Living in the Lightning: A Cancer Journal [Paperback]

Natalie Robins (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

"November 27, 1995: Late this afternoon I was diagnosed with cancer. I learned that I had a form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma called 'malt,' for mucous-associated lymphoid tissue.' My oncologist, J. Gregory Mears, M.D., said that mine 'was not a bad story,' because my tumors were 'indolent,' slow-growing. Not a bad story? Doesn't just about everyone know that non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma is incurable? I have incurable cancer." So begins Natalie Robin's journal, first serialized in Self magazine, now compiled and expanded in Living in the Lightning. Robins writes frankly, with grace and realism, of her personal journey of learning to live with cancer. Her candid observations, reactions, and emotions throughout her diagnosis and treatment hit home, as she asks questions all of us might when faced with such appalling news:
* How should I tell my mother?
* Will my husband remarry after I die?
* What should I wear to chemotherapy?
* What would happen if I jumped off the table during radiation treatment?
* Can I ever forget I have cancer?

Robins's warm and sincerely uplifting portrait of quiet courage will give encouragement to the millions of people with cancer, and the millions more who love them.

About the Author

Natalie Robins is the author of eight books. Her book Savage Grace was named the best true crime book of 1986 by the Mystery Writers of America, and her groundbreaking study Alien Ink won the 1992 First Amendment Award. She is also the author of The Girl Who Died Twice: The Libby Zion Case and the Hidden Hazards of Hospitals.

Product Details

• Paperback: 120 pages
• Publisher: Rutgers University Press; 1 edition (April 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813526655
• ISBN-13: 978-0813526652
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,473,689 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #73 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Aging > Cancer > Lymphatic

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Light Yet Meaningful, September 10, 2006

By 

Marlene (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Living in the Lightning: A Cancer Journal (Paperback)

I read this book a few days after my doctor told me he was "very concerned" I may have a very rare and aggressive form of cancer. I found the easy style of the book was something I definitely needed while my mind was racing in a million directions. I loved that I could identify with the author on silly things like what to wear to my next doctor's appointment. The lightness yet meaningful style of the book helps in a time when so much is going on around you.