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.
Yesterday, October 10th was World Mental Health Awareness Day. We in this community are acutely aware of mental health as many of our blogs testify to each week. As I wrote yesterday:
While most people will understand that dealing with a chronic illness like cancer causes depression, not everyone understands that depression can go on for many months and even years after cancer treatment has ended (one of the most frequent searches that come up on my blog analytics is “depression following cancer”).
While Barbara Jacoby writes on a similar theme too this week, reading Ilene‘s deeply personal and moving poem will leave you in no doubt of the mental scars left my cancer.
Scars of a different kind are under discussion on Megsie‘s blog.
And of course it’s not just cancer which is responsible for overwhelming feelings of depression and anxiety. We are all carrying pain from other life circumstances too, as AnnMarie’s latest post so powerfully shows.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM) is well underway. Check out these tips from Nancy Seibel on what to foucs on this month and this advice from Nancy Stordahl for dealing with BCAM during a pandemic.
See also Abigail‘s informational BCAM posts and Siobhan continues her advocacy for more awareness during BCAM for breast density.
Terri tackles the question of whether we should compare breast reconstruction photos.
A new blog series focusing on sex issues and cancer is underway at Shine Cancer Support.
Wonderful post by Sue Robins on valuing stories in healthcare.
The time has come to provide equitable and safe opportunities to support patients to tell their own stories too. For the life of a human being is so much more than a simple data point on a graph.
A welcome back to the blogosphere to Maureen this week.
A post on reclaiming meaning and purpose in your life from Barbara.
Connie reflects on surviving and thriving in her latest post.
Finally this week, I leave you with some advice from Jackie for World Mental Health Day – and everyday!
It’s okay to feel bad or sad or mad right now. It’s okay if you haven’t taught yourself a new language or perfected sourdough bread making during quarantine. One of my favorite Peanuts cartoons of all time had Charlie Brown saying “I should stop shoulding myself.” Good advice for all of us.
Until next week,
Be kind to yourself,
Yours with much love always
Marie xxx
