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Halvorson-Boyd, Glenna and Hunter, Lisa K. (1995). Dancing in Limbo: Making Sense of Life After Cancer. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. 177 pages. Hardcover ISBN 0-7879-0103-2, price $28.50 Canada, $21.00 U.S. Much has been written about the technical and medical aspects of cancer in its various forms, as well as the broad range of traditional and alternative therapies used in treating the disease. In contrast to the myriad existing publications about cancer, Dancing in Limbo is one of the first books to address the experience of diagnosis and living with the disease from the cancer survivor's perspective.
The overall purpose of the book is to dismantle an inaccurate myth that surrounds the cancer experience: surviving the disease ends in "happily ever after." In contrast to this common perception, the reality that the authors portray is that having cancer is a profoundly life altering experience. Facing the everlasting threat of death that comes with the disease means that life will never return to "normal" as it was once known-even if one is "cured." The uncertainty of cancer means that, for those fortunate to survive, life will always be "in limbo" because one never knows if they are "on death row." This uncertainty requires that cancer survivors redefine their existence and relearn the dance of life. This awareness is critical to the effective care of cancer survivors, yet it is often unknown to or misunderstood by the family, friends, colleagues, health practitioners, and...