Guide for Cancer Supporters

By R. A. Bloch Cancer Foundation
$0.00 Rating: Not yet rated.
Published: Nov. 30, 2011
Words: 24,785 (approximate)
Language: English
ISBN: 9781465719041

Short description

Richard Bloch, co-founder of H & R Block, Inc., was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1978 and told he had 90 days to live. After 2 years of strenuous treatments he was completely cured. He and his wife, Annette, wrote this step-by-step guide to help you help your relative or friend fight cancer. This guide will help you understand the facts about cancer, its probable effects on the patient and...

Extended description

When cancer is diagnosed, it is not only the person diagnosed who experiences concerns about the future - but also the relatives and friends. In fact, studies have shown that levels of distress are just as high in the next of kin as in the patient! That is why we think of cancer as a "family" disease and recognize that support is needed by the family members as well as the patient. Other studies show that helping the spouse of a cancer patient cope better has a substantial effect upon the patient's ability to cope and can work like a "ripple" effect.
The best way to counter that initial overwhelming fear which accompanies a diagnosis of cancer is to get the best information available about cancer and its treatment and to begin to cope with the psychological impact. The need for commitment to a course of positive action is an important way of beginning to cope.
"What can I read?" is an increasingly common question. Advice for the caring family and friends has been sparse but this valu.. (Read more) When cancer is diagnosed, it is not only the person diagnosed who experiences concerns about the future - but also the relatives and friends. In fact, studies have shown that levels of distress are just as high in the next of kin as in the patient! That is why we think of cancer as a "family" disease and recognize that support is needed by the family members as well as the patient. Other studies show that helping the spouse of a cancer patient cope better has a substantial effect upon the patient's ability to cope and can work like a "ripple" effect.
The best way to counter that initial overwhelming fear which accompanies a diagnosis of cancer is to get the best information available about cancer and its treatment and to begin to cope with the psychological impact. The need for commitment to a course of positive action is an important way of beginning to cope.
"What can I read?" is an increasingly common question. Advice for the caring family and friends has been sparse but this valuable little book begins to fill the gap. It carries the added weight of having been written by the Blochs who speak with the voice of experience - and who share "how it felt" to be given a three month prognosis. The commitment to finding treatment and not giving up is a success story we all benefit from today.
Part I is a powerful review of the "what it feels like" of cancer. Written for the healthy spouses of patients it gives important practical advice about helping the ill spouse. An important message is the value of providing support and access to good information, but not at the expense of taking the decision making away and respecting the person's individuality and need for independence. We live in an era when some books suggest there is only one correct way (their way) to face cancer and those who don't are doomed. The Blochs encourage respect for each person's coping style and their right to use it. The spouse is an important force in making the patient feel guilty for not using a particular method, or in feeling empowered and confident because they feel supported by their spouse in their handling of their cancer.
More attention to "helping the helper" is needed and hence, the value of this book, especially for spouses. The spouse must simultaneously support the patient, manage the home and family, make the living, manage the insurance forms, arrange visits to the doctor, share discussions about cancer, and answer all the well-meaning calls asking "How is Joe?" but rarely, "How are you?" The strains, borne without much recognition or praise, are difficult. More of our efforts must be directed to assure the spouse copes, since so much rests on the healthy adult. The Well Spouse foundation is a self help organization which has developed out of awareness of this need.
Part II is an excellent brief introduction to cancer therapies which is useful as one hears these words for the first time in a personal context.
Part III is directed to the casual friend who suffers from "Do I visit my friend with cancer?" "What do I say?" "Will it be the wrong thing?" Advice to reduce self-consciousness and affirmation of the need to keep ties which antedate the onset of cancer comes through clearly in this practical guide.
Last, biographies sometimes tell more than all the "do as I say" advice reveals. Dick Bloch's biography is a powerful "call to arms" at the book's end, sharing how one couple coped and won. It is well worth emulating!
-- Jimmie C. Holland, M.D., Director, Psychiatric Oncology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
(Less)

Tags

cancer, guide, caregiver, cancer survivor, survivorship, cancer support, bloch, cancer survivorship, richard bloch, annette bloch, bloch cancer foundation, guide for cancer supporters, cancer supporter

Available ebook reading formats

This book is free. How to download ebooks to e-reading devices and apps.

Format	Full Book
Online Reading (HTML, good for sampling in web browser)	View
Kindle (.mobi for Kindle devices and Kindle apps)	Download
Epub (Apple iPad/iBooks, Nook, Sony Reader, Kobo, and most e-reading apps including Stanza, Aldiko, Adobe Digital Editions, others)	Download
PDF (good for reading on PC, or for home printing)	Download
RTF (readable on most word processors)	Download
LRF (Use only for older model Sony Readers that don't support .epub)	Download
Palm Doc (PDB) (for Palm reading devices)	Download
Plain Text (download) (flexible, but lacks much formatting)	Download
Plain Text (view) (viewable as web page)	View

Reviews

Log-in to write a Review   Log-in to add a Video Review

This book has not yet been reviewed.

Reason for report:
— Select a reason — Book is or contains spam Book infringes copyright Same content is published elsewhere with different author (for ex., by private-label rights) Duplicate Incomplete work (such as sample or serial) Should be marked adults-only Category is inappropriate Poorly formatted Nudity or other inappropriate content on cover Nudity or other inappropriate visual content in book Inappropriate erotica content Cover image is improper Content is inappropriate Other violation of Terms of Service Other reason not shown above.

Additional details: