Discussing Breast Cancer

Before we wrap up for the year I wanted to share one more book review with you. This book is one you should have in the house, on your shelves, as a reference manual — early in 2008 take a look at a Everyone’s Guide to Cancer Survivorship: A Road Map for Better Health by Patricia Fobair (social worker at Stanford University Hospital), Holly Gautier, RN (Cancer Concierge Services Director at Stanford Cancer Center), Ernest H. Rosenbaum, MD (a top oncologist and clinical professor of medicine at the University of California in San Francisco) and David Spiegel, MD (associate chair, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford School of Medicine).

This 304 page paperback was written for both survivors and health care professionals — so you’ll read lots of information explaining how and why health care professionals should treat cancer patients. But there’s lots in it for survivors and you don’t need to read it cover to cover. It’s divided into parts:

Part I: A Physician Guidance Program — including the elements of a post-therapy survival plan. Man, I wish I’d had one of these. Kudos to these professionals and those that heed their advice. “The goal is to promote wellness through health promotion and disease prevention.”

Part II: A Survivor’s Road Map to Health and Longevity — knowledge is power, that’s the gist of this section, and there’s plenty to learn about staying alive amidst these pages

Part III: Ways to Improve Lifestyle and Quality of Life — nutrition, exercise, sleep, support, etc.

Part IV: Survival with Disease Prevention and Control — doing your best to avoid other cancers, heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, etc.

Part V: Survival with Side Effect Control — pain, fatigue, dysfunction, infertility, lymphedema, etc.

Part VI: Improved Survival with Creative Expression — quilting, poetry, prose, music, art and humor

Just like most guidebooks, this one ends with references (a bibliography and listing of pertinent web addresses) … it also gives you a brief look at ‘getting your affairs in order’ which is sound advice for anyone facing a potentially fatal illness. Step out of denial and do what you’ve got to to, I like it.

I think this book is really empowering. If you are nearing the end of your treatment and getting to a place where you can focus on your healing journey you might want to consider picking up a copy — it’ll help you map out a plan of action and put you in charge of the rest of your life.

FYI … all royalties will be donated to the Stanford Cancer Survivorship Program in the Stanford Center for Integrative Medicine!

Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing; 1st edition (October 1, 2007)
ISBN-10: 0740768700
ISBN-13: 978-0740768705
Price: $19.95 USA ($24.95 CDN)