We all have good and bad stories about our journeys through these wretched diseases. We find ourselves confronted with many physical and emotional side effects, quite often more than we’re prepared to let on to those who aren’t necessarily close to us – possibly to save ourselves the effort. It might also seem as though we’re often repeating the same stories over and over again. The decision to disclose all or some of the information to those around us is something that we know we are getting right by trial and error only. How much do people really want or need to know and how much can they handle and how will they react? Controlling the information about us is very important as it determines who we let into our possibly fragile lives. Should you let them look through the window or open the front door and walk right in?
The information we choose to control also determines how others will treat us; their reaction to the news of diagnosis, their willingness to become involved in our life during and after treatment, and their ability and willingness to understand our diseases, treatment and needs. It can be a juggling act, and something that we probably shouldn’t be wasting too much useful emotional or physical energy on. Probably best to save that for the fight itself.
Some time ago I heard an interview on ABC radio between Richard Fidler and a lady by the name of Elizabeth Gould, who was telling of her fight against breast cancer. Some time before her diagnosis Elizabeth’s life had been thrown into turmoil as she had been assaulted quite badly by a very sick person. Then to be faced with her diagnosis of cancer when her life was seemingly back on track must have taken great strength to face.
The point of my message is to essentially share with you the book that Elizabeth has written, which is _title_d Secrets of Cancer Survivors. She shares what she learned from her journey with cancer and the challenges she faced day-to-day, including treatment, dealing with friends and family, emotions etc, from the point of diagnosis. When I first read the book late in 2008 I wished I had read it six months earlier when I was first diagnosed. I would then have given it to those that were going to be closest to me throughout my own journey. Put simply, the book just spells out a lot of things that we experience or may experience during the journey. It’s a fast track insight into the do’s and don’ts of surviving cancer. I have no affiliation with Elizabeth Gould or her publisher etc, but want to share with all of you how much simpler I feel the journey would have been having a resource like what she has written. I can’t speak highly enough of it. I believe it’s essential reading for any person who is either diagnosed with or supporting a person with cancer. The doctors and nurses can give you all the supporting advice, literature and publications they like but those don’t really explore emotions to the depth that are discussed within Elizabeth’s book.
There is a minor down side however. Although I rate Secrets of Cancer Survivors very highly, and I don’t wish for this to turn in to a critique of her work, I feel the book lacked in its relation to haematological diseases. Perhaps I’m a little biased there
. The approach taken was very insightful in that it explores the stories of several cancer survivors, but nothing specifically like what most of us on Revive have been diagnosed with. All in all the general content can be applied to any type of cancer, just remember to replace the word oncologist with haematologist. Throughout reading I found myself only too many times thinking I know exactly what she is talking about. A great book and worth a read - especially if you’re new to our very exclusive community and are finding it all very overwhelming.
