Chemo Craziness Comfort

This book was created to help young patients and their families understand about cancer, how it is treated, and ways to manage it. It shares stories and advice from children who have finished their treatments

Approximately 4,500 children and teens are diagnosed with leukemia in the United States and Canada each year. The illness and its treatment can have a devastating effect on family, friends, classmates, and the larger community. This newly updated edition of Childhood Leukemia contains the information and support parents need during this difficult time, including:•New treatments such as immunotherapy, tailoring drugs dosages to children's genetic profiles, and ways to deal with side effects.•Advice on how to cope with procedures, hospitalization, school, family, and financial issues.•Tips for forming a partnership with the medical team.•Poignant and practical stories from family members.•Updated resources for medical information, emotional support, and financial assistance.Parents who read this book will find understandable medical information and emotional support.

More than 325,000 children, teens, and adults in the United States are survivors of childhood cancer. The surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and stem cell transplants used to cure children can affect growing bodies and developing minds. If survivors know of these potential problems, they can take steps to identify, cope with, or treat them early if they do develop. The third edition of Childhood Cancer Survivors charts the territory for survivors by providing state-of-the-art information about: " Medical late effects from treatment " Emotional aspects of surviving cancer " Schedules for follow-up care " Challenges in the heath-care system " Lifestyle choices to maximize health " Discrimination in employment or insurance Woven throughout the text are stories from more than 100 survivors and parents. Authors Keene, Hobbie, and Ruccione are experts in the field of childhood cancer. Keene is the mother of a survivor of childhood leukemia and the author of several books including Childhood Leukemia, Childhood Cancer, Educating the Child with Cancer, and Chemo, Craziness & Comfort. Hobbie is Associate Director of the Cancer Survivorship Program at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Ruccione is Co-Director of the HOPE (Hematology-Oncology Psychosocial and Education) Program in the Children's Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases at Children's Hospital Los Angeles.

This second edition of the most complete parent guide available features detailed and precise medical information about solid tumor childhood cancers, including neuroblastoma, Wilms tumor, liver tumors, soft tissue sarcomas, and bone sarcomas. In addition, it offers day-to-day practical advice on how to cope with procedures, hospitalization, family and friends, school, financial issues, and communication. Woven among the medical details and the practical advice are the voices of parents and children who have lived with cancer and its treatments. As many parents know, advice from "veteran" parents can be a lifeline. Obtaining a basic understanding of topics such as medical terminology, how drugs work, common side effects of chemotherapy, and how to work more effectively with medical personnel improves the quality of life for the whole family. Having parents describe their own emotional ups and downs, how they coped, and how they molded their family life around hospitalizations can be a tremendous comfort. Just knowing that there are other kids on chemotherapy who refuse to eat anything but tacos or who have frequent rages can make one feel less alone. Parents who read this book will find understandable medical infomation, obtain advice that eases their daily life, and feel empowered to be strong advocates for their child. It also contains a personal treatment summary and long-term follow-up guide for your child to keep as a permanent record.

"By page three of the introduction to Everything Changes, I wanted not only to devour the rest of the book, but I wanted to call Kairol up, get to know her, and (if we weren't both already married) see if I could sleep with her. Then the book got really good. It is, without doubt, the most forthright, emotionally sophisticated, and plain-old valuable book of its kind I've seen. The book defines and exemplifies what the verb 'fight' really means: to arm, prepare, and engage in sustained effort to gain a desired end. If that's your mission, this is your instruction manual." —Evan Handler, actor and author of Time On Fire and It's Only Temporary: The Good News and the Bad News of Being Alive (and a guy who got well from acute myeloid leukemia in 1985) On a shoestring budget and with tape recorder in hand, Kairol Rosenthal emerged from treatment and hit the road in search of other twenty- and thirtysomething cancer survivors. From the Big Apple to the Bible Belt, she dusted the sugarcoating off of the young adult cancer experience, exposing the gritty and compelling stories of twenty-five complete strangers. The men and women in Everything Changes confess their most vulnerable moments, revealing cancer experiences they never told anyone else—everything from what they thought about at night before going to bed to what they wish they could tell their lovers but were too afraid to. With irreverent flare and practical wisdom, Everything Changes includes stories, how-to resources, and expert advice on issues that are important for young adult cancer patients, including: Dating and sex Medical insurance and the healthcare system Faith and spirituality Employment and career Fertility and adoption Friends and family

As women quickly discover, their life when treatment ends is very different from what it was before their diagnosis. Often exhausted, anxious, and emotionally volatile, they are beset by physical discomforts, fearful of intimacy, afraid for their children, worried about recurrence. Anticipating a return to “normalcy,” they discover that the old version of normal no longer applies. There could be no more knowledgeable guide for women embarking on this complicated journey than Hester Hill Schnipper, who is herself both an experienced oncology social worker and a breast cancer survivor. This comprehensive handbook provides jargon-free information on the wide range of practical issues women face as they navigate the journey back to health, including: •Managing physical problems such as fatigue, hot flashes, and aches and pains •Handling relationships: your children, your partner, your parents, your friends. •How to regain emotional and sexual intimacy •Coping with financial and workplace issues •Genetic testing: why, whether, when •How to move beyond the fear of recurrence •And much more This indispensable book will help you rediscover your capacity for joy as you move forward into the future—as a survivor.

Let's face it, when a white coat touting doctor and her posse deliver a breast cancer diagnosis, your life has a way of turning upside down and even a little sideways. And when you're a 39 year old single, working mother of two, the roller coaster ride that ensues will either lead you to a straight jacket or a back brace. Connie Bramer gives laugh out loud humor to her adventure, along with poignant moments of self-discovery as she blogs her way to good health. Follow along with her adventure and bare witness to her crazy antics, the comments of love she received, and the unwaivering support of her friends and family that helped to get her through...

Dr. Kimberly Allison diagnoses breast cancer for a living. But as a 33-year-old healthy new mother, she never expected to find herself looking at her own malignant cells under the microscope. Like many others diagnosed with cancer, Dr. Allison was starving for stories of other survivors. She wanted to hear someone’s tale, to feel their experiences and look for hidden clues to what her own future might hold. Ultimately, the story that Dr. Allison was looking for was found in her own life. Red Sunshine is a memoir about Dr. Allison’s sudden journey from physician to patient and her attempt to make the most of this terrifying and unexpected ordeal. Her experience reflects the incredible power of the bonds of friendship and family. It is about paying attention to the magic that is waiting to be uncovered in everyday life. Red Sunshine is an uplifting story of survival in which Dr. Allison shares all the intimate details of her emotional journey with both humor and honesty.