Weekly Round Up: Pinktober Is Here

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.

“And so it approaches, the end of September and we’re not just heralding the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness but also October brings an omnipresent pink hue which means it’s breast cancer awareness month” so begin’s Audrey‘s latest blog.   “But for all the pink clamour of October does it really have the impact it was designed to?” she asks. And here’s the crux of things for me in Audrey’s excellent post, which is a must-read for everyone who is contemplating Pinktober.

It feels that this month you’re only allowed to be a plucky woman telling your survivor story with a smile.

I’m so pleased to see the support for #BreastCancerRealityCheck. My Twitter feed was crammed full of tweets with the hashtag this morning like this one from Jo.

 

Wendi has information on a really great contest to go along with the campaign and if you’re looking for some tweeting inspiration, check out this collection of tweets via Storify.

For more Pinktober posts read Becky on supporting a cure not awareness, Rebecca on keeping it real, Lisa Thompson‘s powerful poem, Katie on where your pink dollars really go, and suggestions from Carrie on the most worthy causes to donate to during October.

Elsewhere in the blogsphere…

Beth Caldwell writes about the need to build a world-wide mets community.

Once you meet another person with metastatic cancer, it changes you. Advocacy for metastatic cancer is no longer about you–it no longer feels selfish. It feels completely selfless and vitally important. We’re all going to have to be in this together, or we’ll die alone.

Posting this week in the MBC Project blog, Corrie Painter’s words bear out the truth of this

I’ve listened to the voices of people with metastatic breast cancer every day for the past year and a half, and my mind and heart have been opened in ways I couldn’t possibly have imagined.  I had so many misconceptions about metastatic breast cancer before working on the MBC project. I’m sure I still do, but each time I get to learn along with the MBC community, I jump at the opportunity. I didn’t even know what I didn’t know, and it never occurred to me to ask questions in order to educate myself on what people with metastatic breast cancer face.

For a powerful and moving portrayal of the online mets community, read Katherine‘s latest post.

Lisa is celebrating her third year of blogging the latest research stories.

Some good advice on the Medivizor blog on how to advocate for your health.  Dr Wendy Harpham has also been writing on this theme.

As we enter Fall, Susan reflects back on her summer.

I find it interesting how many of us have started our blogs prompted by a cancer diagnosis, but as our blogging years pass, we can find ourselves writing less about cancer, and more about everyday life.. which in mind is a good thing. Here’s Caroline‘s latest musing on this fact and on a similar theme, Lori‘s I haven’t got time post and Susan Farris on taking a mental health break from cancer in order to rekindle a sense of hope.

Maureen has been laying some old ghosts to rest.

As someone who is facing her birthday next week, and contemplating ever more visible signs of ageing, I totally got Jen‘s latest blog on getting older.

Elaine writes about Until 20 an award-winning film about a young man with cancer and his unflinching approach to end of life decisions.

A must-read from Rebecca L on the reality of dating after breast cancer.

Claudia is dealing with an empty nest syndrome.

Great question from Beth Gainer this week. Does having cancer heighten your imaginative powers?

Nancy shares a guest post for National Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer (HBOC) Week written by Amy Byer Shainman this week.  On the same theme, read Liza‘s experience of testing for BRCA 1 and 2 genes.

Gayle reviews Susan Gubar’s new book Reading & Writing Cancer: How Words Heal.

Stacey reflects on what it means to her to be three years down the road from her breast cancer diagnosis.

Finally this week, I leave you with a special meme created by Kathi to illustrate how she feels about this month.

Until next week,

Yours with love

Marie xxx