You Can Get Through This! How to Stay Positive When You're Coping with Breast Cancer

When I was told I had breast cancer my life was already a mess. I felt helpless, overwhelmed and out of control; cancer seemed like the final straw.

It didn’t help that I kept on hearing about needing to stay positive. I had been depressed for much of my adult life – how on earth could I start feeling positive now that I also had a double mastectomy, radiotherapy, two courses of chemotherapy and an uncertain future ahead of me?

It still amazes me that I did. Not in the spontaneous way that some people talk about – flowers didn’t suddenly smell sweeter, nor did the rest of my problems simply cease to exist. Feeling more positive was something I learned to do.

The first step was understanding that I didn’t have to pretend to be happy all the time, or that I never felt sad or afraid. Feeling positive was not a weighty responsibility – another burden I had to bear. It was about helping myself to feel better, as simple as that.

When I wrote the first edition of this book I was still in the final weeks of treatment and very eager to share all that I had learned. Thirteen years on, I still live my life by the same principles. New challenges inevitably arise and, when they do, I draw on the same strategies to help me to cope with them. For me, feeling more positive isn’t just about cancer, it’s about the quality of my everyday life.

What readers have said about You can get through this!
“You and your book became my inspiration. I read the book over and over and over again – it helped to alleviate the overwhelming feeling of fear. Please don't ever underestimate the value of your book. You were my best friend through the whole experience.”
Jacqui

“During my third cycle of A/C I was at a very low point; I was in my bedroom crying when I decided to read your book again. After finishing I found the strength to get dressed, get in the car and go to the fruit shop. Even though I was very weak I managed it – your book gave me the strength to keep going.
Ros

“I walked into the oncologist feeling very frightened about having to repeat my chemo/radiation treatment for recurring breast cancer and there was your book You Can Get Through This! What a great boost. It has helped me to become strong and positive. I also loved the humour of your experiences that you put into the book, so you even had me laughing!!!”
Judith

“I think that it should be mandatory reading for all of my patients. It is extremely well written, simple, approachable and, best of all, funny!”
Richard Kefford MB BS (Syd) PhD FRACP
Professor of Medicine at the University of Sydney
“You must read You Can Get Through This! I keep several copies ready for those times when friends of friends who have just been diagnosed contact me for direction and advice.” Lyn Swinburne AM,
Founder and former CEO of Breast Cancer Network Australia
“My daughter read it after I did and it made a huge difference to both of us – she had a much better understanding of what I felt and what I was going through and I loved not having to try to explain. I’d recommend it to everyone who has a friend or family member with breast cancer.”
Jan

“Your writing style made the book easy reading – it was by far the best book I read at the time. I have read it several times and, in the first couple of weeks, would refer back to sections as and when my treatment progressed. It helped me latch onto my own natural positive thinking and stopped me from being swamped by it all.”
Angie

“I found your book wonderful; you seemed to have an answer for all those questions I had asked myself.”
Lindy