Living with Cancer

Penny Owen

This moving book by a cancer sufferer currently in remission is an inspiration to all who are touched in any way by this tragic illness - which means practically everybody, for who has not lost a family member or friend to cancer? For Penny Owen, it struck first at the breast, then moved to the bone. In her book she surveys the whole process of diagnosis and explains the treatment options which are available, both orthodox and alternative. She does not give medical advice, but matter-of-factly explains what is involved, what the side effects can be, and the role of all the helping agencies, from doctors and nurses to family and friends, chemists, ambulance personnel and dieticians. She includes some entries from her personal diary at different stages since the illness was first diagnosed in 1981, right through to the present day: the ups as well as the downs, and her reactions to what was happening to her. This is a book you would not be afraid to give to a cancer patient, for in knowledge lies strength.