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"...It is a practical 'how-to' guide useful not only to cancer patients, but to everybody during their daily routine."

Nadia Malouf, MD
Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Table of Contents

Foreword
      Prologue

Our Stories
      Nancy Emerson
      Pam Leight
      Susan Moonan
      Terri Schinazi

PART I: Diagnosis
      CHAPTER ONE - Hearing the News and Coping With It
         Shock
         Denial
         Fear
         Why me?
         Isolation/Loneliness
         Worry
         Anger
         Depression
         What now?
         Two Important Aspects For Emotional Well-Being
            Attitude
            Humor
      CHAPTER TWO - Telling Family and Friends
         Telling Your Children
         Your Child With Cancer

PART II: Essentials
      CHAPTER THREE - Being a Cancer Patient
         Communicating With Your Doctor
         When You Have Several Doctors
         Second Opinions
         How to Let Others Help You
            Caregivers
         Keeping a Medical Journal
      CHAPTER FOUR - Practical Concerns
         Appointments
         Record Keeping
         Medical Directives

PART III: Understanding Procedures
      CHAPTER FIVE - How to Prepare For Tests
      CHAPTER SIX - Common Types of Tests
         Biopsy
         Blood Work
            Blood Counts
         Bone Scan
         CAT or CT Scan
         Chest X-ray
         MRI
         PET
         Ultrasound
         Getting Test Results
      CHAPTER SEVEN – Treatments
         Chemotherapy (Chemo)
            Clinical Trials
               Trial Phases
         PICC Lines
         Port (Portacath)
         Radiation
         Surgery
         Ending a Treatment Phase

PART IV: Side Effects…Things That Might Help
      Allergies
      Anemia
      Breath, Shortness of
      Chemo-Brain
      Constipation
      Dehydration
      Depression
      Diarrhea
      Dizziness
      Eyes
      Fainting
      Fatigue
      Fever
      Fluid on Chest
      Gas
      Hair Loss
      Hand and Foot Syndrome
      Headache
      Hemorrhoids
      Hot Flashes
      Indigestion
      Infections
      Itching
      Lips
      Lymphedema
      Mouth
      Nails
      Nausea
      Neuropathy
      Nose
      Nutrition
      Pain
      Sex
      Shingles
      Skin
      Sleeplessness
      Swelling
      Teeth
      Throat
      Urine
      Vomiting

PART V: Nurturing Your Inner Self
      CHAPTER EIGHT - Looking & Feeling Better
         Cosmetics
         Exercise
         Wigs
      CHAPTER NINE - Living Better
         Accupuncture/Accupressure
         Biofeedback
         Healing Touch
         Herbal Supplements
         Massage
         Music
         Pet Therapy
         Progressive Muscle Relaxation
         Self-Hypnosis
         Support Relationships
         Support Groups
         Visualization
         Yoga
      CHAPTER TEN - Personal Resources
         Appreciating Time
         Breathwork and Meditation
         Personal Journaling
         Special Places for Nurturing the Soul
         Work and Play
      CHAPTER ELEVEN - Spiritual Resources
         Acts of Love – Giving and Receiving
         Faith
         Forgiveness
         Gratitude
         Hope
         Prayer

PART VI: Upstaging
      CHAPTER TWELVE - Surviving Stage IV and Thriving At Stage V
         Recurrence
         Living With Cancer as a Chronic Disease

Epilogue

Acknowledgements

Resources

Index