LA Lucia resident Cherry Armstrong is no stranger to obstacles – through her non-profit organisation (NPO), Celebrate Life, she has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya, paddled around Mauritius and paddled across Lake Malawi, run the Lewa Marathon, raised over a million rand for Hospice and now, she can add published author to that list.

This week, Armstrong will officially launch her first book, Cancer, Navigating the Journey, which chronicles her two decades of service as a palliative nursing care sister, which included working at Sherwood Hospice and running her own Palliative Care business and part-time involvement in palliative advice ever since.

Armstrong said she has been working on and off on the book for the last 15 years.

“The journey to this book started many years ago. As a palliative nursing care sister as well as managing clinical trials in oncology, I realised there was a gap between cancer diagnosis and patients getting treatment, and I always felt there needed to be a mediator before treatment began, to help patients understand the journey and their choices. So, I wrote this book from experience. I really felt the world needed a book like this.

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“My book offers mindful advice for patients and their loved ones on navigating the cancer journey, from the time of diagnosis to remission or terminal stages, armed with appropriate information and emotional support. It covers the practical aspects of cancer treatment in a simple, comprehensive way, from medical aids, treatments and side effects to nutrition, complementary therapies and caring for a loved one,” she explained.

Armstrong also explained how the title of her book came about.

“Anyone who knows me knows that one of my favourite expressions is ‘just breathe’. Initially, that was going to be the title of the book. The expression is used in the book quite a lot, but I felt Cancer, Navigating the Journey was more descriptive because the book is not overly medical but rather my experience of helping patients diagnosed with cancer,” he said.

The book is published by Quivertree Publications which is available at all good book shops and online.”So far, the feedback has been so positive from people from all walks of life. It really makes writing this book worth it because that’s what I wanted to achieve,” she said.

Book launch

Cherry Armstrong will officially launch her first book, Cancer, Navigating the Journey at Thursday, October 12 at Exclusive Books at La Lucia Mall. The launch begins at 18:00 will take on a Q&A format and Armstrong will be signing books. The event is strictly RSVP, to reserve email events@exclusivebooks.co.za.

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