Cancer: Exploring YOUR Path

Fearful, frustrated, or overwhelmed? Don't even know which questions to ask? This easy-to-read, large print book presents reassuring and easy-to-understand tips for coping with surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation as well as with emotional issues such as hair loss, grieving, and family dynamics. Stand-alone chapters allow use as a reference manual and avoid the problem of information overload. This book is an insightful gift for the newly diagnosed patient and a valuable tool for family members and friends at any place on the journey. This book is the result of twenty-three years of experience with the adventure of cancer. These are the things I wish I had known that I found out along the way. I hope you will use this book the way you would use a travel guide for a foreign country. Read the chapters that illuminate your destinations, don't worry about the side trips that don't interest you, and save the guide in case of unexpected changes in the itinerary!

Every effort was made to make the book jargon-free and user-friendly. Each chapter includes a very brief summary of important points (in short:) to make it easy to skim for the information you need or to refresh your memory. The light-weight and large print format make it easy to hold and read for those experiencing fatigue or eye changes during treatment. A bibliography includes both print materials and Internet resources that can be trusted.

When dealing with cancer, emotional issues such as self image, sorrow, and family disruption can be as important as the physical ones. The questions of fear, planning for the future, and social dynamics may not be part of the treatment discussion but they certainly impact daily life. The diagnosis of cancer is a turning point, and chapters on maintaining good health habits can guide a new lifestyle.

For those facing continuing treatment, interviews and insights from those living well with cancer as a chronic condition are included. Practical matters like legal needs, caregiver support and hospice/palliative care are addressed to bring peace of mind.

Teresa Kalvelage Matthews is a twenty-three year survivor of ovarian cancer and a twenty year survivor of breast cancer. These two unrelated cancer "adventures" gave her a passionate dedication to easing the journey for other men and women facing similar challenges. A writer with a degree in biology from U.C. Berkeley, she has worked in medical offices, as a hospice volunteer, and as a spiritual support volunteer. Her inspirational, hopeful, and practical tips provide a blueprint for people in treatment. Her insights into the patient's point of view have been used for professional training for hospice volunteers and social workers. She currently counsels newly diagnosed cancer patients.