Florence Strang

Written by two cancer warriors/survivors, each short chapter shares a personal, memoirish "Perk" by psychologist Flo, and an informative health tip by nurse Susan.

In the sense that nobody wants to be reading about cancer for fun and giggles, it's not a fun book, but the tone is chatty and light and filled with humor. So if you MUST read about cancer, for yourself or a loved one, this is an excellent book to add to your library. Although both authors are breast cancer survivors, it's not ALL about the breast cancer, but is mostly about surviving cancer in general.

There are laugh out loud cartoons about the cancer journey, and also photos. However, even though I got the big copy of the book (9 x 7 1/2") some of the black & white photos don't always show clearly. Possible with the e-book version and a reading device that allows zooming in, they'd be easier to see. Others were a wonderful addition to the journey here.

Flo is a woman of faith, and there are occasional, not off-putting references to God and prayer. If you are agnostic or other, this book shouldn't offend you; if you are looking for a more spiritual connection, you might want to add other books that center more around faith.

Susan's health tips focus on getting away from the chemically processed foods, skin creams, pesticide-laden produce, etc., that may have had a hand in creating the cancer in the first place. Even though I'm a VERY picky eater, I found many of the recipes and suggestions quite appetizing, though I am still somewhat dubious about the healthy chocolate cupcakes made with beets and dates.

As the authors state in closing: "We do not expect that you adopt every practice in this book. Take what resonates with you and leave the rest." With over 100 perks and tips, there is plenty of excellent material to choose from.… (más)

Disclaimer: I received this book free from Smith Publicity -- Basic Health Publications in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any form of compensation.

Having been recently diagnosed, I started looking for books that might help me to get a grasp on what I am going through and what to expect. This book not only did that but it also brought a much needed smile to my face. I absolutely loved all the humor that the authors instilled into this book. They had both gone through this and knew the fears and anxiety that come along with being diagnosed with cancer.

Not only that, but they were able to survive it. There are basically two types of things in this book: perks and tips. The perks are much more humorous ways to deal with your cancer. The tips are more factual things to do in order to help your body cope with the strain it is being put under.

Florence is a survivor of stage 3 Breast Cancer. Not only that but she is a Registered Psychologist. So not only does she know on a professional level how to develop good coping mechanisms, but she has been there as well. Susan is also a Breast Cancer survivor as well as a Registered Nurse. Both women have both the professional know how plus the practical know how to help others. This is exactly what they do with this book.

The perks were things that you could do to help you cope more on an emotional level. Plus there were things that you wouldn't otherwise be able to do without having the cancer. Such as getting someone to massage your feet. Most people would absolutely refuse to do this unless you paid them. However, they were mentioning that they were able to get people to do this much more often for them because people felt sorry for them because of having cancer.

Tips were things that you could do to help your body get strong enough to carry you through the struggle of the various treatments. There were things to avoid as well as things to do.

Even if you don't have cancer, this book can also give lots of insight into how to deal with any type of major illness.… (más)