SELF-HELP
The will to live
|
`The book is ultimately a paean to man's fighting spirit... '
|
ANUP KUMAR'S The Joy of Cancer raised quite a few eyebrows with its title. How could anyone speak of joy in the same breath as the dreaded word cancer? But the book was ultimately a paean to man's fighting spirit. As is his new book Smiles and Tears: A Salute To Cancer.
This book contains around 23 stories of people who fought the Big C with courage and indomitable spirit. The first three chapters are extracted from The Joy of Cancer and detail the author's personal battle and his battle plan.
Then come the accounts of patients. Some survived, some didn't, but apart from an initial period of disbelief, they rally their spirits to fight for their lives. While each patient has to chalk out his/her game plan to cope with their changed circumstances, there are certain common features. Support from family, friends and colleagues. Faith. A willingness to tread new paths in terms of treatment.
The language is stark and direct. There is no attempt to gloss over physical or mental problems. "I am a cancer survivor" by Poonam Bagai details the terrible depression that seizes some. Some work their way out of the Slough of Despond as she did; others learn to live with it. Manoj Khaker in "The truth about tobacco-related cancer" deals with the disfigurement that comes with cancer of the jaw. Especially poignant are the stories "A rare form of cancer" and "The power of relationships".
Except in two of the stories, ("The truth about tobacco-related cancer" and "Flying ... as a cancer survivor"), the others all have sympathetic and caring husbands/ wives/ parents/ siblings. The book underscores the need for the family support — the more supportive they are, the better the patient is able to cope.
Surprising as it may sound, the book is testimony to the fact that cancer teaches one to live better, to connect with others, to re-establish links that have been lost.
An appendix on "Frequently Asked Questions" attempts to dispel some of the myths that still surround this disease. There are tips on recognising the symptoms, treatment, reducing chances of cancer, on diets, hereditary aspects and, most importantly, coping with cancer and its attendant pain.
R. KRITHIKA
Smiles and Tears: A Salute To Cancer, Anup Kumar, Rupa & Co., p.272, Rs. 295.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Literary Review
