Wisdom From Five Cancer Travelers

This book is the result of the experiences of five individuals as they have coped with a cancer diagnosis. Reflections by each author's personal experience with cancer are presented, in their own words, based on five common themes in the format of essays, vignettes, and short stories designed to illustrate the theme. Each author's experience is as unique, distinct, and honest as the writers themselves. The themes were developed by the senior author, Richard E. Farmer, as a result of his experience in coping with his cancer diagnosis and the effect cancer had upon his life. He was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma cancer in the fall of 2014. While there is at present no known cure for this cancer, Richard is in a close state of remission due to a stem cell transplant and ongoing successful treatment with chemotherapy. The five themes presented are: Being a Cancer Patient, Obtaining Support, Hope, Saying Goodbye, and Living a Meaningful Life. In the Epilogue, subtitled Lessons Learned, each author will briefly synthesize their most important lessons learned.