any inspirational books on the emotional side? to dip into when needed

[Nicki_T]

Hi Amd66


Echoing what Mangochutney, Mazzalu and Little Bear said - I found it very therapeutic to keep a journal for three months from the day I was diagnosed.


I thought that women in the same situation may be encouraged to hear of someone who got through this and went on to have some good years. So I have put my journal on a website with a brief summary of the subsequent five years and photos at http://www.trewhitt.co/daily-journal/.


If you do look at this please be warned that the rest of my website is less conventional but hopefully amusing as discussed in the BCC forum at http://www.breastcancercare.org.uk/community/forums/living-breast-cancer/catharsis-came-getting-my-k....


Best wishes, Nicki

[Little_Bear]

Hi amd
I'm writing a blog (an electronic journal I guess!) called Gold Seams, if you want to take a peak it's at www.littlebearowl.tumblr.com.
It's a way of helping friends, family and colleagues keep in touch, and I find it very cathartic because I love writing and also it helps me to look at the positives in every day! I read a similar one from the states just before I had chemo, called Silver Linings, and although she had every side effect in the book she also had a sense of humour and made me laugh out loud!
I love all the other suggestions on this thread too - will be taking a look at them!
Little Bear (Sue) x

[amd66]

just what I needed, thank you for all the suggestions, they wont just help me xxxxxxx

[broomsticklady]

I had a small book called 'No more Bad Hair Days' which I've just handed on so don't have the author but the title should make it findable. It's one of the open it at any page books you can just dip into for a laugh or cry or inspiration - each page is just a few words written by someone going thru chemo, ratherthan a 'start at page 1 and read as a book' book. I hope someone understands what I mean!! Oral chemo gives you as much chemo brain as IV chemo I'm finding!!

Nina

[Mazzalou]

Hi
Just like Mandy I also have kept a similar journal throughtout my treatment, and just like hers my entries became fewer and fewer as time went on, and now only very occasionally do I add to it. I finished my herceptin treatment about 5 weeks ago and my port came out 3 weeks ago now so the bulk of my treatment is over other than another op to replace my implant that the rads have affected. I will always add to it, even if far less frequent than in the early days as I will still have annual check-ups and mammograms and it also serves as a reminder of how far I have travelled on my journey through my treatment. In fact it is entitled 'My Journey'.
I also kept a log of my 'Round Robin' emails that I sent over the course of a year to friends, family and colleagues so that everybody received the same version of events at the same time. It meant that I could tell as much or as little as I wanted them to know. It was written in a very 'tongue-in-cheek' manner and many of the recipients have said that they felt that it was my way of coping with what I was going through and gave them a far greater insight into what the treatment entailed. Many did admit that it reduced them to tears as well as fits of laughter. If anybody would like to read it then please feel free to message me as I am thinking of trying to get it published if it might be of any help to others.
As far as reading recommendations are concerned I also bought the Cancer Survivors Companion, and can also recommend a couple of books written by women who have had breast cancer. The first is 'Even the eyebrows' by Sharon Morrison which is described as 'A practical guide to managing cancer with your boxing gloves on' and which will also make you laugh. The second is 'Why I wore lipstick to my mastectomy' by Geralyn Lucas which is a true story of a 27 year old American women diagnosed with breast cancer. It has been made into a TV film which is worth watching too as again it will make you both laugh and cry.
As for other reading materials I like Penny Vicenzi's novels, and now that Michael Palin is back on the TV all his travel books are very well written and easy to read.
Happy reading and take care
xxx

[mangochutney]

Hi amd66
I kept a journal last year. I started it 5 days post diagnosis. I didnt write in it every day, just the days when I felt I had to get stuff off my chest and felt it was too much for anyone close to me to deal with. Initially I wrote in it quite frequently, but eventually I used it less. I stopped writing in it after 1 year exactly. I went back to work 366 days after diagnosis. (I continued with my Herceptin after going back to work for a further 3 months).
I found it really helped, writing it all down. And I made a point of never re reading what I had written the next time I wrote in it. One day, I will go back and read it. But not yet. I would really recommend keeping a journal of your feelings. Including your scariest, darkest ones. Its like waking up in the night ad not being able to sleep cos of loads of stuff on your mind. They always say writing stuff down gets it out of your head and enables you to sleep.

After my treatment finished I had a whole host of new emotions to cope with. So like GI Jane, I bought the Cancer Survivors Companion. I found that a really useful book, and would really recommend it.

If youre looking for novels to "escape" with, let me know. Im a big reader and could give you lots of recommendations.
Wishing you all the very best
Mandy xx

[amd66]

This is great for me and anyone else, so thanks, have any of you written a diary or similar? will google all the above tomorrow, i feel today has got better

[keyfeatures]

Haven't read it, but this might be worth a look. http://www.amazon.co.uk/What-Helped-Get-Through-Survivors/dp/1604430044/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351802361&sr=8-1

[sukiem]

Hello Anne-glad to be of help and hope you like the book xx

[keyfeatures]

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupery is a lovely book to read. It makes me smile and laugh, and each time I read it I get something new from it. It's one of those books that's meant to be for children but actually has a very profound agenda.

[GIJaneH]

Ibought "The Cancer Survivor's Companion". I wouldn't say it's an inspirational read, but it is a useful read...

[grumpy]

The article recommended by Mary is EXCELLENT - it's the text of a lecture given by Peter Harvey.
I printed off a copy for myself, and another copy for my clinic - the staff found it massively useful for their own use, and to help us ladies.
He really does get how BC scrambles our brains, as well as the physical assault we have to cope with.
Another book which is useful if you are having MX and recon is Boudicca Within - photos of ladies standing naked and proud, compiled by a breast plastic surgeon in Norfolk. She makes a really significant point: when we get the DX we just want rid of the nasty bits, then as we adapt to our treatment regime we begin to think about the rest of our lives and how our surgery is affecting our view of ourselves - and that's when we want to look good, and that desire is a clear indicator that we are taking charge of ourselves again, and as such should be welcomed and encouraged.
hope this helps
grumpy

[Zeppa]

I love the comic Cancer Vixen by Marisa Acochella Marchetto from New York, her own story and very lightly told. You can look inside the book at amazon.

[Kittyqueen]

I love anything by DavidvR Hamilton phd...Like How The Mind Can Heal The Body.....really intersting and relative read xxx

[amd66]

sukiem thank you have just added something to our sept thread, about books etc so you will already have helped me.anne xx
HAVE JUST found she did a first one, how i said bah to cancer, so ive ordered it, if its great I will tell you all, thanks sukiem, xx

[Maryland]

Hi Anne....appreciate you're starting out on your journey, but my friend who was diagnosed 3 years ago gave me a hard copy of this to read after my first chemo.....

http://www.cancercounselling.org.uk/northsouth/extra4.nsf/WebResClient/1761049276601BD68025735B00604834/$FILE/article3.pdf?openElement
I have dipped in and out of it many times both during 'active' treatment and afterwards.
Hope it is of some help?
xo

[sukiem]

Someone bought me 'Thrive-The Bah guide to wellness after cancer' by Stephanie Butland. I haven't really read it as I'm emeshed in the Hunger Games Trilogy (not my usual bag but escapist and easy to read.). However my mum has and thinks its great-its full of all sorts of stuff including visualization, mindfulness (but its funny too).
If its any consolation I've also had some recent teary days-its all part of the process and passes x

[amd66]

I will look it up. I normally read flitty, escapism, chick lit. what about breast cancer, or cancer related inspirations, like a daily meditation? or just help with emotional feelings after diagnosis, or chemo, or just being ill??
does that give you a better idea, thanks keyfeatures.
xxx

[keyfeatures]

what stuff do you normally like Anne? I was uplifted by reading Silas Marner recently.

[amd66]

Hi to all,
as I have had a couple of teary days, not able to kick this cold, my mood is improving and I know this site is great for support. have any of you bought a good book, or re read articles that can just pick you up when you need something else??
theres seems to be lots of amazon but you never know unless you get a recommendation.
any help gratefully received
anne xxx