My Two Journeys In Cancer World

In February of 2009 the author heard five of the most terrifying words in the English language, "Mr. Metzler, you have cancer." Mike was given a 50/50 chance of surviving for five years, even with being treated with chemotherapy and radiation. That diagnosis started what would become two journeys in Cancer World, a physical and psychological place unwillingly inhabited by cancer patients, their caregivers, families, and friends. The first journey was that of a patient being successfully treated for Stage 4 head and neck cancer for nine months. That journey included numerous medical appointments and scans, many visits to the Emergency Room, and one 4-day stay in the hospital after nearly dying from a reaction to his chemotherapy. His second and much longer journey has been that of a 10-year survivor who has coped with many debilitating and permanent side effects from chemotherapy and radiation treatments. It has left his body, his "Brokedown Palace," with numerous surgical scars, poorly functioning muscles, a speech disability, and a very limited choice of foods that can be eaten and swallowed safely. That last condition has led to him needing a feeding tube for the rest of his life. Most of his story is told in real time, as written in the blog he started when treatments began in 2009 and maintained for the next nine years. Other parts of the story are told through his reflections on the many ups and downs he experienced along the way. Team Mike was the large group of family members, friends, medical professionals, fellow members of the Cancer Survivors' Network community, and even a pet cat who helped Mike through his most difficult times over the years. Its captain was his wife, Terry, who contributes a key chapter from the perspective of his primary caregiver-a viewpoint rarely expressed in the many books written about cancer today. Mike's tells his story with great emotion, clarity, sometimes uncomfortable honesty, and an unfailing sense of humor. In the end, it's a story of perseverance, survival, and optimism-even when there was little to be optimistic about so many times on his journeys. Mike chooses not to dwell on the many things that cancer and its treatments have taken from his life. Rather, he is grateful for the many good things he still has in his life, and the many good things yet to come in the future.

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! "I had the choice to come back ... or not. I chose to return when I realized that 'heaven' is a state, not a place" In this truly inspirational memoir, Anita Moorjani relates how, after fighting cancer for almost four years, her body began shutting down—overwhelmed by the malignant cells spreading throughout her system. As her organs failed, she entered into an extraordinary near-death experience where she realized her inherent worth . . . and the actual cause of her disease. Upon regaining consciousness, Anita found that her condition had improved so rapidly that she was released from the hospital within weeks—without a trace of cancer in her body! Within this enhanced e-book, Anita recounts—in words and on video—stories of her childhood in Hong Kong, her challenge to establish her career and find true love, as well as how she eventually ended up in that hospital bed where she defied all medical knowledge. In "Dying to Be Me," Anita Freely shares all she has learned about illness, healing, fear, "being love," and the true magnificence of each and every human being!

Eib shares amazing, true stories of those who have been through cancer and discovers that when God and cancer meet, hope is never far away. This book is packed with a daily dose of encouragement.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A searing, deeply moving memoir of illness and recovery that traces one young woman’s journey from diagnosis to remission to re-entry into “normal” life—from the author of the Life, Interrupted column in The New York Times ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, The Washington Post, Bloomberg, The Rumpus, She Reads, Library Journal, Booklist • “I was immersed for the whole ride and would follow Jaouad anywhere. . . . Her writing restores the moon, lights the way as we learn to endure the unknown.”—Chanel Miller, The New York Times Book Review “Beautifully crafted . . . affecting . . . a transformative read . . . Jaouad’s insights about the self, connectedness, uncertainty and time speak to all of us.”—The Washington Post In the summer after graduating from college, Suleika Jaouad was preparing, as they say in commencement speeches, to enter “the real world.” She had fallen in love and moved to Paris to pursue her dream of becoming a war correspondent. The real world she found, however, would take her into a very different kind of conflict zone. It started with an itch—first on her feet, then up her legs, like a thousand invisible mosquito bites. Next came the exhaustion, and the six-hour naps that only deepened her fatigue. Then a trip to the doctor and, a few weeks shy of her twenty-third birthday, a diagnosis: leukemia, with a 35 percent chance of survival. Just like that, the life she had imagined for herself had gone up in flames. By the time Jaouad flew home to New York, she had lost her job, her apartment, and her independence. She would spend much of the next four years in a hospital bed, fighting for her life and chronicling the saga in a column for The New York Times. When Jaouad finally walked out of the cancer ward—after countless rounds of chemo, a clinical trial, and a bone marrow transplant—she was, according to the doctors, cured. But as she would soon learn, a cure is not where the work of healing ends; it’s where it begins. She had spent the past 1,500 days in desperate pursuit of one goal—to survive. And now that she’d done so, she realized that she had no idea how to live. How would she reenter the world and live again? How could she reclaim what had been lost? Jaouad embarked—with her new best friend, Oscar, a scruffy terrier mutt—on a 100-day, 15,000-mile road trip across the country. She set out to meet some of the strangers who had written to her during her years in the hospital: a teenage girl in Florida also recovering from cancer; a teacher in California grieving the death of her son; a death-row inmate in Texas who’d spent his own years confined to a room. What she learned on this trip is that the divide between sick and well is porous, that the vast majority of us will travel back and forth between these realms throughout our lives. Between Two Kingdoms is a profound chronicle of survivorship and a fierce, tender, and inspiring exploration of what it means to begin again.

A provocative and surprising investigation into the ways that profit, personalities, and politics obstruct real progress in the war on cancer—and one doctor's passionate call to action for change This year, nearly 1.6 million new cases of cancer will be diagnosed and more than 1,500 people will die per day. We've been asked to accept the disappointing strategy to "manage cancer as a chronic disease." We've allowed pharmaceutical companies to position cancer drugs that extend life by just weeks and may cost $100,000 for a single course of treatment as breakthroughs. Why have we been able to cure and prevent other killer diseases but not most cancers? Where is the bold government leadership that will transform our system from treatment to prevention? Have we forgotten the mission of the National Cancer Act of 1971, to "conquer cancer"? Through an analysis of over 40 years of medical evidence and interviews with cancer doctors, researchers, drug company executives, and health policy advisors, Dr. Cuomo reveals frank and intriguing answers to these questions. She shows us how all cancer stakeholders—the pharmaceutical industry, government, physicians, and concerned Americans—can change the way we view and fight cancer in this country.

Cancer touches nearly everyone, whether firsthand or through the life of a loved one. Counselor and teacher Yvonne Ortega discovered this when she was diagnosed with breast cancer and began her journey to recovery. In Hope for the Journey through Cancer, she shares with readers her personal triumphs and setbacks with humor and refreshing candor, always reminding us of God's desire to meet us exactly where we are. These sixty devotions are divided into sections--diagnosis, surgery, treatment, and recovery--each incorporating Scripture into daily life. Ortega's attention to even the most basic hopes and fears that a cancer patient faces each day offers encouragement that can come only from one who has been there herself.

Though the Road is Long, You Don’t Have to Walk Alone There’s nothing easy about having cancer. For most people, cancer is a hard, reluctant journey through rugged, unfamiliar terrain. Ultimately, however, there are really only two ways to face cancer: in our own strength or with the help and strength that God supplies. Strength for the Cancer Journey provides empathetic, daily reminders that God is present for anyone facing the challenges of cancer. Each of these thirty devotionals draws upon anecdotes and insights from God’s Word to help readers invite God into the realities, uncertainties, and frustrations of their cancer experience. While cancer is a journey no one wants to take, no one ever has to walk that road alone. This devotional book will help both patients and caregivers to engage deeply with God, gaining new strength for the cancer journey.

From a woman who’s made her living researching breast cancer—and who lived through it herself—a personal yet practical guide to the medical and emotional facets of this life-changing diagnosis A leading oncologist at the University of California San Francisco, Dr. Pamela Munster has advised thousands of women on how to cope with the realities of breast cancer, from diagnosis through treatment and recovery. But her world turned upside down when, at forty-eight years old and in otherwise perfect health, she got a call saying that her own mammogram showed “irregularities.” That single word thrust her into a wholly new role—as patient, and not only that of cancer but of the feared BRCA gene mutation as well. Suddenly, she realized that being a true “expert” in a disease was far beyond the scope of her medical training, and that she had a lot to learn if she wanted to hold onto her precious life. Weaving together her personal story with groundbreaking research on BRCA—responsible for breast cancer and many other inherited cancers affecting both women and men—Twisting Fate is an inspiring guide to living with the uncertainties of cancer. With authority, insight, and compassion, Dr. Munster uses her voice to create a safe space for genuine healing and honesty in a world otherwise too-often dominated by fear—and she is living proof of how important it is to embrace all the twists and turns of fate.

A critical resource for anyone with a cancer diagnosis. Written by a radiation oncologist and cancer researcher, Taking Charge of Cancer offers an insider’s guide to understanding and receiving the best treatment options, choosing the right medical team, and approaching this difficult time with knowledge and hope. Receiving a cancer diagnosis can be terrifying, and the first thing you probably want to know is: How am I going to survive this? Cancer care requires decisions from numerous professionals, delivering treatments that are potentially life-saving, but also potentially dangerous and life-threatening. The chances of cure and survival for any given patient depend on the expertise of the cancer team, and whether procedures are in place to ensure that cancer care is delivered properly. So, how can you make sure you choose the right treatment team and ensure the best chances of survival and long-term health after being diagnosed with cancer? Taking Charge of Cancer is a different type of book for cancer patients—one that goes beyond the cancer information that is currently available, allowing you to truly take control of your cancer treatment. You’ll learn how to obtain and understand medical records, and why these records are critical to your care. You’ll also find the tools you’ll need to determine if the recommendations made by doctors are in keeping with accepted treatment guidelines. You’ll discover how doctors use evidence to decide which treatments are best, as well as how doctors can become biased in their recommendations. And, most importantly, you’ll be able to evaluate whether surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy make the most sense in your specific case—and whether or not these serious treatments are being delivered effectively and safely according to the highest standards. Now that you’ve received a cancer diagnosis, it’s time to set a plan in motion for your recovery. This book will help you do just that—every step of the way.

"In 2008, Amy Curran Baker was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma and opted for bilateral mastectomy with Direct to Implant Reconstruction. Within three weeks of being diagnosed she had a mastectomy and was on the road to recovery. But after the surgery she had a lot of questions, the same that most women will have. As an Occupational Therapist, she knew some of the answers from her own clinical training and experience. But many more came from speaking with other women who had undergone mastectomies, from researching message boards, and a little bit of luck. Now she and her co-authors have brought together the answers to the questions that women face in chapters that cover everything from how to prepare for going to the hospital to when you come home" -- publisher's web site.