F*** You Cancer
Not too unsuprising, but Deborah James’s book F*** You Cancer is about their experience with cancer and how much it sucks. Perfect title in my opinion. Right from the get-go, Debroah James does a great job of letting readers know that this book isn't going to offer false hope or cures for the “Big-C”, and that sets the scene for the book going forward. The author doesn't hold back about how much cancer sucks, but also doesn't spend the book in self-pity and suffering.
I know that I am not the target audience for this book; this is clearly aimed at people who have had a diagnosis of cancer, and loosely aimed at those who know people who have had a diagnosis. Thankfully, I don't currently fall into either camp. Nonetheless, the book does an amazing job of informing the reader of what life is like for those who have cancer and highlights the reality of the various treatments available. A very valuable insight for anybody, I feel, as people tend to shy away from the realities of cancer, and most media that I have encountered in passing likes to focus on the positive side of treatment when it comes to cancer.
Adding to this insight is that the author knows that there's no treatment that can stop them from dying, their diagnoses are terminal, and treatment is only going to prolong life. This is important because, by reading this, you can see how they weigh up the impacts of another round of treatment against the possible days or months it might give them. I couldn't help but remember the words of 33 Meditations on Death when reading this book. What is the purpose of prolonging life if that extra time is only pain and suffering?
I really feel that this is the book I was originally looking for when I read How to Live When You Could Be Dead as it has given the insight I feel that book was dearly missing at times. Whilst this may sound like a criticism, it really isn't, but the book has a tendency to focus on being a woman with cancer, which is understandable given the author's world lens. It does a good job trying to step out of this world lens, though, and to combat this, the author has included sections that are from other people's experiences and stories of living with cancer. I really felt that this was a great inclusion, as it wasn't needed or expected. I know I was reading about the author's experience from the beginning. So, additional inclusion was a pleasant inclusion, and I feel it could have been a standalone book in its own right with a few more stories.
On top of everything else, F*** You Cancer is full of myth-busting about common misunderstandings of cancer and what apparently helps or worsens the experience of treatment. I really do feel that this book is an excellent starting point for anybody who has had cancer enter their life, be that personally or through a friend or family member. Whilst it won't tell you all you need to know, it will give you an honest and open start to your journey.
There is endless value in people letting others in to the hardest moments of their lives, and I thank Deborah James for letting us in to the moments included within the pages of this book.