, 2018
5 people are currently reading
25 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 27, 2025
“What lies behind you and what lies in front of you pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
In “Hell and Back’, Dr. Tali Lando Aronoff shares her poignant memoir, chronicling an extraordinary series of events that test her resilience. After giving birth to her third daughter prematurely, she learns the devastating news that her father has a malignant brain tumor, only to then find out shortly thereafter she has breast cancer, all while managing a demanding career as a pediatric Ear Nose & Throat surgeon.
This captivating narrative keeps readers engaged from beginning to end. Each cleverly titled chapter, divided into four seasons, presents her real-life experiences in a raw and yet humorous manner. One standout chapter, “Parking Wars”, tells of a day when Aronoff and her mother are unnecessarily harassed by a parking attendant on her first day of chemotherapy. They decide to defy the rules, temporarily parking in prohibited area and tip the attendant on their way out to help ease their guilt of this minor rebellion.
Through this candid and often humorous lens, Aronoff leads us through a wild ride as she navigates the chaos of her daily her life, while confronting family and personal health crises. Each chapter is filled with her insightful commentary on managing overwhelming circumstances, embracing vulnerability, and discovering her inner strength through her new ‘dragon slaying’ skills allowing her to put the pieces of her life back together.
This book is a fantastic feel ‘good read’ for everyone, especially those facing their own personal traumas or adversities who may be seeking inspiration. I highly recommended!
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
In “Hell and Back’, Dr. Tali Lando Aronoff shares her poignant memoir, chronicling an extraordinary series of events that test her resilience. After giving birth to her third daughter prematurely, she learns the devastating news that her father has a malignant brain tumor, only to then find out shortly thereafter she has breast cancer, all while managing a demanding career as a pediatric Ear Nose & Throat surgeon.
This captivating narrative keeps readers engaged from beginning to end. Each cleverly titled chapter, divided into four seasons, presents her real-life experiences in a raw and yet humorous manner. One standout chapter, “Parking Wars”, tells of a day when Aronoff and her mother are unnecessarily harassed by a parking attendant on her first day of chemotherapy. They decide to defy the rules, temporarily parking in prohibited area and tip the attendant on their way out to help ease their guilt of this minor rebellion.
Through this candid and often humorous lens, Aronoff leads us through a wild ride as she navigates the chaos of her daily her life, while confronting family and personal health crises. Each chapter is filled with her insightful commentary on managing overwhelming circumstances, embracing vulnerability, and discovering her inner strength through her new ‘dragon slaying’ skills allowing her to put the pieces of her life back together.
This book is a fantastic feel ‘good read’ for everyone, especially those facing their own personal traumas or adversities who may be seeking inspiration. I highly recommended!
April 1, 2019
My sister in law purchased this book for me when I was first diagnosed with breast cancer. She grew up with the author. I started off by reading excerpts here and there. I finally sat down this week and read it cover to cover. Now that I'm already on my journey, I could really relate to this book. I recommend this book for anyone going through cancer - but even more for those wondering how to support someone going through breast cancer. Tali Lando Aranoff tells it as it is. It's honest. It's funny. It's raw. It's real.
May 29, 2018
I have to first say that I know the author really well. We work together at a childrens hospital in our town. That said, I knew basic antectotes about Tali's battle, but after reading this book, I have an entirely different perspective about what she went through, how she coped, and how she emerged from her ordeal stronger, wiser and determined to tell her story. To tell it in a way that is the raw, emotional truth. She hides nothing. She sugar coats nothing.
I had the honor of taking photographs of Tali for her to use for marketing purposes; her website, instagram, Facebook and the book itself. I hope someday I get to photograph her an Alex as they ride off on those motorcycles she dreamed of, Tali, with that red bandana in her hair, being the bad ass dragon slayer she is.
I had the honor of taking photographs of Tali for her to use for marketing purposes; her website, instagram, Facebook and the book itself. I hope someday I get to photograph her an Alex as they ride off on those motorcycles she dreamed of, Tali, with that red bandana in her hair, being the bad ass dragon slayer she is.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews