Things I Wish I'd Known

Family caregivers are the unsung heroes of the life-saving drama that's triggered by a cancer diagnosis. Nearly three quarters of American households will find themselves caring for a cancer patient at one point in their lives. This book is the first to capture their thoughts, feelings, and insights on a large scale. It is based on 101 formal interviews with non-professional caregivers (some of whom are cancer survivors themselves), covering 122 patients in 19 states and Canada who ranged in age from 2 to 92 and faced 40 different cancer diagnoses. Practical lessons drawn from caregivers' experiences are intermingled with their own words to forge a compelling narrative intended to help both patients and their family caregivers to understand and cope with the full range of issues they should anticipate as they fight the battle of their lives.