Finally, from a wife's point of view-an unflinchingly honest, rarely written about, and stunning account of one couple's struggles and transformation through diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer.
In this compelling narrative and informational guidebook, Victoria Hallerman addresses everything from redefining intimacy to dealing with her own grief, anger, and loneliness as she recounts, in beautifully written prose, her "wife's-eye view" of the six-year journey that changed the landscape of her and her husband's lives, and altered the course of her career as a poet.
The Hallermans were married 33 years when Dean first got the news about cancer, but he didn't tell his wife for six days. "It was easy not to tell. In fact, if I didn't say anything, then it wasn't real," Dean recounts in one of many sidebars throughout the book. Now cancer-free, Dean lent his voice to his wife's book in order to share his experience surviving the cure. As Victoria writes, "This book began as a journal to save my wits. It morphed into a cautionary tale regretting the many errors we made as patient and partner...I hope others can benefit from our training in the school of experience."
How We Survived Prostate Cancer offers:
* Invaluable "What We Know Now" nuggets of hard-won advice
* "In Dean's Words": comments on the treatment's aftermath
* Stories of other couples' experiences drawn from the author's exclusive interviews with other wives
* Revealing insights on dealing with impotence, the redefinition of sex and intimacy, urinary difficulties, mood swings due to medication and stress, the caregiver's grief and anger, and much more
* A discussion of treatment options and questions to ask doctors
* Dr. Peter Albert's Top Ten List for Patients and Partners
* Comprehensive Glossary and Resource section.
