What Helped Get Me Through My Cancer
Oct 6, 2008 A FirstLook Feature
Book Review: What Helped Get Me Through (American Cancer Society, 2008) by Julie K. Silver, M.D.
Edited by the award winning author, Julie K. Silver, herself a breast cancer survivor, the objective of What Helped Get Me Through is to provide stories, memories, and personal histories in the form of wisdom and hope by cancer survivors to others living with cancer. Dr. Silver surveyed hundreds of cancer survivors from around the world and interviewed medical experts and cancer leaders during her research for What Helped Me Get Through.
What Helped Get Me Through offers guidance, emotional support, and advice to those just diagnosed with cancer and
those undergoing treatment. Cancer survivors have been in the same situation, and speak their own words about survival, pointing out the small details to the major discussions of the emotional, physical, and spiritual aspects of having the disease.
What Helped Me Get Through from cover to cover:
- How to manage fear, uncertainty, and speak with your young children. (Dr. Silver had to do this herself.)
- How to explore and decide upon treatment options.
- How to take care of yourself, spiritually, physically, and emotionally.
- How to interact with your family and friends, allowing them to make a difference.
- What would have helped, but was too difficult to ask for.
- What could have helped at the time of diagnosis.
Dr. Silver also has included short lists which are invaluable:
- 5 Things You Should tell Your Partner Who Has Cancer
- 5 Things To Tell Your Children About Your Cancer
- 5 Things For a Friend To Do
- 5 Things Your Oncologist Should Tell You
- 10 Tips to Help Children and Families
There are many survivors who participated in What Helped Get Me Through, including famous names, that are out on the front lines supporting cancer research today. You’ll recognize Lance Armstrong, Carly Simon, Scott Hamilton, Sharon Osbourne, Susan Vreeland, Elyse Caplan, retired Senator Edward W. Brooke, Lynn Eib, Hester Hill Schnipper, among many many others. Cancer knows no limits of age, race, gender, nor economic position. We are all affected, as What Helped Get Me Through testifies to.
On a personal note, I walked into the emergency room to hear my own father’s diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. We needed this book then. What Helped Me Get Through will encourage many families through diagnosis and treatment, offering hope. Sometimes those days are dark, but there is always hope.
BackStory Byte: Julie K. Silver, M.D. is celebrating her fifth year of breast cancer survivorship. She is also the author of 
more than a dozen books, including: After Cancer Treatment: Heal Faster, Better, Stronger (Johns Hopkins Press), chosen by Library Journal as a top twenty health book (2006) Life After Stroke (Johns Hopkins Press),and Super Healing (Rodale). Dr. Silver has received the American Cancer Society's prestigious Lane Adams Quality of Life award (2006) because she of her dedication to cancer care survivorship. Dr. Silver is an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and a practicing physiatrist in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and on the medical staff at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Silver also holds the title of Chief Editor of Books at Harvard Health Publications.
The American Cancer Society helps people facing cancer get through their treatment and recovery by providing a range of free and confidential programs and services for patients and caregivers, which help people learn about their disease and treatment options, receive everyday help for dealing with cancer challenges, and connect with others for emotional support.
5 Stars
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