Weekly Round Up: The World Cancer Day Edition

Time 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.

This past week saw World Cancer Day marked around the globe. While I acknowledged the day on my blog and joined a tweet chat I am not sure it made a big impression on me (Caroline writes something along the same lines) and then I read Katy’s blog. Her World Cancer Day post encompassed so much as Katy’s posts always do, and I feel sure it will strike a chord with many of you. Here’s just a flavor of what she wrote:

Cancer is like most forms of suffering. There are ways to lessen the possibility of it happening to you, but no way to ensure that it won’t. Believing that kale or a coffee enema or a conspiracy theory will save you is selfish. Expecting people with cancer to have a certain attitude or deal with it in a certain way is selfish. Choosing to believe that those who are working slowly and tirelessly to attempt to solve the riddle of cancer actually want us all to die to pad their pockets is selfish.

I also found inspiration in The Pink Underbelly‘s World Cancer Day post celebrating lessons learned from the life and death of Stuart Scott; Emily‘s post on kindness (also see Michelle on choosing kindness) and finally do check out Rachel‘s blog and an infographic to raise BRCA awareness.

Uzma is watching her hair grow back into that chemo curl we know so well and it has prompted her to reflect on life:

Life curls too, sometimes it straight, then one fine day it curls, irreversibly curly, good but curly, my own but curly, just like this damn lock of hair.

Long-term readers will remember the wonderful Rachel Moro Cheetham, a very vocal advocate for metastatic breast cancer patients, and a beloved friend of the online BC world.  Sarah Horton experienced a special bond with Rachel and writes beautifully of their friendship on the third anniversary of Rachel’s death.

I love Terri Wingham for many reasons, but chief among those reasons is the way in which she shares her vulnerability in such a raw and honest way, giving us permission to do the same. Her latest blog is a must-read this week.

Ann has started a petition to ask the big charities to keep doing what they are doing, but to promise to give 50% of their money to medical research  instead of the average of fraction they do now. And tell us who they are giving it to. Sign her petition here.

Elizabeth‘s posts always speak to me and prompt me to check in with what I really might need today – and so it is with her latest post, a much needed reminder to take my ease from time-to-time.

An interesting question posed by Nancy – if you had the power to go back in time and tell your younger self what was in store for you (chiefly cancer) would you? This question was prompted by Nancy’s  birthday this week – and two more bloggers who celebrated recent birthdays  are  Audrey  (prompting her to wonder about changing the soundtrack of her life) and Dee.

From birthdays to cancerversaries – are they something to celebrate? Sharon shares some thoughts on this on her latest post.

Elsewhere in the blogosphere…

AnneMarie delves behind the headlines on breast cancer.

What does it take to be a “good patient”? Should we even try? Good article by Debbie.

Happy family times chez Jen and a round-up of interesting items from the interweb.

Cancer takes more than just good health from us – a point beautifully made by Ali and how she dealt with life’s blows in her guest post for Beauty Despite Cancer.

A welcome back to the blogosphere to Kate with an update on her treatment.

A powerful poem by Anna on uncertainty and the unknown cancer abyss.

The Cancer Curmudgeon‘s post on denial resonated with me.

Philippa is feeling “scunnered” this week – you’ll have to read her blog to figure out what that means.

Fun is the order of the day on Beth’s blog.

A beautiful tribute by Eileen to her friend Maxwell who sadly passed away aged just 55 years.

Finally this week, an early Valentine’s gift for you from Britt – a “mixtape” (remember those!) of her favorite songs.

Until next week,

Yours with love

Marie xxx