Weekly Round Up: The Life Carries On Edition

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girl_with_lassoTime for this week’s round-up of the best of the blog posts which I’ve read over the past week. These are the posts that have moved me, taught me something, inspired me, and which I’ve wanted to share with you. Don’t forget if you have written a post which you would like readers to see, just leave a comment below.

As the media “excitement” over Angelina Jolie’s prophylactic mastectomy predictably abates this week, replaced by another celebrity story,  the reality of breast cancer continues for thousands of women across the world. And the thoughtful discussions continue – discussions on the stark reality of reconstructive surgery by The Pink Underbelly ; palliative care for a young woman by Cancer In My Thirties; a roll call of those taken from us by this disease on Eileen’s blog; the reality of being a single Mom and living with cancer on Lauren’s blog and The Sarcastic Boob ‘s thoughtful post on “the crummy reality of living with breast cancer”.

And life goes on with all its quotidian ups and downs, daily joys and sorrows – a theme I found beautifully illustrated by Catherine this week in her blog and by Philippa’s pictures of the seasonal colours in Yangon.

Dr Gia Sison is a Thomasian Filipino Doctor and blogger, breast cancer survivor and advocate – check out her latest blog on the lesson of frienemy.

Entering A World Of Pink is a new blog on male breast cancer.

Loving the picture on Anne Marie’s blog of  herself with Dr Susan Love.

If you haven’t already seen it, check out the fabulous Mag’s Blog – a breast cancer blog told in comic strip style.

A Fresh Chapter has a brand new look – and it looks fab. While you are checking it out, make sure you read Terri’s latest post on throwing in the towel.

Anne Marie is sharing her “Confessions Of A Cancer Fraud”  story on Chris’s Cancer Community.

Nancy reviews  The Pink Moon Lovelies:  Empowering Stories of Survival, on her blog this week and if you hurry you can be in with a chance to win a copy of the book. And over on Beth’s blog, there is a review of Nancy’s own book, Getting Past the Fear: A Guide to Help You Mentally Prepare for Chemotherapy.

Finally, this week I leave you with a gentle reminder from Dr Ann Becker Schutte for the week ahead and the next time you find yourself ready to throw your hands in the air, whether it is in a relationship, with a work project, or on another personal goal, or the next time you feel completely overwhelmed by the painful things in life:

  1. Take 5-10 minutes to breathe.  Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.  Try to gently lengthen your exhale with each breath.
  2. After your breathing has deepened and slowed, ask yourself to name what you are feeling.  You can use a journal or a mental list.
  3. Once you have identified your feelings, ask yourself what you truly want from this situation.  Try to be specific about the desired outcome, naming actions instead of just feelings.
  4. Imagine the barriers between you and your desired outcome slowly melting.
  5. Gently, take a step (talk with someone, become active yourself) that moves you toward your desired outcome.  Remind yourself that you might be just as successful softening into this outcome as you would pushing toward it (maybe more!).

Softening into next week…

Yours with love

Marie xxx

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