Living Well with Cancer: A Nurse Tells You Everything You Need to Know

Longtime friends Moore, an oncology nurse practitioner, and Schmais, a writer, talked with hundreds of patients and health-care providers in venues from Gilda's Club to Sloane Kettering Memorial Hospital. They advocate approaching cancer as if it were a chronic illness such as diabetes. Instead of accepting a cancer diagnosis as a death sentence, they say, people should empower themselves to take charge of their health. After the initial diagnosis, the authors encourage people to write a list of questions for their physician, employing a tape recorder and a companion to clarify the discussion points. The authors then discuss the most common early stages diagnosis, treatment options, clinical trials and treatment. The crux of the book is a detailed examination of common side effects such as hair loss and nausea, and less-known ones including heartburn, fever and hot flashes, followed by a discussion of medical and natural treatments. Finally, Moore and Schmais explain practical information such as hospice care, living wills and medical directives. While cancer patients obviously need to rely on a full complement of specialists, this volume is an excellent resource for both patients and their relatives or friends. This seminal medical reference is the equivalent of the What to Expect series, providing patients with answers to the many questions they may not be able to ask their doctors. Readers will learn that theirs is a shared experience, and that it's possible to limit the discomfort and pain that almost all cancer patients endure. (Apr.)