Book Review: Facing Cancer as a Friend, Heather Erickson

Reviewed by me for the Readers’ Favorite website and copied here:

Facing Cancer as a Friend: How to Support Someone Who Has Cancer is Volume I of Heather Erickson’s “Facing Cancer …” series. Facing Cancer as a Friend is a simple and direct look at the many aspects and possibilities of everyone – from closest friends, to neighborhood acquaintances, to a church support system. There is room for everyone. If someone thinks that he or she will only botch things up, or that there is already so much support for the patient and family, there’s valuable information for such an unsure or awkward person. There’s sound advice about “reading” the feelings and points of view of the patient, family, and other caregivers. Some people are fiercely independent while others are happy to accept help and are grateful.

There is also a section on what NOT to do as a friend. This is an important study for everyone.
Heather Erickson, the wife of a Stage IV lung cancer patient and mother of three, has many suggestions for what would be helpful to the patient and the family. Meals, gift cards, movie nights, chores, and more, are things that might not come to mind readily, but the list contained here gives the reader lots to think about. Caregivers shouldn’t be allowed to burn out from exhaustion or excess stress.

Volume I of the “Facing Cancer …” series is a knockout. It’s a pleasure to be able to recommend this book to friends of cancer patients. I’m betting that the follow-up volumes (books and journals) are equally as sensible, helpful, and powerful.

Facing Cancer as a Friend

Amazon US link