Book Review: The Cancer Olympics by Robin McGee

Title: The Cancer Olympics

Author: Robin McGee

Genre: Memoir

Publisher: Friesen Press

Rating: 5 stars

Website: http://www.thecancerolympics.com

Purchase Link: http://smarturl.it/iq8pba

 Review:

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

Dr. Robin McGee lived a quiet life in her home of Nova Scotia. She’s an admired psychologist, wife, and mother. Then one day, Robin’s life changed when she received the news every person dreads. She has cancer.

The Cancer Olympics explores Robin’s battle with colorectal cancer. Her battle wasn’t easy; she had to deal with inadequate care from the first four doctors she saw when her symptoms began. Robin explains the anger she felt towards the doctors as they blew off her concerns and didn’t follow up with further examinations.

When she was finally diagnosed with colorectal cancer, she had to endure numerous surgeries along with chemotherapy. Robin is very detailed in her explanation of the surgery, the pain she endured, and the aftermath of learning to adapt to the changes in her body. Some parts of the book may be a little too graphic for some people, but that’s one of the things I liked about her story. Robin doesn’t hold back, she tells you everything that happened and she’s not afraid or embarrassed to share every detail.

Along with her surgeries and chemotherapy, Robin also set in motion a movement to provide better health care for cancer patients in Nova Scotia. After learning about a new treatment called FOLFOX, she and her fellow supporters begin contacting their local politicians to approve the treatment, which wasn’t available in Nova Scotia. 

Throughout her cancer battle, she faced fear of the unknown and she shared her feelings on her blog called Robin’s Cancer Olympics. In her book, she includes excerpts from her blog and responses from the community. Reading the blog entries and the responses, you see how she was an inspiration to everyone and how supportive they were in her time of need.

This is an inspiring must read book for everyone. It gives you a glimpse into one woman’s battle with cancer, her courage to help others, and how she changed the healthcare system in her town.