Imagine that at a moment, on some day, at no particular time, you or I or someone we love is diagnosed with cancer. This moment changes your or my life forever. Our world is turned upside down as we hurtle through space, disoriented with fear, unable to think clearly. What are we to do first? Who do we turn to? How do we cope?

Imagine now a nurse who has worked with hundreds of people in this situation. A nurse who loves her patients, and has learned from their experiences. A nurse who takes us by the hand and leads us on a journey of discovery, about cancer, what it is, how to live with it, and if necessary, how to die from it. "Mind, Body, and Soul" is such a journey, and Nancy Hassett Dahm is that very nurse. It is a personal journey, informed by her life and her work, enriched by the stories of the people whose lives have touched her. Ultimately it is an inspiring, comforting, and important journey for all of us, no matter who we are or what we do.

For some of us, a cancer diagnosis will mean a series of long and sometimes difficult treatments. It may require having to negotiate systems, and redefining the way that we see ourselves: accepting help from others in ways we never have; being more assertive than we are used to; dealing with changes in our bodies; and coping with feelings of need, embarrassment, and even humiliation.

Some of us will have great success with the treatment, and will continue to live healthy and happy lives for many years to come, while others of us will die. If it becomes clear that we are going to die, how do we do so free of pain, with dignity and love?

As I read this book, I noticed different facets of my identity being called forth. Sometimes I found myself as a doctor, remembering patients I had known in my internship, and wondering whether there was more I could have done for some of them. I remembered the woman who spent several hours describing to me, a 22-year-old medical student, what it was like to be dying. She told me things she had never told CLICK HERE to continue