As a writer, nurse, and a current cancer patient I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is a caregiver.-----Kit Wilson, Author of the newly releasd poetry book, Destiny Revealed.

I found Unknown Tomorrows well worth reading and would recommend it to anyone caring for a dying person. I especially appreciate the detail about what is needed (specific clothes and toiletries to take to the hospital, for example) and what to do (such as touch the ill person, ask questions about treatment, and stand up for the patient’s rights and needs). I feel sure Cathy Canning is correct that touching is most important in the relationship but would find it difficult unless the ill person were my husband or my sister.

Cathy’s book makes me feel grateful as my father lived with my husband and me his last years, and we took turns staying with him the two weeks he was in the hospital before he was sent home to die of pancreatic cancer. One great blessing was a comforting nurse who showed up in my father’s room in Valley Baptist Hospital, sent by a sister-in-law. This nursing instructor told me that pneumonia was the old person’s friend. My father did not suffer as Cathy’s friend did because pneumonia took him thirty hours after he arrived home. We had been told to expect six months of suffering.

The experience of helping a dying person is surely in the lives of countless people who will benefit from this book. I wish I had had it before my father died.

In her book titled "Unknown Tomorrows," Catherine Canning takes her readers on an insightful journey for a glimpse of the "dying process." It is a heart-breaking account of the author's experience with Mrs. Johnson, her colleague and friend who passed away after a valiant battle with cancer for almost four years. It is not only "A Caregiver's Guide to Companioning the Seriously Ill," as the subtitle claims, but much more. Each of the sixteen chapters begins with a poem, followed by Mrs. Johnson's treatment and the author's advice for caregivers, which ranges from the importance of touch to that of humor. This advice is not culled from a book but based on the knowledge gained from caring for a dear friend. It is truly a "work of heart," as Canning maintains, a must read for caregivers who wish to provide a little comfort to terminally ill patients and thereby make their last days somewhat bearable.

I've had three very dear family members pass away in the past 5 years, and I know the pain. The lighter side for me was, I was not there every minute of their deteriation. This book shares the amazing heart felt and heart wrenching truth of caring for a seriously ill loved one. Catherine Canning shares with us the high hopes and the moments of realization of the sad truth. This book would be a great gift to a person who is caring for a loved one with cancer or any kind of terminal disease. It has helped me realize the importance of touch, and how it is sometimes the only thing you need. I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone, whether you are going through it with a dear one, or just walking through the bookstore someday. You never know what can happen, cancer or any kind of sickness can strike at any moment, this will help you through the ups and downs, and will also help with coping with the losses to come with an ill loved one in the future.

This book is like no other. Catherine reaches out and hugs you while her words teach you the necessities of caring for a loved one who has a serious or fatal illness. She informs you about items that you may have thought about, and things that you did not even think would make such a monumental impact. If you are faced with this tragedy, and you want to give the best care to both your loved one and yourself - you must read this book. If you know someone who is the caregiver, it is your duty (as their friend) to give them this book. There are no words to comfort a friend that may be a caregiver (or you) as he/she endures what happens - but this book is the cushion to soften the blow. I have never been in this situation, but after reading her words of wisdom, I learned the meaning of 'unconditional love.' It defines true friendship, courage, and strength. This book grabbed hold of my heart with the first few words, and has yet to let go. You MUST read this book if you want an experience that changes your life (and the life of your loved one) for the better.

UNKNOWN TOMORROWS is right for anyone trying to cope with an illness, as a caretaker or as a patient. It brings together lovingly in one book--the hopes, the fears, the highs and the lows as one struggles with a serious health problem, plus all the practical knowledge and spiritual faith necessary to overcome the disease. It’s obvious the author wants to lighten for others the task she took on as a caretaker. The poems will touch your hearts; I highly recommend this book.

Cathy has put into words what is so difficult to say: there comes a time when you must accept the fact that your loved one may not be with you much longer. Instead of lingering on the sadness and uncertainty of this difficult time, her book gives you the strength and wisdom to focus on what needs to be said and done. Her words are gentle but firm and she has included several beautifully written poems to accompany each chapter. Many have been waiting for a book like this, and finally Cathy has given it to them.

My mother had a tumor in the back of her head. The diagnosis was unexpected. I was caught by surprise and the words in this book helped me deal with the turmoil. The times were hard, but between these covers I found solace, hope, and strength.

After reading this book, I was empowered to deal with the medical staff during my mother's stay in the hospital. This book enlightens anyone who has had to care for a loved one about your rights as a patient and caregiver. Ms. Canning has truly brought a hidden topic to light with her beautiful poetry and explanations of what to expect from something so tender and sad. Mrs. Johnson was my fifth grade teacher and she is still an inspiration from heaven.