A Guy's Guide to Throat Cancer: Do's and Don'ts for Recovery - chemotherapy prayers hydration chemo-brain radiation-therapy lymphedema dry-mouth CT-Scan Peg-Tube CaringBridge

by Edmund A Rossman III

Overview

A Guy's Guide to Throat Cancer is based on the CaringBridge journal entries Ed wrote during his battle with cancer. CaringBridge is a social media platform for people with illness to easily keep all those interested in their treatments and locations as informed as possible in an efficient way. His upbeat approach in these entries were to encourage his friends, family and colleagues to look at life through a guy's eyes, not a being a victim, and with faith in the Lord that he would pull through. Writing as if he was discussing things on a bar stool, not a hospital room. Whether it's using a dartboard in discussing chemotherapy injections, tanks and missiles in describing radiation treatments, sports analogies related to nutrition or rocking guitars to keep things high energy and fun, Ed presents the challenges of throat cancer in everyman language that'll be helpful for patients and caregivers alike. His medical treatment spanned the Lenten season, and his journal entries and discussions contain many daily mass readings that provided him and his "crew" with a spiritual scaffolding of support. The biblical messages of faith, perseverance and gratitude are tonic to anyone, not just guys, in going through this life-changing disease.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781098015336
Publisher:	Christian Faith
Publication date:	12/19/2019
Pages:	138
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.38(d)

Editorial Reviews

03/29/2021

With a raw and upfront approach, cancer survivor Rossman (40+ New Revenue Sources for Libraries and Nonprofits) shares his journey through treatment for stage 4B oropharyngeal cancer. His opening mantra—“When cancer kicks you in the —, have it kick you forward”—starts this candid memoir off with a bang and exemplifies his upbeat, can-do attitude even in the face of a life-threatening disease. Rossman balances exhaustive details of his chemotherapy and radiation trials with uplifting touches of Christian faith and an influx of frank humor: “I would hate to have the radiation gun overheat! No Star Trek phasers on overload needed here!” By giving readers an inside view of his CaringBridge entries during the course of treatment, and expounding further on related experiences, he offers a grueling, behind-the-scenes ride that fortunately ends in triumph.

Rossman connects by eschewing privacy and formality. He unflinchingly exposes the brutal side of treatment, from being able to “feel the burn” in his taste buds and salivary glands to his almost full time use of a feeding tube, but fights the temptation to feel sorry for himself (“Jesus didn’t indulge in pity on Calvary”). He strikes a welcome balance between encouragement and reality, all while offering practical advice to help readers facing their own cancer battles ease their physical, mental, and emotional suffering–including an array of coping skills that gave him hope on the darkest days.

Rossman offers real nuggets of wisdom, such as employing “this week” as a refrain to stay in the present, and a sobering “ don’t think I’ve ever been surrounded by so much sickness and death” on his last day of chemotherapy. Readers whose lives are touched by cancer will appreciate the entertainment factor as much as the valuable lessons Rossman delivers in this direct, engaging chronicle.

Takeaway: A thoroughly detailed chronicle of throat cancer treatment balanced with touching positivity and candid humor.

Great for fans of: Lysa TerKeurst’s It’s Not Supposed To Be This Way, Chris Geiger’s The Cancer Survivors Club.

Production grades Cover: C Design and typography: A Illustrations: N/A Editing: A Marketing copy: C

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