May Buddy Check: Maureen's Mission
By: Lyndall Stout
Updated: October 22, 2008
LUZERNE COUNTY- "I wrote this book because I promised Maureen I'd tell her story before she died." Those are the words of Bill Thiel, husband, author, and founder of Maureen's Mission.
Thiel is now in the next phase of his mission. Fulfilling a promise to his late wife Maureen -- by writing this book. "It wasn't fair what happened to Maureen. Her death was preventable and it's not fair to the other women in this country that they can be misdiagnosed and die."
The cover of the book shows a young, fresh-faced, healthy Maureen, a far cry from how she looked shortly before her untimely, unnecessary death -- after being mis-diagnosed with breast cancer.
Thiel says, "I think everyone needs to read this story and if they don't read it -- keep it in their glove box and take it with them to their health care provider on their first visit for their breast abnormality."
Bill encourages women to take charge of their own health -- and in the book -- spells out exactly what you should do -- if something is not right. "It's an educational tool that a woman can have to make sure that she can follow the correct path for an early, correct diagnosis with her health care provider. And it gives her the questions to ask to make sure this doesn't happen to them."
The goal? Catching breast cancer early, avoiding late diagnosis -- or misdiagnosis of breast cancer altogether.
To order a copy -- go to maureensmission.org


