Cancer is not just a disease–it is a nightmare, a dilemma that can lead to depression and darkness.
According to the National Cancer Institute Trusted Source, about 40% of persons in the United States will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives. Not only this bitter reality will completely transform their lives, but they will also make their way towards a malformed and distressful mental and physical illness.
Cancer's reach extends beyond the person living with the disease. And it can further collapse the person and the connected relations altogether. However, having a bit of hope and understanding during this distressful time can help, and the following books might be the missing puzzle in the jigsaw of lost hope.
Case Study: ME
Caleb Matthews was a successful cardiothoracic surgeon who have helped many individuals to live a more fierce and happy life. However, after getting to know about the deadly disease of lung cancer, he has left with fear and distress. Read Case Study: ME, a captivating memoir of his life, to discover the reality and many facts behind lung cancer. Caleb jotted down everything precisely. From the first day to the journey towards healing and a new beginning; this fantastic book has every secret. One can discover and learn many things by living through his inspiring journey of healing over the stressful time of cancer.
Read this review of Amazon that encouraged me to read and add this masterpiece to the priority list:
“Dr Matthews' incredible account of his experience is painfully honest, raw, and direct. While unavoidably tragic, its pages take readers through the human condition of a young man faced with a devastating diagnosis. Beautifully written”.
Cancer Made Me a Shallower Person
When dealing with something as serious as cancer, it's easy to forget to laugh. This book serves as a good reminder that even in the midst of tragedy, laughter is possible. The author herself was a cartoonist who died in 2006 but recorded her journey with a healthy dose of humor, from diagnosis to hair loss and everything in between.
When Breath Becomes Air
Similar to the great biography Case Study: ME, this decent book also represents a life of a doctor who was diagnosed with cancer. A Stanford University neurosurgeon was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. He wrote this book while battling cancer and confronting his own mortality. However, he could not make it to the end and died in 2015 while working on the book. His wife writes the book’s epilogue and pursues further to finally complete and publish the inspiring book.
Help Me Live: 20 Things People with Cancer Want You to Know
This book has not one but many cancer stories. It sheds light on many cancer and surviving patients by asking them one simple question “what do they want from others?” This book is a comprehensive resource, offering answers to questions a caregiver or friend may not know how to ask, ranging from “I want kindness, not pity” to “I want you to respect my judgement and treatment decisions,” and many. One can surely learn and discover many effective ways of helping a cancer patient in need.
