On the Shelves,
Book of the Week - Pretoria News, South Africa

Helping guide for all concerned with cancer "Mind, Body, and Soul- A Guide to Living with Cancer" by Nancy Hassett Dahmě

This book is a great help for the patient and the family and friends of the patient. It is written by a nurse who specialized in caring for cancer patients and hospice care.

Her aim is to make the life of the patient comfortable, relaxed and dignified.

The chapters deal with confronting the illness, understanding it, controlling your fears, and dealing pain and the people around you. Although it gives a lot of information on medical care available in the United States, it nevertheless gives ideas and hints on where to find help in your own environment.

The chapter on pain control gives the patient an idea of his or her rights and what to expect, and what drugs are available if the pain gets worse. A pain flow chart is discussed with valuable tips on handling the problem. She encourages the reader to ask questions and ask for help and tells you laughter is a serious medicine.

She discusses home nursing and dying with dignity. She refuses to let a patient feel a burden and suffer and helps the caregiver to make the way easier for the patient.

Nancy Hassett Dahm gives valuable tips and hints on care of the patient, and always bears the patientís well being in mind.

She has a calm, and soothing way of talking you through the problems facing you ahead, and gives instances of answered prayers, visions and miracles. She cannot give you a cure, but she can guide you to better life through knowledge of the problems.

All in all it is a book to help everyone concerned with cancer to face the future with dignity and knowledge.î

Clare Braun, Book Reviewer
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