Allow me to invite you into my world. It is a mystery to most of my friends and acquaintances; for others it is all too real. I want you to close your eyes and imagine your wife, your sister, your daughter - 38 years young, strong and healthy - when suddenly a doctor says "she has a brain tumor."

Now you are standing in my shoes. What do YOU do? How do YOU feel?

Not only do you have a brain tumor, but it is malignant - not encapsulated. It is the most aggressive of all cancers and you are literally 'losing your mind.' They tell you there is no known cause, no known cure, and treatments are ineffective at best.

Now you are walking in my shoes. Where do YOU find strength, what coping skills do YOU use? How does it feel?

You are told the odds are you will live less than one year. You are rushed into an emergency craniotomy, with layer after layer of your skull peeled open, to reach deep into the cavern of your brain and remove a cancer whose cells double themselves every 21 days.

Your worst nightmare plays out in real life. Where do you turn for comfort, for solace, for support?

You must endure daily radiation treatments for seven weeks, followed by harsh chemotherapy treatments for 11 months.

Now you have walked a mile in my shoes. Is YOUR faith strong enough to carry you? Is YOUR conviction powerful enough to lift you up against the odds? Can you ever feel safe when your own body has betrayed you - can you trust it will not fail again?

Each night you lay your head on your pillow and it is with you. Can you sleep in peace? Every morning it is there to greet you. Can you ignore it? You must conquer it, for to accept it is unacceptable.

Enter my world, not to be frightened, but to become strong for me; not to become depressed, but to be hopeful to help me stay positive; not to be downhearted but to be uplifted by an indomitable spirit we can share; not to walk in my shoes, but to walk beside me and share my journey.

"I commend Rebecca for her courage and her heart. Her book will be of great help to both the patients with brain tumors as well as their families. It combines practical day to day 'survival' information as well as emotional help. This book is also a must read for doctors and nurses for these patients. It helped me gain a new respect and awe for the challenges my patients have to meet. Rebecca not only met the challenges, she has succeeded!"

"That's Unacceptable is an amazing story of surviving a brain tumor. Rebecca has taught me more about facing life with a brain tumor than any medical book could ever teach me. Every medical person involved with the care of brain tumor patients should read Rebecca's book to gain a better understanding of the challenges it takes to be a survivor Rebecca's strength and courage reflected throughout her experiences can only give others hope to fight. Beautiful job, Rebecca!."

"With determination and wit, Rebecca Libutti explores the many facets of hope while facing a potentially terminal form of cancer. While searching for a means of recovery, Libutti discovers that hope also entails the possibility of deciding her appropriate course of treatment as well as exploring spiritual strengths. For those of us who know someone with a serious illness and for those of us who admire courage. Libutti's narrative inspires and informs."