Priceless Resources in Times of Crisis

Diamonds are a girl's best friend, according to the old song. But in times of crisis, I'll take words over jewels. It's hard to find just the right ones, however, especially when you've been diagnosed with breast cancer. In the weeks and months following my diagnosis, these written and spoken resources were real gems for me:

I know people who swear by Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book. But early on, it was too scary for me. My oncology nurse recommended Breast Cancer for Dummies, by Ronit Elk and Monica Morrow. It had just the right tone and just the right amount of detail for me. And later I was able to tackle Dr. Love.

You don't have to be a Buddhist to find comfort in the writings of Pema Chodron, an American elementary-school teacher who became a Buddhist nun after her husband announced he was having an affair and wanted a divorce. Even the titles of her books strike a chord: When Things Fall Apart, Comfortable with Uncertainty, The Wisdom of No Escape. Her simple, accessible teachings helped me handle my overwhelming anxiety.

Eager to do everything possible to prevent recurrence or progression of my disease, I struggled to make sense of conflicting research. The studies on complementary strategies are particularly daunting and contradictory. Diagnosed with brain cancer 17 years ago, Dr. David Servan-Schreiber winnowed through mountains of data to figure out what he could do to bolster his body against a relapse. He shares his conclusions -- and his personal experience -- in Anticancer: A New Way of Life.

The hospital where I was treated gave out free copies of the CD Prepare for Surgery, Heal Faster: A Guide of Mind-Body Techniques, by Peggy Huddleston. I continued to listen to Huddleston's soothing voice long after my surgery.

I've never met in person another woman with my specific form of breast cancer who underwent my specific treatment. But in the virtual world of the Discussion Boards on BreastCancer.org , I've traded information and advice with many such women.

Another website that I've turned to again and again is The Assertive Cancer Patient, the personal blog of Jeanne Sather, whose slogan is "Living with cancer -- and an attitude." No lie. She documents in unflinching detail the ups and downs -- financial, medical and personal -- of her life with metastatic breast cancer. Her can-do practicality in the face of formidable challenges makes her blog a go-to how-to for me.

Those have been my most precious resources. What are yours?