Julie B. Hughes

“Cancer – a real kick in the balls that bruises many. Some of us go toe-to-toe with rogue cells in our bodies. Others face cancer from the sidelines, as cheerleaders and support systems for loved ones standing against the disease. In A Real Ballbuster, Julie gifts us a spouse’s perspective, including thinking-made-visible, the voice of judgemental Aunt Phoebe, and a mother’s desire to get everyone to the cure line with minimal scarring. Rich in awareness and resilience, the Hughes family story is an inspiration.”—Gail Boenning, Author of POISE: Facing Cancer with Grace and Resilience

“When my children were very small and my husband was going through treatment for testicular cancer, I always said, “It is not something you want to sign up for, but I can tell you this: You can get through it.” Julie’s story is a testament to ‘getting through it.’ This book expertly chronicles her family’s unexpected medical reality and its uncertain future as they travel together through Jeff’s cancer treatments. The upheaval is enormous. The love is forever.”—Katy Dalgleish, Author of Dear Democract, You Need us for Your Success. Sincerely, Public Schools

“As a mom diagnosed with cancer, I struggled with how to speak with my children while I was coping with my own fears of dying. One night snuggled up next to my 11-year-old, helping him fall asleep, he whispered, ‘Don’t leave me, Mom.’ I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t want to lie to him or make promises I couldn’t keep. I gazed out at the stars and God put these words in my mouth: ‘I am going to do everything I can to stay.’ If someone you know is facing cancer, gift them this book. I wish I’d had it.”
—Annie Parnell, Mom, Cancer-survivor, Fiction Author

“Julie, a multitasking wife, mother, and author, confronts an unexpected challenge when her husband battles testicular cancer. This poignant memoir unravels the complexities of facing an illness as a family, skillfully addressing the impact on their two young children. Family love and the triumph of hope is what Julie’s inspiring book is all about. It is a testament to the resilience in the face of a Real Ballbuster!”—Terri Tomoff, author of The Focused Fight: A Childhood Cancer Journey: From Mayhem to Miracles

"Ask for and accept help" might be the most important takeaway from Julie Hughes' new hybrid memoir A Real Ballbuster, Untangling Testicular Cancer Together.
This brave and inspirational work never winces or allows the author or readers to close their eyes. Look cancer in the face and tackle it together is what is prescribed. Hughes' book about her husband's and her family's battle with cancer is unsparing in its honesty, but it is also a gentle book that calls on the restorative powers of the natural world and the strength that lies within each of us. Largely prose, this hybrid memoir also features poetry and a shout out, "It's Your Move" to her YouTube channel, at the end of each chapter. A beautiful book helpful to anyone dealing with a crisis or serious illness."—Nancy Dafoe, author of fourteen books, including Unstuck in Time and Socrates is Dead Again

“Julie shares her heartfelt emotions and challenges of being thrust into a caregiving role for her husband Jeff’s battle with his recurrence of testicular cancer. In addition to raising two children and home responsibilities, Julie shares her journey in a hopeful way and offers encouragement for other caregivers facing a cancer crisis in their lives. Julie emphatically reminds us we are not alone.”—Bill Tomoff, Father of 3x childhood cancer survivor, and passionate cancer support advocate.