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AFTER SHOCK: From Cancer Diagnosis to Healing - A step-by-step guide to help you navigate your way

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There is simply nothing else like Puja Thompson's Aftershock. It fills a need that anyone who has ever been diagnosed with cancer will recognize.

Those of us who have been told that we have cancer experience a shock unlike any other. Each of us goes through it by ourselves no matter how much support there is around us. And, yet, there are common experiences that all of us have and, until now, there have been few means of support. Puja's book gives that support.

From the time that a person is diagnosed to the time that they make decisions as to treatment to spiritual support Aftershock is a miraculous self-help book for those of us with cancer and their loved ones. Puja provides a step by step support.
There are few times when a person feels more vulnerable than when they have been told that they have cancer. At that time, even the most critical and well-read of us will revert to helplessness and throw all of our trust in the particular physician that we happen to see. Puja shows us the need to visit a physician or oncologist with a friend or relative--never to do it alone. I wish I had that insight when I had my experience with cancer.

Most of us have little access to alternative forms of treatment. Without grinding an axe Puja gives us all kinds of places to go to see for ourselves. She provides some methods in the book. I wish I had that guide when I had my experience with cancer.

Puja shows us how to ask the right questions when visiting a health care practitioner. She shows us how to get the most out of health related appointments. She shows us how to organize paperwork, medical reports and even financial records related to the illness. I wish that I had that guide when I had my experience with cancer.
It may sound perverse but people who are diagnosed with cancer are luckier now with Puja Thompson's book. It deserves to be in every hospital, every cancer patient's home. It is a milestone.

After Shock is a complete and comprehensive guide to dealing with cancer care. It covers everything from organizational strategies to alternative and complimentary treatment options. Thomson advocates approaching cancer care in a way that allows the individual to grow personally in addition to healing. The guidance Thomson offers is applicable not only to cancer but any illness. It also offers insights to those looking to support a love one during a time of illness. This book would be an asset to anyone experiencing illness or anyone looking for ways to assist a loved one's healing process.

Puja Thomson offers a comprehensive roadmap through the challenging terrain of cancer diagnosis, treatment and recovery. Her book is equally useful for anyone facing a health crisis of any sort, covering the challenges of facing the complexities of the medical community and the spiritual and emotional shock that must also be cared for during crisis. A lot of thought and a lot of heart is present in this book. I am grateful to have it as a resource for myself, friends and clients who may be in need of its generous support.
Joseph Jastrab, author of "Sacred Manhood, Sacred Earth"

Puja Thomson's book is a wellspring of information for those struck with an illness and those helping them 'navigate' their way back to health. In her other works, Puja has shown us how to use the body to heal the mind - how to use energy and movement to eliminate unwanted patterns. In this new and important work Puja shows us how to use the mind to help heal the body and embolden the spirit. An outstanding balance of traditional and non-traditional health practices, she puts the patient (usually the impatient) back in control of her or his body. She gives us the right questions to ask, gives us places to write down the answers, and shows us ways to process it all so we can feel confident with our decisions. An invaluable resource - a perfect gift when you're not sure what to do or say to help a friend or a loved one.

If you are diagnosed with cancer or for that matter any serious illness, therapist Puja Thomson's easy-to-read practical book After Shock: From Cancer Diagnosis to Healing will first help you face the shock and pain of your diagnosis. It will then give you the tools how to deal with all aspects of the experience, ranging from helpful information culled from the practice of others, questions to ask your doctor, how to organize the overwhelming amounts of paperwork, and how to create your own healthy "wellness program".

The author was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003. She couldn't find a really comprehensive book for patients so she began to write it herself at the suggestion of Barbara Sarah, the Founder of the Oncology Support Program at Benedictine Hospital in Kingston, NY. Throughout the book, you'll see many different perspectives besides Puja's. There is no one right way for everyone and Puja empowers you to make your own choices based of the knowledge and information at your fingertips. Thomson offers ways to use your mind, emotions and spirit to enhance you're healing again with examples from others. For example Esther said, "I notice if my mind moves into the old habit of focusing on what I don't want, and then I gently redirect it." By reading this book, you will understand that breast cancer is recoverable and your active involvement in your healing decisions and attitude is central to a healthy outcome.

This is a unique and important book--for those diagnosed with cancer, those who are close to someone diagnosed with cancer, or even anyone who would like to learn to become more empowered as a patient under doctor's care. Thomson's practical organization and step-by step guide helps a patient manage everything from the emotions and fears of a diagnosis to bills and medical coverage. Her innovative new approach of creating a "healing team" eases the burden of the patient, and gives concerned family members and friends a useful way to show support and help guide their loved one through a health crisis.
"After Shock" is a beacon of light in a dark sea of health options and treatments that can often overwhelm a patient. Thomson patiently explores both alternative holistic and traditional western medical treatments, urging those diagnosed with cancer to become informed, and listen to their inner intuition. A veritable treasure chest of resources--including community support groups, tools for medical exam preparation and management, and advice for forging a powerful and healing mind-body connection--this beautifully written book can help patients get the most of their care, as well as help healthcare professionals, or loved ones, be supportive, compassionate guides to those who are on a journey from illness to healing.

"Aftershock" is an excellent step-by-step guide that provides cancer patients and their families with essential tips and information to help them through their difficult journeys. Puja Thomson, a survivor of breast cancer herself, offers helpful hints, organizational tools, cancer resources and useful websites to help inform and enable people to make educated decisions regarding their own treatment. What's great about the book is that it's not one sided, but instead discusses all kinds of treatment options (both mainstream and holistic) and then enourages the reader to use the various recources in the book as a guide to make their own personal decisions. The book also includes anecdotes from Puja and others about their struggles with cancer, which makes it much more personal.

This book is definitely a great one to read for someone who has battled or who is currently battling cancer. After shock is an incredibly organized book, full of hope and compassion, which is completely comforting to the reader. It contains tons of useful information, ranging from what questions to ask your doctors, to what options there are for treatments. The book also contains short, individual stories by people dealing with or who have dealt with their cancers. Overall, great book and HIGHLY recommended!

AFTER SHOCK; From Cancer Diagnosis to Healing by Puja Thomson is a beautiful blend of practical steps and rare spiritual clarity. Each section offers both comfort and sage advice. I recommend it to patients and providers alike!

Richard I. Ries, M.S.E.
Clinical Psychology Intern
VA Pacific Islands Health Care System

Puja Thomson writes with depth and authority about one of the most terrifying experiences a woman can face. She draws from her own bout with cancer and her history as a healthcare provider, to create an indispensible guide to understanding all aspects of this disease including traditional and non-traditional treatments, insights into patient's rights, and information on what to expect and what to demand from others involved in the healing process. Had "After Shock: From Cancer Diagnosis to Healing" been written several years ago, two of my own family members might be alive today to be praising this book as I am.

What makes this book so incredibly unique is that it is not only a wealth of vital information, which would be valuable on its own. Puja Thomson looks beyond the medical into the personal chasm created when a diagnosis of cancer occurs. Sometimes the hole in our wellbeing is pre-existing, and so cancer healing needs to happen at the soul level as well as the cellular level. Readers experienced in holistic living practices will find as much to anchor them in this process as those who are only just learning about the mind-body connection to health and wellness. Thomson empowers readers to create their own wellness program by incorporating relaxation and meditation techniques, creating a meaningful atmosphere, finding certain imagery to stimulate healing and powerful moods, and, perhaps most importantly, by cultivating a deep soul connection to health, mindfulness, and spirituality.