In April 2016, Jill Carraway was diagnosed with breast cancer. While other authors have been diagnosed, received prognoses, were treated successfully and have written about the ordeal, Carraway’s approach is somewhat different.

After she was diagnosed, Carraway determined that she would undergo chemotherapy armed with what she sees as her strongest spiritual gift: sarcasm. In her new book, “Adventures in Chemo: Better Living Through Chemicals, Sarcasm, Humor and Faith,” she journals “real-time reflections” on what she calls “her own Stupid Adventure.”

“There are no deep thoughts here on how to deal with the ultimate questions of life,” nor does she presume to offer any philosophical insights, Carraway writes in the book’s prologue. “What I do offer is a collection of real-time observations, sprinkled with my characteristic sarcasm, interspersed with some good humor,” the Westminster author explains.

From the perils of drawing on new eyebrows to a run-in with the big white mannequin head at the Look Good Feel Better seminar to yeast-bread evangelism, she saturates her daunting situation with faith and humor “because nobody likes a surly sick person.” 

“I’ll be happy if the reader is entertained, but mostly I’ll be grateful to feel that some future breast cancer sufferer might be comforted to know she can deal with her own Stupid Adventure as just another season of this life,” she writes. “I hope someone might be helped by knowing not only what happened, but what it felt like to one who has done it.”

Thankfully, her “Adventures in Chemo” has a happy ending. So far, the treatment has worked. “God is good. Life is good … and better things are on the way,” she rejoices.