Poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow once said,“Thy fate is the common fate of all,Into each life some rain must fall.”But have you ever felt like the rain turned into a full on storm? Like the clouds blocked out the sun and the winds were so strong that you were tossed back and forth like a rag doll? That’s how S.A. Ledlie felt in her book Naked in the Wind: Chemo, Hairloss and Deceit. Of all the breast cancer survivor books available, Shirley Ledlie’s is far and away the most gripping, and unequivocally truthful tales out there.
Shirley Ledlie, a wife and mother from England who moved to Brittany, France, discovered that she had breast cancer at the age of 47. Courageous and optimistic, she faced chemotherapy head on with the determination that she would beat this terrible disease. As her treatments came to an end and the weeks turned into months, Ledlie started to face the unthinkable reality that her hair wasn’t going to grow back. Instead of the full and thick hair she had expected, it grew back thin, sparse, and gray.“Each time I looked in the mirror there was a cancer patient staring back. It was as though it was tattooed onto my forehead,” Ledlie explains. “How on earth was I supposed to move on looking like this, it was impossible. By now, I was eating, breathing, living my hair problem. It had been all too easy to become obsessed; it was driving everyone nuts because it was all I would talk about. What else was there to speak about?”Ledlie’s heartfelt breast cancer survivor story shares not only her honest emotions concerning permanent alopecia, but her journey towards supporting other women who found themselves in the same situation, how she managed daily life while struggling to bring accountability to her doctors and the pharmaceutical company, and how she was once again able to be comfortable in her own skin.
Ledlie is one of the pioneers to speak out against Taxotere and permanent alopecia. As she began her journey finding out the cause of her hair not growing back, she was repeatedly told that only three or four other patients suffered from the same adverse effect. As she dug deeper, she found many other women who had taken this drug and didn’t have their hair grow back. She then found herself at the center of a growing support group comprised from women around the world.The problem with Taxotere is that it has been prescribed to tens of thousands of women around the world and none of them were told that there could be a possibility that their hair wouldn’t grow back. Equally disconcerting is that there are other chemotherapy treatments available that don’t pose the potential risk of permanent alopecia. These women were never given the full information needed to make an educated decision and now they are paying the price for negligence on the part of the Sanofi-Aventis, the largest pharmaceutical company in France and the makers of this pharmaceutical.In Ledlie’s book, she presents findings from her extensive research to provide her readers and fellow sufferers of alopecia the facts to support her case against Sanofi-Aventis. She also boldly faces the Sanofi-Aventis lawyers, her oncologist, her medical consultant, and medical experts with these findings to demand why they didn’t present these real and common risks with her and other patients.Whether you have permanent alopecia from taking Taxotere or if you just want a good read, Naked in the Wind is worth picking up. For those not struggling with this debilitating condition, it’s a story of finding laughter through pain, peace in the midst of controversy and harnessing strength and courage when the odds are against you. For those who find themselves victims of a faulty medical system, this provides inspiration that the battle isn’t easy but it’s worth the fight, you may not get the answers you are looking for but you can find peace and you’re not alone; others are fighting the same battle and you can gain strength and advice from each other.
Ledlie’s book also features quotes from members of her international support group. “I always thought my hair would grow back after Chemo. Everyone said so,” states Karen Robinson. “My only thought was will it be straight or curly! Little did I know it would not return. People say ‘at least you are cancer free,’ but I feel like I am a perpetual cancer patient stuck in a limbo unable to go back to a ‘normal’ way of life again and I am sad and angry at the same time.”Does this sound like you? If you find yourself in the same situation as Ledlie and her fellow support group members, you too can fight for your right to be heard as a Taxotere survivor. While Ledlie was one of the first women to speak out and had to pave the way, you don’t have to face the same obstacles that she did. At Periscope Group, we are here to help you. We have gathered the information that you need to know pertaining to Taxotere and the current settlement landscape. Furthermore, our knowledgeable and caring team wants to hear your story. If you took this drug for Stage 1, 2, or 3 breast cancer, have been in remission for more than six months and have little to no hair re-growth, you may be able to make a claim.Shirley Ledlie may have had to fight her battle alone, but you don’t have to. We’re ready to give you the information that you need to help find what options are best for you.Find out now if you qualify for compensation.
