I stumbled upon this book at an event called Word on the Street last weekend.
The book is called Picking Up the Pieces : Moving Forward After Surviving Cancer. It’s written by Sherri Magee and Kathy Scalzo.
I’m not one for the self-help books as a general rule, but I have to say that from flipping through this book just a bit, I have felt much less isolated and much less like I am some crazy-ass disgruntled bastard who should just be happy about having made it through the fire and stop wandering around complaining about a life filled with uncertainty and chaos.
Folks in this book talk about the whole range of emotions cancer survivors go through and how we have to find ‘the new normal’.
I would recommend it to anyone who is a cancer survivor and to anyone who is trying to understand why some cancer survivors are not all about puppies and rainbows and cotton candy all the time. Some of us are still learning to crawl in this new crazy scarred up world.
The book is really fresh off the press so it may not be on the shelf of your favorite book retailer, but I would recommend it.
P.S. – For those that are interested, I uploaded the pictures of me and my friends doing the Winners Walk of Hope a couple of weeks ago. They are here:
http://spikeharris.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=857
I don’t reckon anyone goes through anything, worth something, without coming out incredibly changed…just ask Hegel. Cancer…it still makes my head spin thinking about how much you…and those other “chosen” few are torn down and rebuilt. So you got this sabot thrown into the machinery…and by the time you figure out where it’s at and how to remove it…the whole world’s done changed. Or maybe it’s you. All that looking in those dark hours…and maybe some finding…even if you don’t know you found it yet…it makes you changed. I ain’t ever had cancer…but I’ve had some reason to look myself. You’ll always look back…it’s human nature now matter how many people turn into salt…try mostly though to look forward. Spike, I don’t know you so much…but I got a hunch…and the fever is always gonna be worst right before it breaks…and you’re a lucky bastard in a way…down and out in the count, sure…but you got a lot of people who’ll root for you no matter how long your losing streak…’cause you’re just a likeable schmuck…and they know you’d do the same for them.
Where was that walk – it was a beautiful place. It was great that you got so many friends to support you. I hope that you are feeling emotionally and physically better. Just as our disease – one foot in front of the other, one day at a time… it does work.
I’m going to have to pick up that book – our NOCC division is talking about starting a pup program – which is picking up the pieces… helping the newly diagnosed.
Thank you for your kind words on my blog…. Spike, in my life I try to assume the best of people and have found wonderful people everywhere. Did I ever mention my brush with punk rock? I never cut my hair, but now I would be right in style…lol!!
This ovca club is one that neither of us really wanted to join, but one that we want to be members of for the rest of our lives… and may that be long and prosperous (sorry also a trekkie). You never know about people huh?
Hugs,
Vicki