Welcome to the comments and discussion of Chapter 10: The Fix of the book, Everything Changes: The Insider’s Guide to Cancer in Your 20s and 30s!  Catch up on Chapter 1: Ramenonmics, Chapter 2: When G-d Things Happen to Sick People, Chapter 3: Single, Chapter 4: Human Spectacles, Chapter 5: Malignant and Indignant, Chapter 6: Something in the Air, Chapter 7: Mortality Bites, Chapter 8: The Myth of Eternal Optimism, and Chapter 9: It Girl.

Let’s get started!  Chapter 10!

Mallory:

The moral of this chapter is you are your own best advocate.  Know what procedures, treatments, surgeries, etc. are being used to cure your cancer and why.  If you don’t understand the side effects of something, ask.  Get a second opinion, always.  You are the boss or your own body.

I remember my own appointment with my second opinion oncologist, who I ended up receiving care from.  She spent a good 10 minutes reading out loud through a pamphlet she gave me detailing the side effects of each of the chemo drugs they would give me.  I finally had to stop her and ask, “what will happen if we do nothing?”  Without skipping a beat she replied, “oh, the cancer will kill you.”  It may seem like an odd question to you, but with all of the info she was giving me, the alternative of not getting treatment was never discussed…I wanted to know so I asked.  I’m sure glad I did.

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Thanks for joining us for our Chapter 10: The Fix of Everything Changes: The Insider’s Guide to Cancer in Your 20s and 30s!  Join in next Monday for Chapter 11: Off the Map.

If you’re just joining us, here are some logistics:

We will talk about a chapter each Monday until the book is done.  Then, we’ll use one more Monday to talk about general feelings from the book and anything else you’d like to discuss.  Join in, in the comments every week!  Also, there will probably be spoilers.  Read along with us!

How are you enjoying our young adult cancer book club?

Welcome to the comments and discussion of Chapter 9: It Girl of the book, Everything Changes: The Insider’s Guide to Cancer in Your 20s and 30s!  Catch up on Chapter 1: Ramenonmics, Chapter 2: When G-d Things Happen to Sick People, Chapter 3: Single, Chapter 4: Human Spectacles, Chapter 5: Malignant and Indignant, Chapter 6: Something in the Air, Chapter 7: Mortality Bites, and Chapter 8: The Myth of Eternal Optimism.

Let’s get started!  Chapter 9!

Mallory:

This chapter is really focused on the struggles that cancer causes, both for the young adult survivor but also for spouses and caregivers.  Mary Ann, the young adult survivor featured most prominently, speaks of her bodily changes, her husband’s strength and commitment to her and her care, and to the importance of improving quality of life during a diagnosis and into treatment and survivorship.  So much in her life has changed and she is still actively navigating all of it.

The resource section features a number of great organizations to help with support, financial assistance, and student life.

“When you have a disease like cancer, who you are changes and you have to find out who you’ve become and what you are supposed to do.”  Well said, Mary Ann.

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Thanks for joining us for our Chapter 9: It Girl of Everything Changes: The Insider’s Guide to Cancer in Your 20s and 30s!  Join in next Monday for Chapter 10: The Fix.

If you’re just joining us, here are some logistics:

We will talk about a chapter each Monday until the book is done.  Then, we’ll use one more Monday to talk about general feelings from the book and anything else you’d like to discuss.  Join in, in the comments every week!  Also, there will probably be spoilers.  Read along with us!

How are you enjoying our young adult cancer book club?

Welcome to the comments and discussion of Chapter 8: The Myth of Eternal Optimism of the book, Everything Changes: The Insider’s Guide to Cancer in Your 20s and 30s!  Catch up on Chapter 1: Ramenonmics, Chapter 2: When G-d Things Happen to Sick People, Chapter 3: Single, Chapter 4: Human Spectacles, Chapter 5: Malignant and Indignant, Chapter 6: Something in the Air, and Chapter 7: Mortality Bites.

Let’s get started!  Chapter 8!

Mary:

Hi guys! I have been MIA for several weeks now dealing with my own health issues. But I am so excited to be able to return, especially for this week’s book discussion. At the end of this chapter, there is a reference section that talks about palliative care. I have been in palliative care for over a year now and it is the best thing I have done in quite some time. I go to Emory’s Palliative Care Clinic and work with the professionals on the Supportive Care Team. I really can’t say enough wonderful, amazing, fabulous things about this clinic. Palliative care isn’t just about pain management. It’s about caring for you as a whole person.

After reading this chapter, I have realized a few things: that I am not alone in thinking some doctors have absolutely no filter to prevent themselves from making snide comments, that patients need to realize if their physician treats them badly or doesn’t provide them with the support they need it is okay to find a new physician, and that your physician should never cause you to feel poorly about yourself. Your doctor is supposed to be there for you. Not only is he/she there to prescribe the appropriate treatment for your condition, he/she is there to revise your course of therapy and provide additional or alternate treatment depending on your response. A good doctor will ask you how you are doing, understand what you are saying, and help you come up with an action plan without judging you for the way you feel.

Be honest with how you are feeling. With living in the South I find myself automatically responding “good” to the question of “how are you?” Even if you are in the grocery store and you run into your neighbor or friend, be honest. If you aren’t honest, people won’t know you need help with laundry, cleaning, yardwork, childcare, etc. It is totally okay if you feel like death warmed over or if you want to crawl under a rock and never come out. I have been there and still have days where I just want people to understand that I don’t feel well.

Finally, if you are contemplating suicide please contact your physician, social worker, or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK.

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Thanks for joining us for our Chapter 8: The Myth of Eternal Optimism of Everything Changes: The Insider’s Guide to Cancer in Your 20s and 30s!  Join in next Monday for Chapter 9: It Girl.

If you’re just joining us, here are some logistics:

We will talk about a chapter each Monday until the book is done.  Then, we’ll use one more Monday to talk about general feelings from the book and anything else you’d like to discuss.  Join in, in the comments every week!  Also, there will probably be spoilers.  Read along with us!

How are you enjoying our Everything Changes book club?