Author(s): Lance Armstrong Foundation

Health

Since its now-ubiquitous LiveStrongT wristbands became available in May 2004, the Lance Armstrong Foundation has raised more than $31 million for cancer research, and the phrase has become a battle cry for those who fight the disease every day.Now the foundation has gathered together a poignant and inspiring collection of personal accounts from cancer survivors. Covering a wide range of subjects, from grief to relationships with partners and family, coping with medical bills to job discrimination, infertility to fear of recurrence, survivors share their experiences and speak candidly about how cancer has affected their lives. For 24-year-old Amy it's how her illness changed her relationship with her parents. A three-time survivor, John talks about regaining his strength after treatment, returning to work, and living one day at a time. And Eric, the father of a 5- year-old survivor of a brain tumor, recalls how friends and strangers helped his family with financial issues, and how the experience brought him and his wife closer together.While heartbreaking at times, these stories are ultimately uplifting and reassuring to patients and their families. Open, honest and from the heart, LIVE STRONG is a remarkable testament to the resilience of the human spirit that offers the wisdom and hope that only true survivors can give. First published 2005.