This is essential reading for those who have been diagnosed with bowel cancer and their supporters (family & friends). It should enable them all to hold open discussions on the condition and the options for future treatment.......and with medical science advancing at such a pace, it is helpful to be informed for these conversations.
Firstly, the authors should receive the Clarity Mark from the Plain English Campaign for the way in which they have created a very readable book from detailed medical information:
1. It is written with clarity in a straightforward manner, that makes it easy to understand (and which demonstrates that real experts do not need to use long and complex sentences to explain their subject)
2. Each medical term is written in bold and defined on the page on which it is first used............so you can see the context immediately, without a need to refer to the Glossary at the back of the book (which is still there, should you need it).
3. Every few pages there are examples headed `My Experience' as case studies to show what's happening today in the real world. These are supported by details called `myth' and `fact' that demonstrate how far medical science has advanced (which, in terms of bowel cancer, for many people is far from the `death sentence' that it was 10-15 years ago)
When I was first diagnosed with colon cancer, everyone said to me "you are a positive person, Iain, you will fight back and win against this"............well intentioned advice to be sure, but somehow it was advice in a vacuum.........what does `fight' mean when the `enemy' is a disease? How can you fight something that you can't see?
Summary: The first requirement when drama strikes, of course, is knowledge............and that's where this book helped me very much..........through better understanding of what had happened, I was able to handle much better the discussions with my supporters..........and with well-wishers who did not quite know what to say........most of all, it helped us to start to prioritise the decisions for the future.............