The Wellness Community Guide to Fighting for Recovery from Cancer

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Summary: This is about cancer recovery, not living or dying with it.
Review: If you, or someone you love, has cancer, this book teaches --- step by step --- how to move from victim to victor. Benjamin explains how to make a series of decisions to fight for your recovery rather than turn the responsibility over to the physician. This isn't alternative medicine, it is a complement to conventional treatment and it has the enthusiastic support of Sloan-Kettering, Jonsson Comprehensive (UCLA), and Dr. Susan Love. More than 75% of the book is specific, concrete advice designed to help a cancer patient regain hope, eliminate anger, prepare for surgery, deal with the pain of radiation or chemo, and form a productive partnership with your doctor. Benjamin founded The Wellness Community, which is the place that Gilda Radner praised so highly in her book. His approach was *by far* the most helpful book I found to help me cope with the fear and the sense of aloneness that I experienced when I was unbelievably diagnosed with stage T2 tonsil cancer two years ago (age 42). Benjamin is clear that no one is to blame if the course of the disease doesn't go as hoped. But he also points out that by improving the quality of your life, you may strengthen your immune system, which may enhance your chances for recovery. Benjamin drives home that cancer isn't a death sentence. This approach was revolutionary for me. Benjamin changed the way that I, as a patient, dealt with cancer and in doing so I changed the way that my physicians dealt with me. I had hope and I took an active role. My doctors told me that I came through it all "far better than most." What could be better than that?