Weekly Round Up

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.

Sally captures so well the reality of how, once we’ve been diagnosed with cancer, it will always dog our footsteps:

From now on, my life will forever be defined by cancer in some way. Not dominated by it, not ruled by it, not dictated to by it, but it will be a presence. Sometimes it will be centre stage, other times it will recede into the darkness, into the shadows, into the wings. It may always have the power to overwhelm me with emotion, perhaps when I least expect it, but I can learn to accept that.

Cancer can be so overwhelming it can make us want to run away (not that we can ever escape its clutches). Perhaps the best thing we can do is stand our ground and fight as Carrie plans to do in her latest blog.

Rebecca is also feeling trapped in cancer’s never-ending clutches as she struggles with the side-effects of Tamoxifen and Becky has an aha moment when she reframes the way she thinks about illness.

Every morning and evening I’m reminded of my various ailments because of all the pills I’m taking. The doctor suggested that I find a way to move beyond that and accept that taking pills is part of wellness. The idea really struck a cord. So, I am going to try to reprogram my brain. I’m going to try to see my morning and evening pills as wellness pills rather than illness pills. I take the pills so that I stay well.

Elsewhere in the blogosphere…

Beth  and Tric are approaching Christmas with a spirit of mindfulness this week; Fiona is enjoying her Christmas preparations; and Katy shares some Christmas memories and traditions on her blog.  Chris offers thoughts on dealing with loss at Christmastime.

Terrific post by Carolyn on being labelled a difficult patient.

Corrie shares her frustration with the slow pace of clinical cancer research in her latest blog.

A challenging and thought-provoking post from the Cancer Curmudgeon on what is real.

Great question from Caroline “Do we become more daring as we are nearer to death?”

Eileen and Beth Caldwell are justifiably outraged by Komen’s attitude toward Stage IV patients.

What are the financial implications of a cancer diagnosis? Debra tackles the issue in her latest post.

I am very excited to see Nancy’s memoir is published – congratulations Nancy!

This week I read Justine‘s latest post with careful, close attention. I am still trying to come to terms with cancer’s legacy of infertility and Justine always manages to speak to my heart with her writing.

Laurie is trying to learn patience as she finishes up her cancer treatment.

Great post by Uzma as she takes us through her journey towards womanhood and how breast cancer has changed that journey.

Reading Audrey‘s latest post, as she begins cancer treatment again, is a powerful reminder that kindness shouldn’t be an added extra, but an essential component of compassionate care.

Finally this week,  I leave you with some thoughts from Catherine:

This is what I need to remember going into 2016. It is probably not going to be a bed of roses, but if I’m lucky the lows will seriously be balanced, if not totally knocked aside by the highs. I need to remember what I’m fighting for. These good things need to be the center of me. It may not always been easy, but I pray it is always worthwhile.

Until next week

Yours with love

Marie xxx