B O O K O V E R V I E W
A Cancer Primer
Many valuable books about cancer have been published but they seldom provide a primer for the newly diagnosed patient. They are easier to read once the person with cancer is emotionally, psychologically and physically ready to absorb more detailed content about their specific diagnosis.
Cancer Diagnosis
Read this book first—as soon as you can after your diagnosis. The moment your world changes is also a powerful moment to alter your journey. It’s a critical window when plain talk can be invaluable for your future well-being or that of any friend or loved one diagnosed with cancer, regardless of their gender or age. While many valuable books about cancer have been published, few provide a basic primer for the newly diagnosed patient. More comprehensive resources may be useful after reading From This Moment On—once you’re more prepared.
A Book About You
This book is not about someone else’s story, it’s about consciously creating your own story from this moment on. As you embark upon your cancer journey, the book’s three chapters provide a simple framework to explore some of the immediate issues surrounding a diagnosis of cancer.
S T O P
prepares you for the journey…
Stop acknowledges your feelings
and provides encouragement for you to pause
and take conscious control of the situation.
Y I E L D
explores issues of life and death…
Yield considers the verities of living and of dying,
invites you to consider all options
and then follow the wisdom of your heart.
G O
invites you to live your life well…
Go encourages you to live each day by consciously
creating your personal healing journey.
By showing you how to participate in your own healing, From This Moment On offers you a valuable reminder to live well… quite literally… from this moment on.
Immediate Help
This patient-to-patient introduction to cancer diagnosis helps patients, families and friends prepare for the days ahead. Readers are given an initiation by walking in the shoes of someone who’s been diagnosed with cancer and has experienced treatment, remission, recurrence and ultimately, long term survivorship. It’s basically a primer for anyone who wants to understand what it means to live with cancer. Friends, family and caregivers can be anxious to learn more about what their loved one is going through. Unsure about how to help, they are often the first to explore patient resources beyond the traditional gifts of flowers and sweets. This sharing of resources forms a community of support as health professionals and others also step forward to become partners in the healing journey.
Straight Talk
Don’t be fooled by the playful design. This is a serious little book about fear, loss, uncertainty and pain. And an uncommon look at life and death. Though direct, the advice is always compassionate. From This Moment On has been written to help each person better understand their role in the creation of health and to encourage the best outcome for their cancer journey. Plain talk and design shape a stimulating introduction to a complex topic. You’ll find contributions from patients, healthcare professionals, artists, photographers and writers. The combined wisdom of these diverse perspectives will help you to negotiate the challenges ahead.
Unique Format
Designed for people who may be overwhelmed and unwell, the book’s large type and simple format ensure that critical information can be easily understood. From This Moment On was deliberately written and designed with the reader—the patient—in mind. Immediately following my own diagnosis, I was overwhelmed with medical information and unable to concentrate. As a newly diagnosed patient or family member, you might be similarly overwhelmed by symptoms, treatment or fear. The book’s friendly format is immediately accessible because the text to page ratio is low. Sometimes there’s a single idea on the page so that the content has a better chance to sink in. Even then, you may want to take your time, rest between sessions and re-read certain pages. This simple looking book is packed with powerful content.
Patient Toolkit
This does not look like your average cancer book and it’s not. You’ll find guidance but also music, photographs, poetry and art. From This Moment On is a patient tool deliberately designed to simplify and humanize information that is critical to the well-being of any person confronting a potentially life-threatening illness. Recognizing our diverse ways of being in the world, the book treats the reader with dignity, compassion and respect. Just as important, it offers unfiltered honesty. While literary elements and typography regulate the pacing between denser blocks of text, it is the 83 illustrations that provide a refreshing visual journey for the reader. This book is intentionally designed to make the often direct subject matter more accessible, more comprehensible and more bearable.
Excerpt
So, it’s official. You’ve been diagnosed with cancer. This time it’s not some family member, acquaintance, or celebrity—it’s you.
Like it or not, you’ve joined the cancer movement. You’re one of “them.” More accurately, you’re one of us. And from this moment on… your life will never be the same.
Some things will be worse and some things will be better…
There will be many surprises but also discoveries. In the days ahead, you will find your own way to deal with your cancer diagnosis.
Fortunately, with some perspective, you can claim a measure of stability. That’s where this primer can help you. It’s a tool to guide you through your initial cancer diagnosis because—if you’re like most people—you probably don’t know what to expect, and that can be terrifying.
So take a good, deep breath and create an opportunity to read quietly. If you are unable to focus, ask someone you trust to read to you. Then, get ready for a reality check because we’re going to take stock of the “situation” together. And the situation is this:
You have a life-threatening disease that requires your immediate attention. At this moment, there is nothing more important than stopping everything else that you were doing in order to consider this. Why? Because understanding your role in managing your own health is the only thing that will ensure that your life has quality. Think about it. No matter how much others may wish to help, you alone must initiate the healing journey.
This is the first step.
Excerpt From This Moment On: A Guide for Those Recently Diagnosed with Cancer
© 2017 Penguin Random House. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
10 Book Features
Whatever your situation, you will be transformed. From This Moment On has been designed to help you heal—one page at a time.
- This book is written specifically for those recently diagnosed with cancer.
- It is also suitable for family, friends, caregivers and health professionals.
- It is a generic primer for adults with any type of cancer.
- It begins right at the moment of diagnosis.
- It prepares people for the challenging days that might lie ahead.
- It uses plain talk to simplify and communicate complex information.
- It uses design, typography and 83 figures to visually and intellectually stimulate the reader.
- It speaks directly about life and death.
- It is always compassionate, honest and respectful.
- It encourages readers to begin a healing journey from this moment on.
Author and Patient
Diagnosed with stage IV non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, I experienced treatment, remission, recurrence and a terminal diagnosis. I declined a bone marrow transplant, continued with palliative treatment and unexpectedly lived. But I digress. It is more helpful to begin my story right at the moment when I received my cancer diagnosis because like most people—I was stunned. I was completely unprepared to hear my own cancer diagnosis and found nothing immediately available to help me deal with my shock. That hard transition inspired me to help others who may be facing those first challenging weeks. From This Moment On literally begins at the moment of diagnosis, the window when everything about cancer is new and the moment when experienced guidance can prepare patients and loved ones for what happens next. This book encourages readers to consciously create their own healing journey.
The collective wisdom of the many individuals has informed the book. Their contributions have shaped a unique resource that is variously entertaining, poignant and informative. Whether you read the book yourself or have it read to you, you’ll likely get through it in about an hour. It won’t take long to read but the benefit to your health will be ongoing.