Page Turners
Mental Mastery of Chemotherapy: A Guide to Meditation and Positive Mental Imagery Written by David R. Nethero Reviewed by Rhiannon Bankes
T
he three scariest words anyone can hear: You have cancer. When Brookhaven entrepreneur David Nethero heard those words in December of 2012, he made a conscious decision to proactively fight the disease with a plan: a plan that helped him to quit smoking a few years earlier. After receiving the news that he had Stage 3B adenocarcinoma cancer of the colon, David drew on his previous experience and practice of using the power of the mind by incorporating the positive mental imagery that he employed when he quit smoking. A self-professed “ordinary guy” or “layman” when it came to meditation, David worked with Dr. George Pratt on exercising the power of positive mental imagery during his six month journey through chemotherapy. He believes these techniques significantly reduced chemotherapy’s effect on him and allowed him to maintain an active and engaged life with minimal side effects. Today, he is cancer-free. After completing his chemotherapy, David wrote a book to assist others with their chemotherapy experience. Equal parts lesssons and workbook, Mental Mastery Of Chemotherapy, alternates between short chapters full of advice and pages of questions aimed to guide a patient through their own journey. This book assists by teaching patients how to harness a positive state of mind in order to impact the physical state of being and chapters range from inspirational (Value of Friendships) to realistic (Celebrate the Good Times, Sleep Off the Bad) to honest (Hitting the Wall in Session Nine.) The book also includes a part of David’s personal journal as well as provides a template for patients to use themselves. He felt his journal gave him a sense of control over his reactions and allowed him to share details with his doctor. By breaking his experience into manageable pieces he felt more control and was able to predict many factors such as his nausea and fatigue for each day throughout his cycle. By recording these results he was able to better communicate details to his doctor. He also provides examples of his dialogue with his doctor enabling a patient to prepare themselves for optimum communication. This book is a great resource for anyone going through the chemotherapy process and the techniques outlined could be referenced for other medical treatments as well. The author has
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gone on to incorporate these techniques in the boardroom and on the tennis courts. If you or anyone you know is currently battling cancer, Mental Mastery Of Chemotherapy is a great tool to assist on the journey. David, and his wife Susan, have lived in Brookhaven for over four years, and in greater Atlanta for more than 20 years. Susan and David are the founders of Intimacy, which had its origin in Buckhead’s Phipps Plaza. Today, Intimacy has grown to 16 locations coast to coast and has become known as the premier bra fit expert and lingerie fashion retailer. David currently serves as managing director of Golden Seeds, an angel investment firm focused on women-founded and managed start up companies.