An honest, raw, and inspiring story for anyone navigating their cancer journey.
After receiving her breast cancer diagnosis, not once but twice, Carey Cornacchini wondered if she was channeling her idol, Erma Bombeck. Through her journey, she often asked herself, “What would Erma do?” And the answer to that question was, “Always find the humor.” This attitude helped Carey learn that navigating through cancer can be doable and even, sometimes, laughable. (Notice how she said ‘sometimes.’)
With candor and raw emotion, this inspiring memoir explores the challenges and triumphs of facing a cancer diagnosis with gratitude and humor. She details the diagnosis, biopsies, surgeries, treatments, and everything in between
This is the book Carey wished she had been able to read when she was first diagnosed.
Be prepared to laugh and cry as you read a whole new perspective. Carey’s candid journey will change the way you assess the role cancer plays in your life, whether you are a fellow sufferer or know someone who is. This is the book Carey wished she had been able to read when she was first diagnosed. It is alternatively amusing and heart wrenching, yet when things are at their worst, she’s at her funniest and most honest.
Cornacchini takes a serious subject and interjects both humor and humanity into her memoir, Saving Teets: One Woman’s Journey With the Big “C”. With a maiden name of Teets. (Yes, you read it correctly – TEETS) she was destined to have a sense of humor. How can you not with a last name like that? She often wonders if having this last name somehow predestined her on this cancer journey. Who knows? Wanting something original for the title she finally realized there was a great use for her last name – thus “Saving Teets” was born.
Book Reviews
“Seldom do writings on cancer simultaneously twist our hearts in angst, joy, humor, tragedy, and wonderment—all by reading one page. In Saving Teets, Carey Cornacchini’s down-home writing has done just that, as she strips away the doom and gloom veneer of this insidious disease and offers a beacon of hope for anyone facing a life-altering crucible. Cornacchini is a modern-day superhero who has spilled her soul for all to see, and the world is a better place for her doing so. Saving Teets is a powerful lesson on how to remain courageous in the face of long odds, and is a book you must read, and will not soon forget.”
—William Teets, author of Upside Down (One on the House), Reverend Went Walking,
and After the Fall.
“In her poignant memoir, Saving Teets, Carey Cornacchini artfully weaves together her experiences with thoughtfulness, humor, and profound perspective. With each turn of the page, readers are invited into her world, where resilience triumphs over adversity and laughter dances in the face of fear. Through her words, she offers solace, inspiration, and a reminder of the incredible power of the human spirit. This book is not just a memoir; it’s a beacon of hope for anyone navigating their own journey through illness or hardship. Highly recommended for its authenticity, warmth, and unwavering spirit.”
—Maureen Anderson, MD.
“Simply put, I loved this book. As an OB/GYN physician who has followed (too) many women through their cancer journeys, Carey’s recounting of her own story will resonate with anyone touched by breast cancer. I found the book to be raw and real and funny and inspiring all at the same time. I laughed out loud at parts, then found myself teary at others. It was quite a ride. It was so engaging, I finished it almost in one sitting. By sharing her experience with such wit and wisdom, Carey will undoubtedly help countless others feel not so alone as they navigate through a breast cancer diagnosis.”
—Christine Matoian
“I am an oncologist with over 30 years of caring for cancer patients like Carey. I can’t recommend [Saving Teets] highly enough. She is a courageous woman who intimately shares her breast cancer journey. I laughed and I cried. And mostly I learned. Though I have journeyed with hundreds of patients over the years, her account reminds me how different and individual each journey is. Her book is a beacon of hope and understanding for patients, families and healthcare providers alike. Medical and nursing training spends a lot of time on disease and pharmacology, but relatively short on day-to-day patient experiences, the suffering and the joy, and how with a better understanding of these we can better serve our patients. I think I will get a couple dozen copies to share with our fellows in training and support staff. Families of newly diagnosed patients will find solace and guidance within its pages, through her raw honesty and unwavering strength, navigating the darkest moments with grace, leaving readers inspired and empowered. I was deeply moved, and I am sure most readers will be too.”
—Joe Anderson, MD.
This book will help
find strength, resilience, and hope;
get a sense of what to expect and experience;
plan a road map for a journey to healing;
develop a positive attitude to get through anything;
find gratitude, peace, and humor, even amid chaos.
About the Author
Carey Cornacchini
Carey Teets Cornacchini, a wife, mother, and now CeCe, was living her best life in the burbs when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011. Always referring to her first dance with the Big “C” as a drive-by, she was ecstatic to achieve her 5-year anniversary only to discover after her next mammogram that she was Stage 3.
(Talk about blindsided!)
To help her cope with her wild ride, she journaled and blogged during both journeys. Writing about it all let her release her fears and frustrations. Though she claims she’s not a writer, family, friends, and readers have said otherwise. After many overwhelmingly positive reviews, and with much encouragement (like a lot!), she decided to share her journey so others would know that treating cancer can be an experience filled with love, humor, and hope.
More Reviews
“This book was such a joy to read, I laughed, I cried, and I learned! Carey through her natural wit and wisdom gives us a glimpse inside her intimate journey conquering cancer, twice! Even more important, she shares her life philosophy that gave her the strength and courage to face the challenges head on.”
—Christina Cattell
“A truly intimate, inspiring and beautifully written story of how to use frightening health challenges to heal and transform ourselves, into greater states of wholeness.”
—Natalie Valentini, LMSW AACSW
