The List: Navigating a diagnosis

Fifty-four-year-old Barbra is weeks away from accepting a long-awaited promotion when, on the very brink of success, her doctor calls…

While there are tons of books about living with cancer and surviving cancer, there aren’t many that tackle the dark time of the diagnosis—a time that some might consider the hardest of all. Barbra K. Thomas knows firsthand what those weeks of waiting and wondering feel like—fraught with monstrous fears, when your imagination works overtime in worst-case scenarios.

In her memoir The List: Navigating a Diagnosis, the author candidly illustrates the emotional roller coaster your life becomes, from the first vague phone call from the doctor to the string of tests that ensue to the endless questions haunting your thoughts. Though she fully acknowledges the inherent hardships of the process, she never misses a chance to leave room for a little humor and a bit of hope. As you learn what to expect and how to further educate yourself and your loved ones, you’ll also begin to catch your breath, see beyond the blinding fear of a potential cancer diagnosis, and recapture the ability to live in the present.