Have you ever worried about saying the wrong thing to someone facing a medical challenge? If you are a patient, have you ever been hurt by something someone said?
Journalist and cancer survivor Lori Hope answered "Yes" to both questions and decided to do something about it.
After doing a survey of survivors, she wrote Help Me Live. 20 Things People with Cancer Want You to Know (Celestial Arts, 2005) to guide people to words and actions that bring comfort to someone with cancer. Unwittingly, this book also helps patients understand why people may say something that hurts-- and how to deal with it.
Buoyed by the success of the book, Celestial Arts released a revised and expanded second edition (2011) that supports the core "20 things" with:
- Results of new survey of more than 600 cancer survivors.
- Explanations of how these 20 things can help people say and do the right thing.
- Vignettes that illustrate common problems and practical solutions.
- Quotes from a wide variety of survivors. illustrating the diversity of needs.
- A new section on young adult cancer.
- A new section on gender and cancer.
As Dr. Rachel Remen explains in the foreward, "This is not a book about cancer, it is a book about you...about the many helpful ways of being there for someone else. About never having to worry about not being enough again."
Indeed, Lori's last name captures what her book offers patients and those who care about them: Hope.
This is indeed a must resource for those who don't know what to say in a variety of uncomfortable situations, not just cancer. Thanks for highlighting the book in this post. Lori is a very special woman. In fact, she led me to your blog.
Posted by: Jan Baird Hasak | August 10, 2012 at 05:17 PM