“‘You have cancer’ are three of the scariest words you will ever hear,” says Nina Kramer, author of the new book, The Harrowing Medical Journey of a Cancer Survivor. “But how you react after hearing those words can mean the difference between thriving and deteriorating.”
Kramer’s journey through the world of cancer treatment began in 2000 when she was diagnosed with bladder cancer. Every year over 73,000 people are diagnosed with the disease in the United States. Men are three times more likely than women to develop it and about 5% will die from the disease, but the death rate has been declining over the past twenty years.
Like many, Kramer’s journey began with a routine physical. What followed was anything but routine. Her first detour began with a trusted doctor. She liked him and followed his instructions faithfully but, as she was to learn, he was not giving her the best and most advanced treatments. The number one rule when facing an illness as serious as cancer, she quickly discovered, is to do your research and seek out the best doctors and institutions that treat your disease.
The Harrowing Medical Journey of a Cancer Survivor is Kramer’s courageous story as she copes with a severe illness that lasted more than a decade. It began with a diagnosis of low-grade bladder cancer, continued with the removal and/or reconstruction of vital organs, and ended with dialysis and a kidney transplant. Although the story is specific to bladder cancer and its aftermath, it covers aspects inherent in any serious, and sometimes life-threatening, illness.
With candor, honesty and life-affirming messages, The Harrowing Medical Journey of a Cancer Survivor shares:
- The impact of emotions on surviving a serious illness – fear, denial, anger, anxiety and depression can have devastating results
- The search for experts – the single most important thing you can do when battling a severe illness is to find the best hospitals and doctors specializing in your disease
- The focus on other passions – engrossing yourself in activities other than the illness to relieve your mind from the constant anxiety of worrying about it
- The importance of cancer support groups and psychotherapy – talking to other people can help you explore your feelings so they don’t interfere with or hamper your recovery
- Spending time on what you love – do everything you can to fight your illness, but spend time doing the things that bring you pleasure and satisfaction
- Having sex – the human contact and intimacy, as well as the erotic pleasure, can be a wonderful antidote to pain and misery
“I wanted to share my story with other cancer victims,” adds Kramer. “As I travelled this frightening medical journey, I learned a lot about how to survive and even thrive under sometimes terrifying circumstances. I wanted to share this experience in the hope that it would help others undergoing frightening medical journeys.
Nina Kramer, is a published novelist and author of the new nonfiction ebook, The Harrowing Medical Journey of a Cancer Survivor. She has held various positions from journals manager to assistant vice president with medical, scientific and technical publishers while pursuing her craft as a writer. While undergoing cancer treatment, she made an arduous trip through some remote locations in China—described in her Medical Journey book—as research for her next novel set in the Middle Kingdom, Phoenix Rising; Tigers Flying. She divides her time between New York City and Stockbridge, MA.
Blog: http://ninaikramer.wordpress.com/cancer
The Harrowing Medical Journey of a Cancer Survivor is available in ebook format through www.authorhouse.com. www.amazon.com, www.barnesandnoble.com, and all online booksellers.
