1st Edition
Caring for a Young Person with Cancer Professional Guidance for Parents and Partners
This book is an accessible, sensitive, and evidence-based resource for partners, parents, and other family members navigating the heartache and challenges of caring for a young adult with cancer.
When a young person you love is diagnosed with cancer, the impacts on partners and parents is life-altering. In this book, Anne Katz offers her unique perspective as a counselor to help family members as their child or partner goes through diagnosis, treatment, and the years of survivorship. Interweaving clinical practice with evidence-based tips and interventions, each chapter presents the story of a young person with cancer and how the illness impacts those that love them with Dr. Katz providing gentle, targeted advice throughout. The chapters include individuals from diverse backgrounds, such as people across different ages, gender identities, ethnicities, and sexual orientations, as well as reflective questions, with topics covering treatment decision-making, how to care during treatment, letting go, and a resource section pointing readers to where they can seek help.
Written by a leading voice in the field of cancer, the stories and advice provided in this book will help all families and partners apply the lessons learnt to their lived experiences. It will be also of interest to health care providers working with these families, such as clinical social workers and nurses.
1.Introduction 2.The Diagnosis: "Our world has turned upside down" 3. Treatment decision-making: "How can we help?" 4. Caring during treatment: "I’ve never seen anyone so sick; I feel helpless" 5.Living with cancer: "Who can help us at this time?" 6.The aftermath: "I want to have a normal a life!" 7.The unspeakable: "It’s too soon for him to leave us" 8. Key tasks for adolescents: "I’m not a baby! Why can’t they let me be me?" 9.Key tasks for young adults: "I need to make my own way and create my own family" 10. Where to find help: "Who and what can we trust?"
Biography
Anne Katz, PhD RN FAAN, is a certified sexuality counselor working with people of all ages who have cancer. She is the author of multiple books on cancer and sexuality.
"Whenever I hear that Anne Katz is authoring another book, I get excited by the prospect. Her insights into the challenges faced by young people with cancer and their families is unsurpassed. This promises to be another tour de force that will provide a foundation for learning about the parent-partner perspective for professional staff, advocates, young people with cancer and their families around the world"
Simon Davies, Executive Director, Teen Cancer America
"Supporting parents and partners of young adults diagnosed with cancer, even if essential, is often overlooked. This book changes that. Caring for a young adult going through such a life altering experience is not easy and can feel overwhelming. Dr. Katz offers a road map that can provide guidance and a sense of direction. The stories she shares, aligned with some solid evidence-based advice, can not only impact caregivers, but can change how the young adult experiences cancer."
Geoff Eaton, Executive Director, Young Adult Cancer Canada.
"Dr Anne has always been ahead of her time. Without her leadership and her influence as one of the earliest subject matter experts in sexual health and cancer survivorship, today's conversations would not be the same. Thank you for thoughtful leadership."
Matthew Zachary, Founder and Ex-CEO, Stupid Cancer
