Life After Cancer: Coping with a Cancer Verdict

This is a story told by a cancer survivor unlike any other story: from the initial shock and disbelief of the diagnosis to the search for answers, second and third opinions, and alternative treatment options; from having to make very painful and life changing decisions to the eventual recovery and return to a normal, productive, and happy life. This is a story of one man's struggle to understand recurrence after recurrence of colon cancer; of dealing not only with the effects of chemotherapy treatment, but also the psychological effects of life after cancer: living with an ostomy pouch as a replacement for the colon that had to be removed; learning to operate the alternative system for the elimination of the body's waste material; and the slow process of accepting and loving a new body. The lessons learned from this experience can benefit all cancer patients and their loved ones, from the newly diagnosed to those who are in remission. In addition, the medical establishment, which struggles every day with the ever increasing load of work involved in caring for these patients, can also benefit from the author's story and learn better ways to communicate with and understand patients undergoing cancer treatment.