My Pain Woke Me Up - Bliss
A Survivor's Tale of Love, Life, Breast Cancer & the Pursuit of Happiness
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My Pain Woke Me Up, Bliss is a fictionalized account of a true story about survivorship. From blissful days with my first love to becoming a young widow, then finding new love again, remarrying, relocating a few times, having the children of my dreams, to heartbreak and pain from a broken marriage that resonated deeply, especially after being diagnosed with breast cancer. The pursuit of happiness is about the road ahead -- what joy laughter and love brings, challenges life brought from divorce, childcare custody, unemployment, depression all folded in one fell swoop, and then how I put it into gear to become a digital media entrepreneur as a single, multitasking, working mom in today’s techno world. My Pain Woke Me Up is literally about the pain I experienced during the years of breast cancer recovery, unnecessary surgeries, and everything else I endured along the way, simultaneously. It’s about how women need to be strong, to persevere, to juggle and pick yourself up each and every day, to push forward, for yourself and your children, in our new world as a survivor. I know I’m not the first woman widowed young, or diagnosed with a life-threatening disease, or betrayed or abandoned by a husband just when she just needed a shoulder to lean on—not the first to struggle, nor the first to write about it. But as I’ve discovered in my newfound sisterhood of survivors, sharing stories and learning to laugh it off is good medicine. This is the story of the knockdown punches life has thrown me and what it’s taken to get back up off the mat. You might even say it’s a story about ‘my boobs and the boob’ at times. As I stated, we women need to keep our sense of humor! Just think of Bliss! Two memoirs which inspired me throughout my journey were Alexandra Penney’s The Bag Lady Papers (Hyperion, 2010) and Kris Carr’s Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips (skirt! 2007). Penney’s tale resonates with me, as does her determination and humor she deploys. At the other end of the emotional spectrum, Carr treads lightly over the heaviest of subjects in a lively presentation mixing anecdote and information about such an important subject, women’s breast health.
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About the Book
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MY PAIN WOKE ME UP BLISS is the first in a three-book series of a fictionalized account of true story, focused on survivorship. The ebook details the knockdown punches life throws Jean’s way, what it took to get back up off the mat, and how these difficult challenges resulted in a stronger, more courageous and confident individual. It is a story of inspiration, passion, perseverance, persistence and the promise to survive. Jean recounts her experiences from the blissful days with her first true love, to becoming a widow in her twenties, to finding love again and having the children of her dreams, to the heartbreak of a failing marriage and diagnosis of breast cancer. |
About the Author
With more than twenty-five years’ experience, JEAN CRISS is an entrepreneur in the digital media industry, recognized for her sales and marketing innovation. Before the launch of Jean Criss Media, LLC, Jean served as a leader in the Midwest and Northeast markets for various technology and publishing companies, where she gained her high-tech and digital media expertise. Her ability to develop strong relationships over the years yielded over $100 million in computer hardware, software, service, and media sales. Jean served on the Board of Trustees of the North Jersey Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® from 2008 – 2011, and during this time helped raise over $15 million for the Affiliate’s programs for the uninsured and underinsured populations in Northern New Jersey. During her term with Komen, Jean co-produced various PSA campaigns including Komen’s first Race for the Cure® PSA featuring Grammy-award winning artist, Gloria Gaynor, and former Fox 5 medical correspondent, Dr. Sapna Parikh. Jean is also actively involved with the Joe Torre Safe at Home® Foundation. The net proceeds from My Pain Woke Me Up- Blisswill benefit both Susan G. Komen for the Cure® and the Joe Torre Safe at Home® Foundation. Jean is the single mother of two teenagers and resides in northern New Jersey.