W
hen I started working in the fi eld of oncology massage in 1994, there was almost nothing in the massage literature to guide me. I learned by trial and error. Because I am an inherently gentle bodyworker, there weren't many errors, but there were some. Even though it isn't my usual style—I prefer the positive and inspirational—I am going to try to motivate practitioners through the use of stories about mistakes made by me and others when working with cancer survivors. Of course, I hate mistakes, but they have been some of my best teachers and served me in ways that my successes could not. These miscalculations borne of progress were diffi cult to bear, but they have been benefi cial. For that I am grateful.
