The Purple Butterfly: Diary of a thyroid cancer patient

by Susan Hibberd

’The Purple Butterfly’ cameos a year in the life of a thyroid cancer patient. Restrained and sparsely written, it gives the reader a deep insight into the mind of someone who is balancing on the edge of hysteria, yet still feels an obligation to ‘put on a brave face’. A 'must-read' for anyone supporting a friend or relative through a serious illness - this book tells you what he or she never will. The volume also contains ‘Flying with the Purple Butterfly, which is a manual for those about to undergo radioactive iodine treatment. Based on personal experience, this the first time this information has been published in the UK. ‘The Purple Butterfly’ is not a work of fiction. It is the real diary kept by Susan from March 2003 to February 2004, and charts her personal thoughts and feelings from before diagnosis, through four operations, and two bouts of intensive radio-iodine treatment. Although the book ends on a positive note, it was not until two years later that Susan’s blood results fell within normal limits. She is now able to look with optimism towards the future. This book will appeal to a variety of a)thyroid cancer patients who want to see how someone else has coped with the disease b) friends and families of anyone with a serious medical condition, so they can get an insight to what they might be thinking or feeling c) anyone interested in unusual medical procedures, who will like the details of a treatment which involves drinking radioactive liquid and being confined to a lead-lined room for four days.

191 pages, Paperback

First published April 30, 2006