When we hear that someone close to us has been diagnosed with cancer, we want nothing more than to comfort them with words of hope, support, and love. But sometimes we don't know what to say or do, and don't feel comfortable asking. With sensitive insights, thoughtful anecdotes, and sometimes, gentle humor, Help Me Live provides a personal yet thoroughly researched account of words and actions that are most helpful. Based on the author's own experiences with cancer, and interviews and surveys with scores of others, including communications and health care professionals and caregivers, each chapter tells intimate stories about one of the 20 most important messages people with cancer want to convey, such as "I need to forget-and laugh," "Asking my permission can spare me pain," "I want you to understand if I don't call you back or see you," and "I want compassion, not pity; comfort, not advice." You'll learn that communicating effectively doesn't necessarily mean there's a "right thing" to say or do, but that you can achieve the desired result: to make those who are ill feel better. In candid and beautifully detailed prose, Help Me Live will help you find the words or gestures to show how much you care.