Weekly Round-Up
Welcome, dear readers, to this week’s gathering of voices.
Abigail opens the week by drawing an important distinction between hope and denial in metastatic breast cancer. She argues that acknowledging the reality of an incurable illness is not the same as surrendering to it, and considers the responsibility that comes with using a public platform to shape how others understand and respond to their own diagnosis.
The consequences of healthcare systems and policies come into focus in Barbara‘s latest post, where she highlights a significant inequity in cancer care: the very different insurance coverage patients may encounter depending on whether chemotherapy is delivered by infusion or taken orally. Her piece is a timely reminder that access to treatment should not depend on how that treatment happens to be administered.
Suzanne recounts a frightening health scare after symptoms that developed following the start of Tamoxifen led to a hysteroscopy and biopsy. Alongside the enormous relief of learning that the biopsy showed no cancer, she writes about conflicting medical opinions, complex health needs, disability, and the exhausting necessity of repeatedly advocating for herself within the healthcare system.
Connie looks back on walking the Camino, recalling the physical and emotional challenges, the unexpected kindness of strangers, and the companionship she found along the way. Her story becomes a meditation on perseverance, faith, and the reassurance that even when we lose our way, we can still arrive where we need to be.
To close this week’s collection, Beth writes candidly about the need to press pause when her body demands it. A difficult spell of migraines forced her to step back from writing, reading, exercise, and even art, offering a gentle reminder that rest is not a failure of productivity, but an essential form of self-care.
Until next week,
May the days ahead bring clarity where there is uncertainty, kindness in the difficult moments, and the wisdom to know when to keep going—and when to pause.
Much love always,
Marie xxx
