A remarkably candid and informative first-person account of surviving colon cancer and living after a colostomy. A helpful guide for anyone facing this life-altering surgery. Every year 70,000 people in the United States and Canada undergo colostomies. In 1994, Barbara Barrie became one of them. When the successful actress received the diagnosis of colorectal cancer, she knew that this was the greatest crisis she and her family would face. But it also became an adventure that, through courage and humor, brought new joys and a greater appreciation to her life. More than just a memoir, Don't Die of Embarrassment provides valuable information about the ostomy experience. She gives essential information about the occurrence of colon cancer, its symptoms, and treatment options. A valuable guide for people learning to adjust to an altered lifestyle after surgery. Includes a new afterword, written by Dr. Otis W. Brawley.


Barbara Barrie was a Tony nominee for her role in Company and an Academy Award nominee for best actress in Breaking Away. For several years she played Mrs. Barney Miller on the television series Barney Miller. She has performed Shakespeare at Stratford and with the New York Public Theater in Central Park, and she currently plays Brooke Shields’s feisty grandmother on the hit series Suddenly Susan. She lives in New York City with her husband, Jay Harnick.