Susan P. Halpern

About the author, quoting from the book's dust jacket, "Susan P. Halpern is a social worker and psychotherapist. She is the founder of the New York Cancer Help Program and a staff associate at the Commonweal Cancer Help Program." About the book, Cokie Roberts, reporter for NPR and ABC News, said of this work, "Bringing the rare dual perspective of both the caretaker and the person being taken care of, Susan Halpern tackles the last taboo--how to talk about illness, dying, and death. 'The Etiquette of Illness' combines the sensitivity of the therapist with the practicality of someone who's spent time in hospital rooms, either lying in the bed or sitting next to it. This book is filled with much-needed common sense."… (més)

This book was mentioned in The End of Your Life Book Club and I was highly intrigued. As friends and family get older and struggle more with health issues, I often am at a loss with what to say. Shall I ask how they are doing? Is it rude? Would they be offended if I don't ask?

I've seen my mom crumple many times when well-meaning acquaintances ask about my dad who will never be coming home from the nursing home.

I've been on the receiving end, too when I had breast cancer: everything from someone saying exactly the right thing after I was told my surgery was botched to other people telling me how many people they knew that had died horrible, painful deaths from what I had.

So what do you say?

I found this short book written by a lymphoma survivor and counselor to be quite interesting, and the advice sound. Of course there were chapters that didn't relate to my situation (talking to young children about illness, how a doctor should talk to a patient) but many others were spot on.

I've shared this one with my mom to see if it helps her out, too.… (més)