A Dietitianâ€s Cancer Story: Information & Inspiration for Recovery & Healing

Surviving cancer three times is nothing short of miraculous, in my estimation.  If I had not read about this in author Diana Dyerâ€s cancer story, I might not have believed it. The authorâ€s first cancer was in childhood, followed by two bouts with breast cancer at ages 34 and 45. (Diana was born in 1950, which means she is now in her 50th year, or 15 years beyond her last cancer.)  She, or her parents (for her childhood cancer) chose to include conventional cancer therapies (surgery and chemotherapy) with each cancer.  Diana chose the full scope of strategies, both conventional medicine and eventually holistic practices, to optimize her odds for survival, and I believe her fully informed choices after each adult diagnosis were key to her survival.

Realizing that traditional methods were not doing the trick, and realizing that even with her training as a dietitian, something was missing, Diana turned to some holisitic approaches in addition to her conventional treatment, including radical changes in her diet and exercise routine. Her excellent book lists all her approaches to healing, with the caveat that what works for one person may not work for another.  In other words, each person must do the research and experimentation as to which alternative approaches seem to help.

This wonderfully powerful little book (112 pages in a 5 x 9 inch format) is extremely user friendly, with all kinds of topics that anyone can use, even those with other ailments besides cancer.  The topics, hint, lists, and inspirational messages would be helpful for anyone fighting a difficult disease.  Her topics include: nutritional guidelines to reduce cancer risk, a grocery list, culinary herbs with anti-cancer activity, supplements, techniques and tools for coping and healing, and characteristics and skills of cancer survivors.

There is so much good material here that I cannot begin to include everything, so I chose one topic that I felt was more or less universal for fighting any illness. The topic is “Additional Ingredients in my Healing Recipe”  starting on p. 66.  I am merely including the list*, not all the additional comments. (You will have to get a copy of your own for the excellent comments.)

*Nature, Support Groups, Cancer Survivors†Network, Exercise,  Homeopathy,    Meditation,   Guided Imagery,   Hypnotherapy,    Feng Shui,   Shiatsu,   Prayer,  &   Reading

The book also includes some of the most asked questions on her website, which I found very helpful.  Finally, there are several pages of resources, including websites, names and addresses of alternative medicine sites, herbs lists, books on nutrition and survivorship, newsletters, sources for recipes, and more.

I love the positive attitude of this book.  Because Diana is a three-time survivor, her wisdom from experience comes through the pages.  The information is basic, down-to-earth, and well thought out.  Her doubts and fears are also expressed.  I love her honesty, her fortitude, and her quest for a full and healthy life.  She is a perfect example of a survivor making a difference.

Finally, the author makes a list of the characteristics and skills of survivors, which I believe would work for anyone surviving a traumatic ailment.  The author believes that while not everyone has perfected all of these characteristics and skills, they are worth working on, as she does daily.  They include such traits as being flexible, forgiving, a negotiator, am information-seeker, resilient, self-reliant, and having a sense of humor.

Diana has two main blogs where she is posting new recipes, updates on cancer survivorship, and general thoughts on life after cancer: www.dianadyer.com and www.365DaysofKale.com.  She emailed me that she enjoys writing for her blogs even more than she did writing for her web site (www.CancerRd.com.)

Dianaâ€s book is available from ALL bookstores, even if it is not on the shelf. Every bookstore can order my book through their distributors and it is also available on Amazon.com, and from the American Institute of Cancer Research (AICR), where she donate proceeds, by calling 1-800-843-8114. The retail cost in bookstores is $15.95, although Amazon usually sells it for less, and AICR sells it for $12.25 plus shipping/handling. Quantity discounts for orders of 10 or more are available at AICR, again by calling 1-800-843-8114 during normal business hours on the east coast.

Buy this book today to be inspired, informed, and I touch with what you need to heal, whether it be cancer, diabetes, or any treatable ailment.
It is also a great gift for someone in the throes of cancer right now.

Photo of author Diana Dyers at one of her many talks about surviving cancer.

Diana book is available from ALL bookstores, even if it is not on the shelf. Every bookstore can order the book through their distributors.  It is available on Amazon.com, and also available from AICR (American Institute of Cancer Research), where she donates proceeds, by calling 1–800-843-8114. The retail cost in bookstores is $15.95, although Amazon usually sells it for less, and AICR sells it for $12.25 plus shipping/handling. Quantity discounts for orders of 10 or more are available at AICR, again by calling 1-800-843-8114 during normal business hours on the east coast.