Living with Cancer

Gayle Leslie Henderson

Description

This self-help book offers a look at the author’s personal cancer journey, sharing how it was shaped by strong faith and a positive, can-do attitude.
In November of 2015, author Gayle Leslie Henderson was admitted to the hospital with an acute sciatica episode with extraordinary pain,
which had never occurred before and has never occurred again. Her ultimate diagnosis remains HR-positive HER2-negative postmenopausal
metastatic bilateral breast cancer, stage IV. That’s not where the story ends, instead, it’s where this story begins.
In Living with Cancer, Henderson offers a collection of fourteen independent essays from her journals that stand on their own. Each chapter focuses on aspects of her journey after her cancer diagnosis and highlights lessons that cry out to be shared. The chapter division pages feature mandala images to color that encourage you to exercise your creativity with bold coloring and personal interpretation.
Highly influenced by Henderson’s spiritual journey, Living with Cancer offers guidance and tips for learning to manage and live with your new reality from someone who’s been there and understands. She hopes to help lighten your burden and give you a sense of comfort that you’re not alone.

Sujets

• Mindfulness
• Medical
• Biography
• Mindfulness (Buddhism)
• Self-help
• Spirituality
• Community
• Survivors
• Autobiography
• Cancer

Informations

• Publié par: iUniverse
• Date de parution: 18 juillet 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781532089275
• Langue: English

Extrait

LIVING WITH CANCER
 
Life’s Big Lessons in Small Doses
 
 
 
 
GAYLE LESLIE HENDERSON
 
 
 

 
LIVING WITH CANCER
LIFE’S BIG LESSONS IN SMALL DOSES
 
Copyright © 2022 Gayle Leslie Henderson.
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
 
 
 
 
iUniverse
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.iuniverse.com
844-349-9409
 
Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
Interior Image Credit: Jan Cyr and CWLIFE_Photography
 
ISBN: 978-1-5320-8928-2 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-5320-8926-8 (hc)
ISBN: 978-1-5320-8927-5 (e)
 
 
Library of Congress Control Number: 2022911147
 
iUniverse rev. date: 07/15/2022
To my one-of-a-kind Auntie Ma xine
CONTENTS
Preface
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1Meeting Your Diagnosis Face-to-Face
a.Patient Responsibilities, Critical to the Outcome
b.How Can I Be Most Effective?
c.The Role of the Good Samaritan
d.And I Was Not Alone
Chapter 2Where Do You Find Your Courage?
a.Understanding Fears Reveals a Guide Map to Developing Courage
b.Finding the Key to Unlocking Courage
c.Unlocking the Puzzle to Find Your Courage
d.Courage May Lie in Free Will
e.Self-Love
Chapter 3Don’t Overlook the Details
a.Eliminate the Excess
b.Create a Solid Purpose
c.Calendar Everything
d.Managing Daily Responsibilities
e.Big Shoes to Fill
f.Becoming the CEO of You
Chapter 4Stay Strong: You Never Know Who You Might Inspire
a.A Year of Yes: Shonda Rhimes
b.St. Ignatius: A Man for the Ages
c.Seek Guidance and Follow Your Role Models
d.A Lucky Life Interrupted: Tom Brokaw
e.The Power of the Word
f.“I Understand. I’ve Been There.” Charles Stanley
g.TV Personalities Share Healing Stories
h.What Does Stay Strong Involve?
Chapter 5“Once You Choose Hope, Anything Can Happen”
a.“Every Action is a Moral Action,” Thomas Aquinas
b.Finding Community among Complete Strangers
c.Preparing for the Next Phase of My Journey: Chemotherapy
d.Hope Is a Seedling for Gratitude
e.Faith: A Foundation for Hope and a Positive Attitude
Chapter 6Your Mind Wants to Do What Your Body Can’t Do
a.The Emergence of Integrative Medicine
b.How a Can-Do Focus Promotes Living with a Purpose
c.Your Mind and Body Learn a New Routine
Chapter 7Stay in the Moment: Living with Cancer
a.The Secret Weapon: Good Nutrition
b.How to Best Utilize Those Who Offer Help
c.The Smartwatch: A Safety and Security Tool
d.Embrace the Preferential Present: Live Today Fully
Chapter 8Fears Can’t Consume You If You Don’t Give Them Power
a.Coping with Fears
b.Little Control over One’s Life Tops Patient Concerns
c.Living with Cancer Reflections: Posttreatment
d.Palliative Care and Hospice Demystified
e.Escaping the Labyrinth of Anxiety
Chapter 9Lessons Learned Should Be Lessons Shared
a.God Never Intended That We Keep the Lessons Learned to Ourselves
b.Developing a Personal Relationship with God
c.The Rule of One in a Row
d.Understand Others Before Asking to Be Understood
e.My Next Step: An Extraordinary Journey of Healing and Hope
Chapter 10Music Heals the Soul
a.Music Therapy Has a Broad Scope of Influence
Chapter 11Color Your Way to Being at Peace
Chapter 12Your Beloved Pet is a Grace from God
a.Loyal and Dutiful Service Dogs
b.Miniature Therapy Horses Gaining Popularity
c.Assistive Support through Pet Therapy
d.Learn More about Canine Characteristics
e.Your Beloved Pet: A Valued Companion
Chapter 13A Conversation with God: Ignatian Form of Prayer
a.Experience a Transformative Conversation
b.Meaningful Conversations Need Not Be Rehearsed
Chapter 14Greet Each Day with a Grateful Heart
a.Acknowledge All that Serves You
b.Gratitude from within Us
c.Everybody Needs a Good Laugh
d.A Life of Purpose Built on Gratitude
Conclusion
Afterword
Appendix A: Gratitude List
Appendix B: Stay Connected, Share Your Lessons Learned
Appendix C: Simplify Your Life Checklist
Appendix D: Medical Marathon Checklist
Appendix E: Resources
Reflections
PREFACE
It was neither a quick decision for me to write this book nor an easy one. It took nearly three years of reflection, followed by four months of planning before I was ready to put pen to paper.
I didn’t initially understand that it might attract a broad audience. But several factors kept leading me to the understanding that this book could be both motivational and inspirational. Friends and colleagues kept nudging me that I had a story that needed to be shared. It carried a purpose I couldn’t ignore. Part of that eventual motivation was my devotion to my one-of-a-kind “Auntie Max,” who died of breast cancer at forty when I was only nine years old. I became so aware of the fragile nature of life that I decided I didn’t want to squander a minute and, in so doing, made some hasty choices over the years.
Several people inspired me to write, even with my illness — some of whom you will meet and whose powerful messages you’ll come to understand. My initial inspiration came from the way journalist Tom Brokaw laid his life out so candidly in what I felt was a courageous tell-all about his journey with multiple myeloma diagnosed in 2013. His book, a Lucky Life Interrupted , was published in winter 2015, at about the same time as my diagnosis. Our cancer paths are very different, and yet there are uncanny similarities. I remember, after turning the last page in his book, saying to myself, I can do this. I can fight with the best of them . He instantly became a significant role model for me.
Charles Stanley, Southern Baptist pastor to thousands in Atlanta, Georgia, ranks high as a prominent figure who possesses a unique storytelling talent. He can take seemingly complex human experiences and translate them into narratives that are heartfelt and relatable to everyday living. What kept haunting me was part of a Charles Stanley video, Wisdom in the Midst of Trials . It details that God only gives us what we can handle, and with our suffering, we learn to equip ourselves to help others in need.
The third outstanding individual you will learn more about is a true hero of historical prominence from the 1500s that I chose to highlight. I give special attention and importance in my lived experiences to St. Ignatius of Loyola. His “Reimagine the Conscience” should get us to the app. This self-guided step-by-step tour stimulates your imagination to develop a better understanding of the personal relationship between God and all of humanity.
You will hear more about these heroes and my role models mentioned in several of the essays, as their attributes aren’t one-dimensional and have a place of honor in several of the narratives.
Living with Cancer: Life’s Big Lessons in Small Doses is a collection of fourteen independent essays from my journals that can stand on their own. Each chapter focuses on aspects of my journey after my cancer diagnosis and highlights lessons that cry out to be shared. The chapter division pages feature penciled borders that beckon you to exercise your creativity with bold coloring and personal interpretation. We will explore the value of coloring in one of the essays.
This narrative does not require you to read cover to cover from the first to the final chapter in sequence. Since each chapter is devoted to a specific topic, I invite you to read whatever might be of interest whenever you are looking for something manageable in length but full of meaningful content. Just browse and select whatever is your mood.
Living with Cancer: Life’s Big Lessons in Small Doses is written for you, the cancer patient, and the family and support groups you have gathered around you. I have a support group of special friendships I call my angels. I am indebted to them for their moral support and for coming to my rescue when desperately needed. One of my angels, who we lost to cancer in 2018, is the artist Jan Cyr, who painted her vision of My Angels . That treasured oil became the first and only choice for this book cover.
I designed the book size so it will be easy to drop in a tote bag with a small box of double-ended, soft-core colored pencils for coloring chapter borders, especially designed to calm the nerves, occupy the mind, and pass the time between appointments. 1
Besides the essays, I developed a robust section included at the end of the book (with both a recommended reading list, as well as appendices compiling worksheets and checklists) that you may wish to save for future reference. Also, consider browsing the appendices periodically as you read to get the full impact of these resources.
Living with Cancer: Life ’ s Big Lessons in Small Doses is my story, which I humbly share with you to sh