About My Hair: A Journey to Recovery

An inspirational book for chemotherapy patients
by Marcia Reid Marsted

"First, I am a photographer. Periodically, I am a cancer patient. This is a somewhat haphazard photographic diary that I kept to document the changes in my hair that I knew would occur as I dealt with surgery, a cancer diagnosis, and the chemotherapy that would be necessary postoperatively."

So begins Marcia Reid Marsted's book, "About My Hair: A Journey to Recovery," an autobiographical photojournal that documents the author's hair loss during chemotherapy treatment for uterine/endometrial cancer. For cancer patients preparing to undergo chemotherapy or in the midst of treatment, the book provides inspiration, comfort and honest insight into the emotions and everyday triumphs of cancer survivors.

Marcia was encouraged to publish her photos and share her chemotherapy experience by colleagues attending a workshop called "A Gathering of Women Photographers." She was awarded a Connecticut Commission on the Arts Grant to pursue the work, and the self-published book featuring black and white infrared and color images has been used widely by cancer support groups, hospitals and other organizations dedicated to comforting those undergoing chemotherapy.

Autographed copies of the book may be purchased directly from the author. "About My Hair" is also available in many Connecticut book stores and from online bookseller Amazon.com.