ABOUT THE BOOK:

If you suffered from an acute or chronic disease, wouldn’t you want to know as much about it as possible? If that disease were graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), you would have great difficulty in finding a readable, relatable account of its physical, psychological and emotional consequences, since there are no current books that combine a synoptic account of GvHD symptoms and treatments with a patient’s own story of survivorship. A 70,000 word personal narrative enriched with medical information, LIVING WITH GRAFT-VERSUS-HOST DISEASE: HOW I STOPPED FIGHTING CANCER AND STARTED HEALING, fills a huge gap in current health and wellness literature. It tells the story of the author’s survival against the odds, outlines his sometimes rocky path to long-term recovery, and offers unique and important insights into acute and chronic GvHD. Using poetry as a touchstone, it draws on the author’s own experiences as a two-time blood cancer survivor and stem-cell transplant recipient to encourage GvHD patients to move beyond the “warrior” mentality promoted by much of the current cultural discourse surrounding disease, treatment, and survivorship. LIVING WITH GRAFT-VERSUS-HOST DISEASE also promotes a greater awareness of the unusual nature of GvHD itself, which often cannot be “defeated” or “beaten” in a traditional sense, since it has its roots in a genetic mismatch that, paradoxically, makes it effective in preventing cancer’s resurgence. It also advocates a full understanding of the current best practices in the treatment of GvHD, as well as an attitude of acceptance and emotional openness, in addition to the practice of writing as a self-healing activity.

Praise for LIVING WITH GRAFT-VERSUS-HOST DISEASE: HOW I STOPPED FIGHTING CANCER AND STARTED HEALING:

While recovery from transplant is unique for everyone, first-hand experiences help to tear down the walls of isolation. We are incredibly grateful to people like Dr. Buchanan who share their personal story. His is both profound and relatable; written with humor, honesty and hope.

—Be The Match®

Brad Buchanan has produced a detailed narration of his personal battle with lymphoma and ultimately graft-versus-host disease (GvHD). He takes a no-holds-barred approach that leaves little to the imagination. His command of the language and mix of prose and poetry bring to life the good, the bad and the terrifying components of his journey with a rare and particularly intense form of GvHD.

—Joseph M. Tuscano, MD, Interim Director of Stem Cell and Bone Marrow Transplantation and deLeuze Endowed Professor of Medicine, UC Davis Cancer Center

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Dr. Buchanan provides a frank and engaging account of his personal journey through blood cancer treatment and the repercussions of living with graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) as a result of that treatment. He unmasks both the physical and mental impact of GvHD on himself and his caregivers and provides a reminder that becoming cancer free is not always the end of the pilgrimage.

—Emily Hopewell, PhD, Director of Cell and Gene Therapy Manufacturing, Assistant Professor of Clinical Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University

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Graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) remains a significant cause of morbidity and non-relapse mortality for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT). This book tells a story of courage and overcoming the formidable challenges of acute and chronic GvHD. It will help physicians, nurses, and scientists genuinely understand the story of patients’ difficulties living with GvHD. As a scientist working on uncoupling GvHD from GVL (graft-versus-leukemia), I encourage every citizen to read this book, which ought to convince our politicians and policymakers to support more research into GvHD.

—Dr. Mobin Karimi, Assistant Professor of Immunology and Microbiology, SUNY Upstate Medical University