[Andrew] put into words what I was feeling. I'm in remission but will be on oral chemo indefinitely. I am a survivor, but the battle's not over. Life is not the same as before.
Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Survivor
Andrew Bundy's captivating memoir has an unexpected focus seldom explored in the story of cancer: survivorship. Complications that follow a bone marrow transplant can be brutal. Andrew invites us into the intimate, deeply private struggle of coming to terms with life after cancer - a time rife with frustration for a young man hungry for independence that feels out of reach. His devoted family provides the constant support he requires, but his life does not return to 'normal' as quickly as he might have hoped. With humor and candor Andrew sends a powerful message about the significant medical and emotional issues that shape life after treatment and illuminates the critical need for programs that support young cancer survivors. Anna Pawlowska, MDDirector, Pediatric Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ProgramCity of Hope
Andrew Bundy's memoir, Surviving the Cure: Cancer was Easy, * Living is Hard, shares an important story for the childhood cancer community. While great progress has been made through more than 60 years of cancer research, much more needs to be done. For many children diagnosed with cancer, not only can the therapy carry significant and life-threatening side effects during treatment, the effects can extend years beyond completion of cancer therapy into survivorship. For some patients with leukemia who must undergo a stem cell transplant, the long-term effects can be especially severe. Among many messages contained in Andrew's story, one is the clear need to develop more effective and less toxic treatment; patients deserve no less.
Peter C. Adamson, MD
Chair, Children's Oncology Group
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Holy @#*!, [Andrew's] story is almost EXACTLY my own. And [his] thoughts and feelings. Gave me chills...It is incredible to know there is someone out there that COMPLETELY understands.
Rebecca
Acute Myeloid Leukemia Survivor
17 Years in Remission
Poway High School graduate Andrew Bundy released his first memoir, Surviving the Cure: Cancer was Easy,* Living is Hard (*relatively speaking), which chronicles his experiences as a cancer survivor, in February. In 2007, at just 18 years old and three weeks before his high school graduation, Andrew was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. After six months of chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant, Andrew entered remission. But in 2008, he developed a severe case of graft versus host disease (GVHD) and had to endure yet another set of intensive treatments to keep him alive. Those treatments spared his life, but at a price: 100 pounds of weight gain, mental and emotional trauma, drug addiction, and a degenerative bone disease that has forced him to undergo nine joint replacement surgeries over four years. Andrew is now 28 years old and channeling his experiences as an advocate for survivorship.
“There is a belief that if you survive cancer you spend a few months recovering and then return to normal life a wiser, stronger, and better person for having gone through such a rough fight. However, the truth is more complex, harsher, and surprising: cancer doesn’t end with cancer,” Andrew shared. “The side effects of treatments, and sometimes even the side effects of treating the side effects, leave a mark on almost every survivor. My memoir provides an honest look into the rarely discussed challenges people can face after they survive cancer.” Andrew hopes that sharing his story will help secure a better life for people like him and let them know that they are not alone. Surviving the Cureis available in both print and as an eBook on Amazon.
