Staying Alive Is a Lot of Work: Me and My Cancer

One day Pat Camalliere was finally enjoying her family, newfound success as a historical mystery writer, and singing in a classical chorus, passions she had put off during her forty-year career in medical administration. The next day she found herself struggling to survive after being diagnosed with advanced tongue cancer.With knowledge gained from a lifetime in the field of medicine, as a writer of character-driven novels, and as a cancer patient herself, Camalliere walks readers through slices of her life growing up in Chicago, relating moving experiences with detail and humor, demystifying the day-to-day struggles of a cancer patient in a way few can do.There is no one better to explain the cancer experience from diagnosis, chemotherapy and radiation, through side effects and recovery. Although staying alive is a lot of work, the tools and inspiration needed to understand cancer and the people who treat serious illness can not only lead to survival but ease the journey to recovery. This memoir will benefit anyone who has or has had cancer, their loved ones, and all who treat and support cancer patients.