Living With HOPE Guest: Joni James Aldrich

In 2006, I lost my 45-year-old husband to a rare form of cancer. We had battled his cancer for two years through some awful twists and turns. Unfortunately, our very first step along the cancer path was incorrect. Even though my husband was treated at a highly rated, university research hospital, they simply didn't know how to treat his type of cancer. After five months of ineffective treatment, we finally found the right cancer treatment center 800 miles away from home. By then, the cancer was too far advanced to beat. Gordon died two years to the day after he was diagnosed. After several years of intense grief, I came out of the fog with a mission. I knew that our story had to be told, and I knew that it was going to take a major life-change to do it. Part of my delay in offering our story to readers was a true desire to make a negative story into a positive message. Finally, I gave up a very lucrative 20-year career, and have never looked back. I'm in the process of publishing my fifth book in less than a year on how to survive cancer, caregiving and grief. Interestingly, I had never written a book in my life. My latest book is: CONNECTING THROUGH COMPASSION: Guidance for Family and Friends of a Brain Cancer Patient. This is the book I wanted when my husband was diagnosed with metastatic brain cancer. To learn more about my work, go to www.jonialdrich.com.