What was your inspiration and motivation for writing

The Joy of Cancer

 Had someone told me six years ago, when I was in the thick of cancer treatments, that I was going to publish a book about cancer and my own personal experience, I would not have believed it. But here I am, six years later, and The Joy of Cancer: A Journey of Self-Discovery (a collaborative memoir of my journey through breast cancer) has been released into the world.

 People write books for different reasons. Moving through cancer, I learned a lot about myself and about life. From having lived this experience, I believe that I was born to help others; to teach, inspire and motivate people. Above all, to make a valuable contribution to the lives of the people I encounter. I wrote the Joy of Cancer because I wanted to share the joy that I discovered along my path. The joy that comes from learning, being open to opportunity, and embracing challenges.  The most important thing I want to share is that cancer is not always a death sentence. The attitude you adopt towards cancer, and towards anything really, is what makes or breaks the experience. The outlook you choose will do wonders for how you experience not just cancer, but your day-to-day life as well. This book is for everyone that is going through a rough time. Not only do I want to share my experience, I also want to inspire others that are going through their own personal difficulties. One of the main messages of the book is that you can accomplish almost anything you want to when you put your mind to it. “Mind over matter,” as I often say. I learned this during my most challenging time, right after the cancer treatments were completed and I was battling the negative side affects of Tamoxifen. I want to spread the word that even when battling a life threatening disease, you can still enjoy your life. There is joy to be found in your family, and your friends; and also that reaching out to help others is very rewarding and life giving. Giving back is so gratifying for me and I want to express that so that others who are experiencing difficulty can learn about the joy of helping others. Writing this book allowed me to continue to spread my wings. It helped me, and continues to help me to reach more people, to give back to the world by supporting these people. It’s helped me to help others that have been diagnosed realize that they are not the only ones battling cancer and that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The joy of helping feeds my inner strength and keeps me going. If just one person reads this book and gets something of value from it, then my journey through cancer is well worth it. Happy Joyful Reading! Get your copy here.

Love, Olga