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Healing With Words: A writer's cancer journey

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This book is a God send for women who have been diagnosed as having breast cancer. Diana Raab is a brave lady, who has fought cancer twice and won. Diana has written this eBook about her battles or in her words, her journey.

The book pomotes "writing" as a wellbeing therapy or writing to assist healing. The book is informative, inspirational and uplifting. Two words sum up this book; survival and courage. Diana is like a person who has escaped from a burning building, only to then go back inside (mentally). She has written this eBook to help others escape from that same nightmare. In sharing her journey in this book with others, Diana is extending the power of, the writing therapy technique once again; writing for Diana is a gift that keeps on giving. The feedback she gets must be uplifting, so please buy the book and leave a review.

The book emphasizes the importance of early breast cancer detection. Reading the first part of the book I began to appreciate just how breast cancer produces a rollercoaster of emotions, starting with those dreaded test results. And, I can see how therapeutic writing could help.

The is a good book with a positive self help message.

Healing with Words
Title : A Writer's Cancer Journey
By : Diana M Raab.


Paul Kendall (k3books) @k3books on Twitter

No matter your life season, whether you are in the moment of joy or disillusion, clarity or confusion, sickness or health--you must read Diana Raab's ([...]) latest book Healing With Words: A Writer's Cancer Journey!

Raab is a registered nurse, author, mother of three, and also the inspirational heroine of this deeply touching memoir, which chronicles her midlife victory over a rare form of breast cancer: DCIS or ductal carcinoma in situ--cancer of the mammary glands, only detectable through a mammogram.

Diagnosed at the age of 47, Raab is painfully honest about her struggle to confront diagnosis, treatment, and ultimate recovery. She takes the reader from the calm before the storm, and into its eye, spinning along in a tempest of wonder and fury, truth and promise, and above all love, hope and courage!

Raab's book is many things: educational, thought provoking, empowering, inspirational, and empathetic. Her words resonated with me on many different levels. As a woman, I felt and understood that low-in-the belly fear she--any woman--would feel in such circumstances. The frightful worry of losing sexuality and good looks; of dying before children reach adulthood. Of ending life before it is actually finished. The author's perspective touched me as a life coach, forced me--even as I coach others--to coach myself through life's trauma, to hold on, to believe in my own strength, resiliency, and tenacity! As a writer, I turned pages in awe, amazed at the raw honesty Raab displayed, a gift we all hope to achieve with every word we write.

This book is a gift for all of the seasons of a woman's life. While Raab writes about breast cancer, her honesty and message translate well to other of life's disappointments, to those times when we question, do we leap off the dangerous precipice--or reach deep into our souls to find a new road, a new way, a new solution? Raab's message is clear, remarkable, and inspiring: keep reaching, keep stretching, and never, ever give up!

Journey with Diana! Take this trip with her; use the writing prompts and journaling exercises that conclude each chapter. Taste the poems she intersperses throughout; savor them as you would a hunger-satisfying delicacy! Know that no matter where you are in life, you are a not alone and Diana proves that with her moving words, every step of the way!

-- Catherine (Brehm) Rain, CPC
and Freelance Writer
[...].

Diana Raab begins her book with a memoir about her diagnosis of breast cancer and her own cancer journey. The well-written narrative is honest, insightful, inspirational and scary! Ms. Raab makes the point of how common breast cancer is among women. She knows that though she was not alone, she must fight this battle her own way. She shares that intimate knowledge in this easy to read book and leaves pages for the reader to fill in the blanks and share their own story.

On a personal note, as I read the book, I thought of my own friend who is fighting a battle with breast cancer. I will pass this book onto her. I also felt compelled to make an appointment for my long overdo mammogram.

All of that being said this book is not just about fighting cancer. It is about fighting the disbelief, depression, bitterness and fear. It is about the physical battle she had to fight as well; losing a breast, treatment and the ultimate blow of being diagnosed with cancer a second time.

The author says, "There are a number of messages I have taken from the cancer journey, but for me, the most important one is that the diagnosis of cancer should be considered a turning point that sets you free to fulfill or examine dreams that can no longer wait...In spite of everything, I try to wake up every morning happy to be alive and with joy in my heart." These two points were the culminating point of the book for me. Shouldn't we all live our daily lives like this?
Journaling brought Ms. Raab the peace and comfort that she so desperately needed. She offers guidance and hope through her courageous story and encourages the reader to write their story, as well, while giving advice for the writing process.

Finally, although this book is written for the cancer patient, I believe anyone with any ailment could use her steps and advice to promote healing physically and emotionally. I highly recommend this book to anyone needing help with healing and a positive way to get their life back on track. Reviewed by: Donetta Garman, Allbooks Review.

Length:: 2:09 Mins

As a cancer survivor myself and someone who has lost a family member to the disease I know how scary and devastating things can get. Diana takes us through this journey with courage, grace, and love to the other side. The book is also replete with writing prompts and coaching to help you confront your own personal issues with words, perchance to heal.

Also recommendedThe Secrets of Medical Decision Making: How to Avoid Becoming a Victim of the Health Care Machine

This book actually came at a very difficult time for me. I received the book a day after my grandmother was told she would need to have a biopsy done because her mammogram came back with suspicious results. I began reading the book with a very open mind and unbiased view and under the assumption that my grandmothers biopsy would come back negative. I was about halfway through book when my grandmother had her biopsy and the result was cancer. She was under anesthesia from the biopsy and remained that way as they preformed a single mastectomy. She woke up from her procedure unaware that she was missing a breast until my mother informed her of the results and subsequent operation. So this book ended up hitting much closer to home then I ever would have anticipated.

I had to wait until the shock of my grandmother losing her breast settled in a bit more before finishing the book and I think ultimately the experience with my grandmother changed my perception of the book.

The book is a very personal journey of Diana,from the moment cancer is suspected through her diagnosis, treatments, mastectomy and recovery (both emotional and physical). She pulls no punches as she chronicles her feelings for her breast and the relationship she has with them. It's an extremely personal book and she doesn't hold back. She was self pittying and morbid. She has not qualms with telling readers about her emotional state and encourages them to delve into their feeling and experiences with their own cancer journey. The book even provides spaces for the readers own journaling and note taking.

The book itself is well written and an easy read. The quotes used as well as the authors own personal poems give you a very thorough insight into her mental and emotional state. As far as the writers own journey it's hard for me to fully understand. I have not had to deal with cancer myself but I know that there is a good chance that if and/or when I do I will not have the resources available that Diana had. She had friends in the medical field and financial resources that I think many women don't have. She was able to seek out premier doctors and specialists and stay in hotels out of state for treatment. Many women in her situation are at the mercy of their insurance and financial situations.

Also, having watched my grandmother loose a breast almost unexpectedly and stay strong and positive made reading through Diane's emotional breaks difficult at times. She is young and smart and successful and is such an emotional wreck. I wasn't sure if her circumstances should have made her disposition better or if it gave her emotional state validation. Either way you felt what she felt and even if you couldn't empathize you could sympathize.

And though through the book I felt as though she was weak and a victim of her circumstances it was at the end where I could really feel for her and the change in her outlook. It seems as though another tragedy is what had her put things in perspective and take control of her life and truly become a heroine in her own life story.

By the end of the book you feel like you know Diana M. Raab and you want to keep that relationship going because you become emotionally vested in her life and that is due to her indisputable honesty in her writing. Healing with Words isn't just a Writers Cancer Journey it's also a readers Journey and she takes you along and encourages you to become the writer of your own story and to use writing to facilitate mental and emotional health in spite of your physical health.

While the book seems meant for those who have experienced Cancer I think any women can appreciate it and if a man wants insight into a females prospective on breast cancer this book will accomplish that feat.

"Healing with Words" is a memoir of a woman's battle with cancer and her struggle to understand and heal her life afterwards. Diana Raab is diagnosed with breast cancer at the early age of 47 and manages to beat it, only to be diagnosed with an unrelated and incurable cancer 5 years later. Raab comes to use her journaling as a way of healing and validation. The book includes several personal journal entries as well as poems that have been written by the author and she has included writing prompts for readers to journal about their own cancer stories.

Raab's memoir is very accessible to the reader. It flows in a natural, easy, and conversational way. Her poetry is intimate and allows the reader to see into her thoughts and emotions as she is dealing with her diagnosis and treatment. Raab never sugar coats the things she felt or experienced. Instead, she gives her honest feelings and opinions on everything from the doctors to the depression that came after surgery. The journaling prompts that are included are creative and urge the reader to recount parts of their own journey with cancer. Many readers who have suffered from cancer will find the exercises to be cathartic and perhaps even healing. This memoir is a fresh and honest piece that shows how cancer can touch everyone and the obstacles that one must overcome in order to survive it.

This book was amazing! I do not have breast cancer but I am very happy I read this book. Raab's words and poems are an inspiration. If you or someone you know is suffering from cancer this book will teach you to journal your thought and feelings. The book is a great tool and a real life encounter with breast cancer. I feel so grateful that Mrs. Raab shared her story so that others could benefit from her words.

This book particularly hit home with me, as I lost my beloved Nanny to this disease, and just recently went through my own near encounter with breast cancer. Luckily early detection and swift medical intervention prevented me from experiencing the Big C, but the anxiety and fear were certainly present. I wish I could have read this book a few months back, when I was going through the tests and the uncertainty of waiting for results. I can see how journaling my feelings and what I was going through could have been cathartic for me.

This is a first-person account of a woman's journey through breast cancer and how she was supported by family and her own journaling techniques. Each chapter ends with writing prompts to help you in journaling your thoughts and feelings while going through cancer treatment. Taking you from the initial diagnosis all the way through the recovery process. Mrs. Raab also shares many of the poems she wrote during her breast cancer journey, along with some of her own personal journal entries. What this provides is an intimate peak into how a woman feels about her breasts and just how devastating the loss of one to cancer can be so overwhelming. Our breasts are one of our most defining features and the loss, can really affect a woman's self-esteem.

This book also contains an appendix that talks about writing for wellness and includes quotations designed to inspire you to get your words on paper. Writing about your feelings can improve your mood and general well-being. At the back of the book, you will also find an extensive listing of cancer support organizations. If you have recently been diagnosed with breast cancer or know someone that has, I highly recommend you pick up this book and read or share it with your loved one. It may just be the encouragement they need.

I was gifted a copy of this book to read to facilitate my review. I was not compensated in any other way. All opinions are 100% my own.

Healing with Words by Diana M. Raab is a writer's cancer journey. Diana chronicles through her diagnosis with breast cancer, all the appointments she had to go to in order to figure out what the best way to combat the cancer would be, second opinions, surgerys, etc. Throughout the book are poems that Diana has written, which I thought were an interesting addition to the book. You can really tell from the poems how she felt during each of these stages in her life and I thought that kind of helped me get in to her headspace a bit more and really understand how she felt and what she was going through (although not having had to deal with anything like this in my life, I can never really, truly know how she felt and I am sure that a lot of the diagnosis and things doctors told her were incredibly scary)

After each chapter there are also questions that you can ask yourself (if you have been through a breast cancer diagnosis and treatment) to think about how your reactions and thoughts different or compared to those of Diana's as mentioned in each of her chapters.

This is a great book for those who have dealt with breast cancer and for those who haven't as well.

Review January 2011

First , I selected this book to review since I am in remission currently from prostate and skin cancer so even though the cancers are different it seemed important to read and perhaps even challenge myself to see if this book/story would resonate, it did.
Second , I selected this book since as a therapist I have promoted writing for over 30 years to my clients whom have mostly been trauma clients and I know firsthand the powerful healing aspects of writing for clients and myself.
Diana Raab is a courageous person of extraordinary measure. Her writings touched a deep place within me even though I have been in remission now for almost 5 years. Just as her being a nurse was a plus and a minus I also tracked with being a therapist and the advantages and disadvantages that brought to the table where cancer was served.
I found myself experiencing a range of feelings as I read through the chapters and considered the questions asked. Some subtle and some not so subtle but all beneficial.
Even though I experienced many ortho surgeries it isn't adequate prep for cancer. I also realized that goin g through the process alone left a mark too that Ms Raab brought clarity to as I read her book. I also resonated with "the new me" concept that she explored.
Her book may have prompted me to write a piece about what men don't get as they traverse cancers slippery path.
It is obvious based on the reading of Healing with Words that writing is a powerful tool of healing especially as exercised by Diana Raab


Rick Ritter MSW