In 2013, I wrote an essay for The Wall Street Journal about my cancer diagnosis and treatment. It was one of the five most-read Personal Journal stories that year. 

In the following months, I was on radio and television and spoke at a few conferences. It was a whirlwind that I expected to mark the end of my cancer journey. 

But that hasn’t happened. Instead, cancer has stalked me. It dented my finances, made me mentally and physically sick, limited my career in weird ways, and changed my relationship with others. 

For a while, I thought this was only my experience. The last two years have proved otherwise as I’ve spoken with hundreds of you. Nearly every cancer survivor has a different life because of their disease. It has altered our lives and we’ve had to adapt. 

The culmination of those conversations is almost ready. I’m just putting on the finishing touches. 

My book is titled I’m Alive, Now What? Your Money, Your Health, and Your Purpose. It is out for release in April and available for preorder as of this week. 

The book is largely focused on the journey of nine survivors of varying ages, diseases and locations. My hope is you will see a little of yourself in each of them. And that their decisions and perspective will help you directly. 

That reporting is then paired with the advice of leading medical experts, financial planners, company executives, researchers, and many others. All of these people have knowledge about the roadblocks that are coming after treatment and the best ways to navigate them. 

I hope the book is distinguishable from the litany of cancer books already published because it is not a memoir and it is not focused on the diagnosis period. It is specific, actionable and focused on moving forward. 

It is primarily written for cancer survivors and their support network of friends and family. It will offer relevant details for anyone dealing with cancer between the ages of 15 and 70. 

And it is a book about conquering the mountain to come, not being overwhelmed by it. Few of the major life changes after cancer are insurmountable if you are given the right tools. You can lower your medical debt and use secret tools to evaluate your likely medical bills going forward. There is a path to a fruitful, fulfilling and successful career. 

Cancer can even unlock a superpower. 

The book is structured in nine chapters, as follows: 

Your Money

Your Career

Your Mind

Your Body

Your Family

Your Genes

Your Safety

Your Loved Ones

Your Purpose

In addition to stories of survivors and advice from experts, there are also reporting journeys. I take readers to the epicenter of artificial intelligence and cancer care, the frontlines of a leading mental health cancer clinic, and the halls of prestigious research universities studying human behavior. 

There are workbooks, cheat sheets, even a few downloadable spreadsheets. 

Once again, you can preoder here. 

If you are interested in bringing any of this research to your community or partners, please don’t hesitate to contact me at [email protected]. I am available for speaking and other events. 

There are few news providers dedicated solely to cancer. One of the few is OncoDaily — a media platform and newsletter that provides regular updates for anyone in the oncology commmunity.

My one piece of advice is that if you had or have cancer, you are part of the oncology community. While some of the information can be more focused on doctors and researchers, there is also information for patients and survivors.

A piece of information about a new clinical trial or research can make your life better. It’s worth checking in from time to time or joining their newsletter.

Oh, and they also wrote up a short story about my project here. Thank you OncoDaily!