Book Review: Armored by Dawn F. Landry
This book is the memoir of Dawn’s journey alongside her husband, Daran, as he battled (and beat) cancer and as he recovered from a massive stroke. It is a testament to their faith, their passion to encourage others during their own trials, and their resilience.
In this book, caregivers will find advice on how to advocate for those in their care—how to make sure that they are supported and encouraged during their illness. There are tips for setting boundaries and providing emotional support. Best of all, there are tips for organizing all the information from the various health professionals that they deal with. (Dawn even offers free printouts for you to use.)
Another thing that stood out to me was her insistence on getting legal affairs in order. My husband works in life insurance, and the lack of preparedness for situations such as this is astounding. People do not think about life insurance or the need to declare someone as their power of attorney in case they become incapacitated and unable to make decisions.
Dawn also brings attention to the importance of identity. She says that often spouses of people suffering from serious illness find themselves lost in the diagnosis. They are lumped into a new category, and it is easy to forget who they used to be in the chaos of tending someone else’s needs. Burnout is very real, and it can be mentally devastating. While helping your spouse heal, Dawn says that you should not forget to take care of yourself and your own needs. She speaks from her experience as a strengths coach and her professional work to help her clients be their best selves.
One of the biggest obstacles to self-care is the fear of burdening other people with our problems. Dawn gently offers insight on accepting help asking for help when needed. She even provides resources for apps that will help friends sign up to sit with the patient, while the caregiver gets a cup of coffee or a nap. This takes the stress of asking for help out of the equation.
This book gets five stars from me. I have seen firsthand the need for it. I have family members in the medical field, family members who suffer from chronic illnesses, and my mother is a cancer survivor. People are in desperate need of someone to come alongside them while they walk this difficult journey. So, if you know someone who is acting as a caregiver, please buy them this book.
One more note, this book is based on the Christian faith. The title comes from Ephesians 6:11-13. Since I am a believer as well, this did not bother me, but if you are not, I thought you should know. Dawn’s faith is a central part of this book as well.
The ratings are a little different for books of this nature. There is very little language. The violence and thematic elements rate about one to two. She talks about surviving abuse as a child, she describes some of the procedures her husband endured, and she goes into some detail about her fears during her husband’s illness.
the Move for 2015 by the Greater Houston Women's Chamber in April of 2015. In March of 2016, she was named one of the Women to Watch in 2016 by the Houston Chronicle. This information comes from her website: https://authentizity.com/about
If you would like to purchase her book, you can find it here. If you use our link, we receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
This review was written by Jayna Gerhart in exchange for a free copy of Armored. Jayna is a psychology student at the University of West Alabama. She spends her days with her nose stuck in a book, scribbly notes madly in the margins.
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