Breast Cancer Survivor Shares Journey in New Book

Wife. Mom. Cancer survivor. Author.

In her 44 years, Katie Rader has taken on many roles, two of which the Plant City native never imagined were possible.

With a long family history of colon cancer, the odds of being diagnosed with breast cancer never occurred to her. Rader scheduled her first mammogram when she turned 40 in 2020, but the pandemic pushed it back. She finally was screened two years later in Lakeland, and the appointment took longer than expected.

Rader chronicles her breast cancer journey in a new book. 

“By the time I left that day, they told me without a biopsy, you have cancer, like it was very obvious,” Rader said. “They sent me home and told me they were 100% certain [there was cancer in] my right breast, but maybe my left breast, too.”

After a biopsy on the morning of Dec. 5, her worst fear was confirmed. With the help of two girlfriends, she was in a Moffitt Cancer Center exam room by early afternoon. An MRI revealed she had not one but three tumors. Rader’s diagnosis was stage 2 invasive ductal carcinoma.

“It was so surreal. It’s kind of like an out-of-body thing,” Rader said. “You’re there, but you can’t really understand what the doctors are saying because it’s a whole new world.”

During her biopsy, Rader met a woman in the waiting room diagnosed with breast cancer 10 years prior. She urged Rader to put her feelings and thoughts on paper.

“The woman told me she had cancer and that I am going to want to journal my entire experience because God’s going to help me through it, and I’m going to want to remember everything,” Rader said. “So, that day, I went home and started journaling.”

Journaling was a foreign concept for the veteran hairdresser and mom of two, but she captured her thoughts on the Notes app on her iPhone. She journaled through every appointment, a double mastectomy, reconstructive surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. When she was declared cancer free, Rader’s feelings continued to fill up her notes.

“When my friends would ask me how I was doing, I would send them my entry for the day. They would say, ‘Oh, my gosh! This is so encouraging. How are you going through something so hard? This is so uplifting to me,’” Rader said. “I would tell them, ‘I don’t know, these are just my feelings.’”

Throughout her treatment, Rader’s entries quickly turned into 96,000 words. She not only journaled about her breast cancer journey but also her family and a strong sense of faith. Inspired by her words, Rader’s friends encouraged her to write a book.

“Titty Tales” was released Oct. 1 for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 

“I love to read, but I had no idea where to start,” Rader explained. “So, I put it on the back burner and said a prayer. I said, ‘God, if you want this to be a book, you’ll make it happen. I’m not going to mess with it anymore.’”

Fast forward to December 2023. One year after her diagnosis, Rader was in a Tampa bookstore and ran into an old friend. The friend was with a woman trying to promote her new book, and she handed Rader a flyer with her publisher’s information.

Rader didn’t know if this was a coincidence, fate or divine intervention, but felt it was evident she needed to take the next step. She forwarded her entire Notes app to Lucie Dickenson, the founder of StarLight Publishing.

“The publisher told me it would take a month to read through it and see if her team wanted to go with it or not,” Rader explained. “Twenty-four hours later, I opened my email to a contract. She told me she read it between her clients, and it had to be published. She told me we have to get this out in the world.”

Rader celebrates “Titty Tales" at a book signing in Plant City.

Over the next several months, Rader faced a few setbacks, including an infection in her left breast that required additional surgeries. However, her positive attitude prevailed. She views this challenging time as a blessing, as the extended recovery period allowed her to complete months of edits quickly.

“My girlfriends would ask, ‘What did you write today?’ And then I realized I had to name this” journal, Rader said. “I would send them my titty tale of the day. So, when my publisher asked for ideas for the title, I thought it had to be ‘Titty Tales.’ It’s been ‘Titty Tales’ this whole time.”

“Titty Tales” was published and released on Oct. 1 in time for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Rader celebrated with a book signing at a coffee shop in Plant City.

Since her diagnosis, Rader has discovered her passion for helping women facing similar battles. Many have contacted her asking for advice, and she offers them guidance and shares helpful resources available in the area, including the care she received at Moffitt.

“I’m all about screenings and early detection. It’s all about listening to your body,” Rader said. “Fight for yourself. I don’t think people realize how much control they have over their health. You are your own advocate.”