Picking Up the Pieces: Moving Forward after Surviving Cancer

by Sherri Magee

Stepping back into everyday life after having faced a life-threatening illness is not as simple as it sounds. Now what? How do you pick up the pieces of your life and put them back together again? There are no guidelines to follow once treatment for cancer finishes--no bridge from hospital to home. How do you discuss the variety of changes you are experiencing when you may not even know how to describe them? All you know is that you are confused and that you feel out of sync with yourself and with others. Picking Up the Pieces will guide you through this difficult time. Reassuring, realistic, and insightful, this book presents a unique four-phase process with useful daily practices to support you along your recovery journey. Drawing on the inspiring voices of cancer survivors, the authors give practical advice on how to design your own unique Healing Plan, including suggestions on ways to handle physical side effects and stress, and how to connect with yourself, with others, and with a higher power. They provide informational and educational resources and professional support services, and they suggest ways that you may find healing through your own contributions and creativity. For the more than 10 million cancer survivors in North America who have spent months and, in many cases, years, battling disease, this book is essential for reclaiming mind, body, and spirit to move forward with recovery.

See a talk by co-author Kathy
 

Genres: Health

322 pages, Paperback

First published March 15, 2007

Reviews

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so grateful to have found this resource and recommend it to anyone who has gone through the life altering experience of being diagnosed with cancer. However, wait until you are done treatment.

I found it overwhelming at first because of the self scans it has you do to assess where you are at. However, it does bring to light things that you should think about. It is important you tackle this material with some sort of support - preferably a therapist or some sort of trained professional. This book was provided to me as part of a facilitated group. Especially for young adults, this content should not be tackled alone.

There are many quotes from cancer patients that will resonate, since they come from all walks of life. There are also exercises (vision board, and healing and action plans) that help you focus on what you want to strive towards. Highly recommend.

[Leslie Barrett Garel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great resource to go through after cancer to help you move forward. I borrowed it from the cancer center to read, but have now bought my own copy to go through the steps more carefully. It may be 10 years old, but one of the best resources I've found.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. I read this during my own Cancer journey. It was written in a very sensitive manner, and had a lot of suggestions and some activities throughout. You'll want to have your journal and a pen handy. This book was like a caring and empathetic friend who understood. Definitely 5 stars!

[My Life Continued · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book to support one's continued journey. Life begins anew after treatment ends.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful reflections from survivors about how to put cancer in the past but remembering lessons learned as you move forward.

[Brianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book certainly helped in the bizarro post-treatment phase of healing as you reckon with the realization of "Holy crap....what just happened to me for the past year????"
The book contains self-inventory questions that help you to evaluate where you are at in your healing as well as some practical suggestions for sorting through the tremendous amount of emotion that you are left with after enduring a cancer experience.
The little snippets from other cancer survivors were --at times--distracting, but overall it was a good book to read at that point in my life.
It makes you feel less crazy when you can't just "let it go" as you think you're supposed to.
If you're a cancer survivor, I would DEFINITELY recommend this book. If you are close to a cancer survivor, I might recommend flipping through it for some empathy.

[Alexandra Chauran · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was sort of like the cancer version of What to Expect When You're Expecting in that it is a depressing and panic-inducing list of all the horrible things that can go wrong with your life after surviving cancer. I actually did enjoy all of the trite clichés and metaphors, but I feel like there's probably a Chicken Soup for the Soul book for that and I was looking for more substance in such a thick tome.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a cancer survivor, this is a book that I will always read and recommend. It was recommended to me by another survivor, and came to me at that frozen, post treatment time. I felt confused and alone in my thoughts - but just reading the intro made me realize others felt EXACTLY what I was feeling. I followed the writing exercises and learned so much about myself... I haven't looked at this book in ages but will consider it read as of now. Two years later (post treatment) and I am a new person loving my life!

[Myra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the most helpful book I read during my cancer surgery recovery period. Well-organized strategies for becoming a cancer survivor with good suggestions concerning emotional, physical,and spiritual ways to evolve after having cancer. Good use of quotes from actual cancer survivors. I recommend this book to anyone coping with a cancer diagnosis.

[LeAnne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written, insider details.

[Mary Moore · Rating 1 out of 5]

repetitive, fluffy-headed self-help nonsense. My advice: do not waste time on this book; read a good novel instead