Customer Reviews

100 Questions & Answers About Life After Cancer: A Survivor's Guide

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Page Tolbert and Penny Damaskos are licensed clinical social workers who counsel cancer patients and cancer survivors, both in their private practices and at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Their considerable years of experience, and evident knack for listening to their clients' concerns, inform this useful and wide-ranging guide.

There are nine sections: "Survivorship: A Mixed Blessing," "Managing Uncertainty," "Communicating with Family and Friends," "Legal, Financial, and Workplace Concerns," "Too Young For Cancer," "Maintaining Your Health," "Sex, Intimacy, and Fertility," "Growth, Change, and Spirituality," "Cancer as A Chronic Illness," and, finally, a good appendix, glossary, and index.

This is realistic and realistically compassionate information about how to live, really, after cancer. Survivors of cancer need this information and counsel which is not, unfortunately, included in their treatment. Patients' mixed feelings regarding illness and recovery, finishing treatment, the interpretation of scary statistics, communicating and coping with friends, colleagues, and loved ones - along with the realities of medical insurance and legal and workplace issues are covered. Psychological challenges including disappointment, depression and anxiety, sexual dilemmas, the management of uncertainty, feelings of shame or guilt, the fear of recurrence, and many more topics are discussed.

Often, Q-and-A formats aren't organized so that the reader can simply find the several answers for which he or she is searching. One finds oneself paging through the whole thing for an answer or two. This book, in contrast, can be a quick reference or read in its entirety. It's not only well-organized, it's well-indexed. The questions are to-the-point and the answers are on average several paragraphs long. You never feel rushed.

I'd recommend this excellent and helpful guide without reservation to survivors of cancer and the people who care about them. For clinicians it's a useful compendium of the things that matter most to patients once treatment is finished.

-Eileen Galen

Page Tolbert's sensitive and caring book touches on the issues facing cancer survivors with a thorough understanding of the subject. Written clearly and in a format that encourages exploration, the book answers questions many face daily but may be afraid to ask. This is the one book you want to give your relatives and friends, and to read yourself, to better understand the fears and issues facing anyone who has had a diagnosis of cancer.

This is an invaluable resource for cancer survivors and family members, as well as for social workers and others who provide counseling and support. Topics range from deeply personal to frankly practical issues, and answers to questions are written in straight-forward, accessible language. I highly recommend it.