LIHU‘E — Seven years ago North Shore author Cheryl Swanson transformed her worst nightmare into an education. Diagnosed with breast cancer while she and her husband were in the midst of adopting a child from Guatemala, she turned the crisis
LIHU‘E — Seven years ago North Shore author Cheryl Swanson transformed her worst nightmare into an education. Diagnosed with breast cancer while she and her husband were in the midst of adopting a child from Guatemala, she turned the crisis into an illuminating book on cancer survival.
“Busting Loose: Cancer Survivors Tell You What Your Doctor Won’t” won a silver medal in the 2010 Living Now Book Awards. At 2 p.m. Saturday meet Swanson at Borders Books, Music & Movies at Lihu‘e’s Kukui Marketplace off Nawiliwili Road. The signing will include a discussion of cancer survival and ways to empower yourself to achieve your dreams in writing.
Now a full-time writer, Swanson formerly worked as the clinical editor of Dentistry Today magazine out of New York. She is also author of three non-fiction books on medical technology and a novel.
Swanson’s diagnosis with invasive breast cancer coupled with the doom-and-gloom prognosis of the medical community acted as an agent for self-discovery.
““Busting Loose” was a journal I was writing. It’s about taking control and how to start protecting yourself by getting all the information,” she said.
Rather than heed the advice of her Stanford Medical Center surgeon and ditch plans for the adoption, Swanson dug deep.
“We were on the eve of an adoption after being in the process for three years,” she said. “My encouragement came form all my breast-cancer sisters,” she said.
“Busting Loose” tells the stories of women Swanson met while in treatment.
“Support doesn’t come from the medical field, it comes from those who are afflicted,” she said. “I am not down on the medical community, I’m offering anther perspective. My message is not to get bogged down by the statistics quoted by your doctors.”
According to reviews, “Busting Loose” is both a survivor’s guide to cancer that places the reader in the thick of the action and a moving testimony to maintaining faith and hope in the midst of a terrible disease.
In 80 short, three-to-four page chapters Swanson shares insights on her process, most of which was written during time she was receiving chemotherapy treatments. The book is divided into three parts: diagnosis, treatment and recovery.
“It’s very practical. Sometimes you need a question answered right away and there’s pressure to make a decision immediately. The book offers answers,” she said.
As a survivor of breast cancer Swanson’s intent is to offer hope.
“There is a lot of negativity to overcome. I think the fear-mongering is because (doctors) are afraid you won’t go through treatment. Even in the worst-case scenario a doctor shouldn’t take away hope.”
Since the book’s release Swanson has received confirmation from the medical community regarding the relevance of her message.
“I’ve had two breast surgeons contact me to say ‘thank you’ for teaching them how to talk to women about their prognosis. How do you tell a woman not to give up on having children?”
After diagnosis Swanson transferred some of her angst into a debut novel, the suspense/thriller “Death Game.”
“I found that when I had cancer I had all these emotions to deal with. So I put the fear and loss of control into the thriller. I projected those emotions into the story.”
Following “Death Game” she wrote “Busting Loose,” which her publisher submitted for the Living Now Book Awards.
The competition is run by Independent Publisher, a literary review devoted to independent publishers. Annually, the award recognizes outstanding books of the year, focusing on titles that take chances and break new ground.
Three weeks out of chemotherapy Swanson moved to Kaua‘i with her husband. Three days after arriving they flew to Guatemala to pick up Carmen.
“I had no hair and nobody noticed,” she said. “All the people there are trying to see is inside you, into your heart.”
Carmen is 8 years-old now. “We are both survivors,” Swanson said. “We healed together.”
Awards will be presented May 25 at Book Expo America in New York City. Swanson will be accompanied by daughter, Carmen.
