Keep Calm, It’s Just a Brain Tumor; My Year of Wabi Sabi Healing

Susan Spector

At age 62, Susan was living a cabin-in-the-woods quiet life, filled with books, hikes, dog walks, a loving partner, good friends, and no reason to believe any of it would ever change. Until it did.

She lost control of her body and mind and received the crushing blow of a brain tumor diagnosis. Once her body was restored by a team of brilliant neurosurgeons and the miracle of modern medicine, it was up to Susan to figure out how to live peacefully on a watch and wait plan with her inoperable, but stable, brain tumor.

Forever changed by her diagnosis, she started to view life through the lens of the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi, embracing her perfectly imperfect brain. With time and a lot of practice, her watch and wait treatment protocol morphed into a new lifestyle where she found the unexpected gift of a calmer and more creative mind.

Whether you are living with a chronic illness, fearful about disease progression or get anxious about an aging mind and body, cultivating a grateful wabi-sabi mindset can help you navigate life’s inevitable uncertainties, appreciate the beauty of imperfection and find more value in the ordinary moments of everyday life.

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8: Rediscovering Life After a Brain Tumor

Nathalie Jacob

Eight was the only number Nathalie could see after her brain surgery. Faced with unexpected challenges, she refused to give up on her recovery!

Halo Found Hope

Helo Matzelle

Machines beeping, the blur of medical staff running, a crash cart whizzing into an ICU room, was there any hope? A young woman lay, packed in ice, as doctors attempted to somehow stop the swelling in her brain that threatened to take her life… and her family waited.

If You Love me, Take Me Now

Steve Cox

The true story of a family’s struggle with brain cancer. From the onset of symptoms through diagnosis and treatment, the author articulately chronicles events as they unfold.

Guerilla Guide to Brain Tumors

Skip Goebel

In an unprecedented format, the Guerilla Guide to Brain Tumors is written in a format that combines the layout of the For Dummies series with a drill-sargent’s attitude.

HOPE THROUGH THE EYES OF LOVE: Life and Marriage in the Face of a Brain Tumor

Patricia Meserve Gauvin

Our lives, after the diagnosis and subsequent treatment, of my husband for a brain tumor, clearly have taken a path less traveled. Yet our journey has and continues to be, a journey of hope, of joy and of unyielding commitment.

All my Might: How an Award-Winning Journalist Thrives After Brain Cancer

John J Fish

All my Might highlights the journey of a man who refuses to give up hope. Follow John Fish as he recalls his diagnosis and operation for brain cancer; his distinguished career in journalism, which included trips from Hawaii to several countries in Europe, and war-torn Bosnia; and his encounters with notable figures.

Starting at the Finish Line

Matthew Newman

As a young man in his late thirties, he lived a healthy lifestyle, had a beautiful family, and a successful career. He practiced what he preached. Everything seemed to be going in the right direction. Life was about to change drastically.

My Brainstorm

Kristen Stewart

When 27-year-old Kristen Stewart was rushed to the ER with horrific dizziness and nausea, she never imagined how her young life was about to change. In My Brainstorm, Stewart shares the harrowing, heartwarming, and often hilarious story of her emergency brain surgery, rehab, egg freezing, radiation and chemo. You’ll laugh and learn with Kristen as she navigates overcoming brain cancer.

How I Feel About…Dad’s Brain Tumor

Darcy Castro

“How I Feel About… Dad’s Brain Tumor” is a short story coupled with a medical glossary and guided journal to help kids of parents diagnosed with a brain tumor navigate their emotions. Specially written for children ages 8-13, this thoughtful account of a daughter’s experience having a parent with a brain tumor aims to help children understand they are not alone in their experience while giving them the tools they need to build their own emotional intelligence and support network.

Through the Lens of Love: Facing Terminal Illness

Robin Gross

After receiving a fatal diagnosis, how do you go on living with joy, humor and a zest for life? With Through the Lens of Love: Facing Terminal Illness, you can learn how it’s possible.

Navigating Glioblastoma: A Caregiver’s Perspective

Sally Connolly

A stale marriage. A deadly diagnosis. For Sally Connolly, three years of struggle followed her husband Peter’s surgery for terminal brain cancer at age 61. Choosing treatment options that interfered least with his career, Peter focused his limited energy on work, with little left for his family, further straining the marriage during his remaining days. Connolly’s clear-eyed and affecting memoir recounts their wrangling over gender roles, money management, domestic decisions and lifestyle changes. Through their traumatic journey, they find humor and comfort in unexpected places.