Weekly Round-Up: The Coronavirus 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.
We’re living in very worrying times. Here in Ireland, the country is officially in lockdown and anxiety levels are soaring – particularly for cancer patients and those with weakened immune systems and underlying health conditions, who are more at risk for COVID19. The pandemic has reached across the globe and continues to change, rapidly impacting everyone. There is a lot of information available on the internet about the virus and what we know changes daily. While Dee shares the most reliable places to get your information online, Chris shares his perspective on cancer as the gift that keeps on giving, in the face of Covid-19; and Diane, Catherine, Amy, Britt, Carolyn and Nancy Stordahl offer practical suggestions for what to do to protect yourself – and others – during this pandemic.
For those for whom this is a particularly anxious time, Karin is offering an online talk to help us with the emotional and mental impact of the current COVID-19 pandemic: anxiety, self-isolation, working from home, loneliness and more. You can register at this link: https://karinsieger.com/coronavirus-support-online-talk/. See also Nancy Seibel‘s latest post on how to shift your attention so that you can help spread the antidote to worry; Terri Wingham‘s tips for navigating uncertainty; and Lisa Valentine‘s hope that “we will also move through these uncertain times and emerge with some new humility and grace. That our world will emerge more unified by our commonalities and less divided by our differences.”
For some, this time of self-imposed isolation at home is a time to clear out and reflect as is the case with Connie in her latest post.
Elsewhere in the blogosphere….
Terri shares an interview with Breast Advocate App Founder, Minas Chrysopoulo, MD.
I was delighted to feature Barbara Jacoby in my Social Spotlight series of interviews on healthcare professionals and patient advocates’ use of social media.
Jo shares her experience of attending ABC5 Lisbon – a conference that focuses entirely on Advanced Breast Cancer and also her experience, along with other members of patient advocacy group MetUpUK, of attending parliament to urge ministers to take immediate action to improve and extend the lives of those affected.
A guest blog about cancer and friends on Ticking Off Breast Cancer this week. See also Megsie’s latest post “With a Little Help From My Friends.”
Naomi posted her monthly blog linkup this week.
Abigail reflects on her third cancerversary.
Ilene shares her thoughts on what’s changed in the last five years with Metastatic Breast Cancer.
Finally this week, I leave you with one of my favourite poems on kindness, by Naomi Shihab, shared by Audrey on her blog.
Until next week,
Let’s be extra kind to those who need our kindness most,
Yours with much love always,
Marie xxx
Wonderful round up, thanks Marie x
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Thank you dear Marie for including my “Let’s All Be Palm Trees Together” article in this week’s list. It’s hard to focus on much else with the current pandemic reality everywhere around us. As I read earlier this morning, “COVID19 is the first global pandemic of the social media age, the first of the ‘alternative facts’ era.” As I’m one of those high-risk patients, I’m actually relieved to see these ‘social isolation’ and “WASH YOUR HANDS!” directives everywhere here in Canada. This too shall pass – and meanwhile, I have thrown myself into tidying and cleaning (my freezer is now a thing of beauty!) Perhaps it’s because sorting and scrubbing end up with such satisfying results and most of all, are completely within my control at a time when I don’t feel I have much control…
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Hi Marie, Thank you for including me in this week’s roundup. On the one hand, it makes me so sad to think the whole world is impacted by COVID19 and on the other, it’s sort of comforting knowing we are all in this together. Literally, all of us. Stay well. x
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This is not a new reality for cancer patients of course, but as you say Nancy, there’s a measure of comfort in knowing we are all in this together.
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Hi Carolyn, I agree it’s hard to focus on much else – although like you, my freezer is looking better than ever!
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Thank you again for including my post last week in your round up. Ive found some incredible writing through your work for us each week, and made some new friends. So, does it get any better than that during these times of social distancing? I think in your way you’ve lessened the distance and caused a unique form of closeness for those of us who need it most at a time when the world seems to be off kilter for so many of us. I look around and want to reach out to my neighbors knowing I cannot. Knowing that just one wrong hello can be the end of me and there’s still so much I can, we can do… so thank you for reminding me that while i cannot do much in person I can use my words to help. Even if its just to get someone’s mind off these strange times we find ourselves in.
I did write a poem – noting to do with what we are currently experiencing with you in mind. I just published it on the blog. After I wrote a new post about being in the accident. I hope you like it.
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Oh Ilene, as always, your words lift us all up and you personally make my day brighter each time I read your comments. Looking forward to checking out the poem you wrote. Much love to you xxx
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I so love the poem at the end. Thank you to Audrey for sharing it, and to you including it here. I am so lucky to have heard Naomi Shihab Nye give a reading to a small group at American University. It must have been 15 or so years ago!
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