The Immune Spirit: A Story of Love, Loss and Healing - Softcover

On the brink of her fortieth birthday, Susan Ryan Jordan heard the dreaded words "You have breast cancer." In shock over what she thought was a certain death sentence, Jordan began to read a book her doctor, the now famous Bernie Siegel, gave to her, which challenged cancer patients to heal themselves. Immersed in this hopeful message Jordan took stock of her life. While shocking, Jordan's cancer diagnosis was somehow strangely expected. She had become ensnared in the trap of "fitting in," obeying the dictates of her religion, her family and the social strictures of her town. A painful divorce and temporary leave of her four children for financial reasons only fueled her guilt and overwhelming sense of loss. Despair and self-deprecation had left her open to this life-threatening illness. Jordan's beautifully written and very poignant personal account reveals how changing negative feelings to hope and confidence can, indeed, reverse the course of a disease-even cancer. She also reveals how the still unresolved and painful split with her daughter, actress Meg Ryan, was caused by her newfound self-confidence and strength, and writes that the journey to health sometimes involves loss, but always leads to understanding and serenity. This is a book of hope-an affirmation that true healing and peace is within everyone's each.

Susan Ryan Jordan was a stage actress as a teenager and young woman, a teacher of English and theatre history at Choate/Rosemary Hall and is today a published photographer and author. Most important, she is a twenty-eight-year breast cancer survivor and a former volunteer for the American Cancer Society. She has written about her experience in overcoming breast cancer and mind/body healing in articles for Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan, Self and others. She lives in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.