Human Side of Cancer, The

Chapter One

What Is the Human Side of Cancer?

I assume that you've picked up this book for the same reasons people come to see me. You may have just found out you have cancer, or you may already be undergoing treatment and feel you've hit a snag. Perhaps you are a survivor wondering whether you're cured or not. Or you are coping with cancer as a chronic disease and feel the need for more support. Maybe you are a fellow traveler on the path, supporting and assisting a loved one with cancer, but feeling the need for help yourself.

Whatever your situation, I wish I could sit with you and talk about what's been going on for you and how you've been coping, and help you find the kind of support that's right for you. That's the way I would like to do it. But since that's impossible, I've tried through the chapters of this book to talk with you as I would if you were in my office and we were talking face-to-face about your illness or that of your loved one and about the problems you've had to deal with along the way.

When I see someone for the first time at our counseling center at Memorial Sloan-Ketterin ... read full excerpt from Human Side of Cancer, The ebook