Coping with Illness

Okay…Now What? A Handbook for New Cancer Parents by Pamela Chila Smith
Warren Publishing Inc, 2023, 112 Pages, Hardcover/Paperback
ISBN: 978-1960146366

Every parent wants to be Wonder Woman or Superman, but even the strongest and bravest of parents sometimes need help during stressful and tumultuous times. For Pamela Chila Smith, that time was when her teenage son, Nicholas, was diagnosed with brain cancer. Okay.. Now What? is a guide for new cancer parents, written from the heart of experience. Throughout the book, Pamela offers clear, direct, and empathetic advice for parents challenged with the task of keeping their sick child as healthy and comfortable as possible as well as making sure proper care is provided. She stresses the importance of listening and paying attention to the child and staying on top of everything and everyone, so nothing is missed. Take notes. Ask questions. Stay strong. And remember to breathe.

For more information click here
 

Cycle of Lives: 15 People's Stories, 5,000 Miles, and a Journey Through the Emotional Chaos of Cancer by David Richman
River Grove Books, 2020, 376 Pages
ISBN 978-1-63299-299-4 Paperback
ISBN 978-1-63299-300-7 eBook

Cycle of Lives chronicles the lives of 15 people affected by cancer, including patients, doctors, researchers, and caregivers.  These moving stories cover many aspects of a cancer diagnosis.  Readers are able to examine a wide range of experiences and viewpoints to help them grow in empathy, and to better understand how issues affect the way people deal with the traumas that shape their lives.

For more information click here

Voices of Cancer: What We Really Want, What We Really Need - Insights for Patients and the People Supporting Them by Lynda Wolters
Mascot Books, October 2019, Hardcover (160 pages) and Kindle
ISBN: 1645430391

Voices of Cancer offers a candid look into the world of a cancer patient, informed by Lynda’s own story (as a Mantle Cell Lymphoma patient) and conversations she had with dozens of patients weighing in on their needs, wants, and dislikes as they navigate the complex world of diagnosis, treatment, and beyond. With comprehensive and accessible insight from people who’ve been there, Voices of Cancer helps educate, dispel fears, and start positive conversations about what a cancer diagnosis truly means, while shining a light on how best to support a loved one on their own terms.

Hundred Percent Chance: A Memoir by Robert K. Brown
3/3 Press 2019, 273 Pages, Paperback or Kindle
ISBN: 9781733159005

Hundred Percent Chance: A Memoir is a raw and realistic memoir about a young college student who was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia in 1990 while he was studying abroad in Lancaster, England – halfway across the world from his home in Seattle.  From battling life-threatening symptoms during a rushed, emergency departure from England, through multiple rounds of chemotherapy and complications over the next eight months, this moving, page-turning story will remind you to make the most of every day.

No Match For Her By Travis Lee Hicks
Publisher: Travis Lee Hicks
ISBN: 9781734251708
November 2019, Hardcover 420 pages (also available in paperback and as an e-book)

When his 12-year-old daughter Lilli was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia two weeks before Christmas, Travis Hicks was in the worst shape of his life. Overweight and overworked, Hicks watched his daughter Lilli fight for her life against an aggressive blood cancer. Hicks ultimately became a long distance runner, shed over 40 pounds, and restored his health in time to help his daughter through the fight of her life. Read this father’s story of life, health, family, faith, and community.

For more information click here

By Nancy Keene
Childhood Cancer Guides, 2018, 496 pages
ISBN: 978-1-941089-04-0

This most complete parent guide provides accurate and understandable medical information about leukemia and the various treatment options, as well as day-to-day practical advice on how to cope with procedures, hospitalization, family and friends, school, social and financial issues, and communicating with healthcare providers. Reviewed by distinguished experts in pediatric oncology, Childhood Leukemia includes practical and poignant stories from more than 175 parents, children with leukemia, and their siblings. This book helps families cope––one day at a time.

For more information click here

By Patricia Ringos Beach and Beth E. White
Publisher: Oncology Nursing Society; 1 edition (March 1, 2013)
ISBN-10: 1935864270 ISBN-13: 978-1935864271

The latest book from Hygeia Media - an imprint of the Oncology Nursing Society - navigates the difficult path parents face when their adult children become seriously ill. In the Shadows: How to Help Your Seriously Ill Adult Child asks the question, what happens when my adult child is in failing health? In the Shadows is a passionate handbook that advocates for the parent not as "extended family" but as an essential support network when an adult is dealing with a difficult health problem such as a cancer diagnosis. Through 10 real-life stories illustrating diverse examples of parental involvement, In the Shadows, written by Patricia Ringos Beach and Beth E. White, cuts through the thicket of uncertainty that surrounds most parents when trying to determine how much or how little to be involved in the care of their adult child, especially when that child has a family of their own. The book provides a unique perspective on post-adolescence parent-child relationships, gives tips on providing support groups, and offers guidelines on understanding the healthcare system.

Childhood Cancer Survivors: A Practical Guide to Your Future, 3rd Ed. By Nancy Keene, Wendy Hobbie and Kathy Ruccione,
Childhood Cancer Guides, 2012, 434 Pages
ISBN: 978-1-457-11867-8

The treatments used to cure cancer in children can affect their growing bodies and developing minds. This book provides information on medical late effects from treatment, emotional aspects of surviving cancer, schedules for follow-up care, challenges in the healthcare system, lifestyle choices to maximize health and discrimination in employment or insurance.

For more information click here

When a Parent Has Cancer: A Guide to Caring for Your Children By Wendy Schlessel Harpham, M.D., Callahan (Editor)
HarperCollins, 2004, 224 pages
ISBN: 0060740817

Advice for parents who are raising children while at the same time coping with a life-challenging illness. Includes a special book for children: Becky and the Worry Cup.

Edited by Nancy Keene
​Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation, 2003, 330 pages
ISBN: 0972404333

This book is a resource for parents of children with cancer and their teachers. It is written by top experts in the field and is accompanied by 100 parent stories. Topics such as school re-entry, neuropsychological testing, special education and the law and how to help siblings in the classroom are addressed.

For more information: www.acco.org/books/#educating

Shelter from the Storm: Caring for a Child with a Life-Threatening Condition By Joanne Hilden, M.D., and Daniel R. Tobin, M.D.
Perseus Publishing, 2002, 240 pages
ISBN: 0738205346

Drs. Tobin and Hilden, pediatric oncologists, are two physicians who have co-authored a caring and direct guide for families and caregivers. Themes include: Helping parents make the best possible treatment decisions while preparing for the possibility that the treatments will not work Exploring what the family might have to face, what they may be asked to decide and how they might want to involve their children in the decision-making Professional expertise and practical support are given with a sensitive exploration of palliative care and peaceful dying. Throughout, there is a perspective on hope that will strengthen the family. A list of resources and an extensive bibliography are included.