Jesse Gruman's book, "AfterShock: What to Do When the Doctor Gives You - or Someone You Love - a Devastating Diagnosis", is featured in a column by Jane Brody in the New York Times Health section this week.Gruman, 53, is a survivor of four serious health crises: at age 20 she received a diagnosis of Hodgkin's disease, 10 years later one of cervical cancer, then five years ago came down with viral pericarditis (a serious infection of the heart's lining) and just three years ago was diagnosed with colon cancer.
Gruman offers much advice for those given a life-threatening diagnosis. For the first two days, she advises to slow down, yet don't act as if nothing is happening, take care of yourself in the meantime, and do what you need to do in regards to having friends and family around (or not).
Gruman advises not to give too much thought to what you might have done to cause the condition. Gruman points out that "the past is past and that the problem now is how to handle the future."
When the doctor's visits start picking up as treatment plans begin to take shape, Grubman advises bringing someone with you to doctor's appointments to write down what is said or even tape recording the sessions.
With each health crisis, Gruman says she was "stunned, then anguished" and astonished by "how much energy it takes to get from the bad news to actually starting on the return path to health."
