You never think it will be you. You go about your days making plans, imagining futures, dreaming ordinary dreams. Life feels steady, predictable. And then it isn’t. One phone call. One scan. One… Continue reading
In 1948, two French scientists noticed something unexpected in their lab samples: fragments of DNA drifting in blood plasma. At the time, the discovery seemed trivial, even puzzling. DNA, after all, was supposed… Continue reading
You’ve likely heard people talk about “chemo brain”—or maybe you’ve even felt it yourself. It’s that foggy sensation that can make it tough to find the right word, recall a friend’s name, or… Continue reading
So few grains of happiness measured against all the dark and still the scales balance. – Jane Hirshfield “The Weighing” I’ve been reflecting on these lines from Jane Hirshfield’s poem The Weighing and how its… Continue reading
In many cultures, greetings are often seen as polite and routine exchanges. However, in some Muslim cultures, there exists a profound dimension to these everyday interactions. When someone asks, “How are you?” in… Continue reading
I discovered that today, September 16th is ‘Tattoo Story Day’. While I am not sure if this is a day that’s universally marked, it gives me the prompt I need to tell the… Continue reading
Checking my August Awareness Day Calendar, I discovered that today, August 30th is designated as Grief Awareness Day. Sometimes I feel we are awash with grief in our community. Not just in our… Continue reading
Are you looking for a new job after cancer treatment? Perhaps you left your last employment after your diagnosis, or maybe you are still in your current job but want a fresh start… Continue reading
“In a society which is much more inclined to help you hide your pain rather than to grow through it, is necessary to make a very conscious effort to mourn.” – Henri Nouwen Grief… Continue reading
T 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 […]
The Thing Is to love life, to love it evenwhen you have no stomach for itand everything you’ve held dearcrumbles like burnt paper in your hands,your throat filled with the silt of it.When… Continue reading
The Butterfly Effect For Marie Ennis O’Connor So close and still Quietly far away From the company Who chose you The day you heard The word we all Heard. Echoes In a canyon… Continue reading
26 posts. 26 days. 26 letters of the alphabet, one blog post beginning with each letter. H is for Hair I started this blog a few years after my breast cancer diagnosis and… Continue reading
I know I’ve written about this before on the blog, but today I came across two infographics which are worth sharing on how to spot medical quackery. Ben Goldacre, author of Bad Science, classifies… Continue reading
Today’s guest post is written by Kate of Sheffield Cancer Mafia, a support group for people with cancer in their lives, from those with cancer themselves to those supporting a loved one. Based in… Continue reading
If you an encounter an obstacle in your way today, take a moment to ‘meet it’ fully. Instead of twisting away from it, cursing its existence, trying to break it down, or tweeting about… Continue reading
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… Continue reading
I find myself feeling very much like the Christmas Grinch this year. It’s been three years since my mother died – just a few short weeks before Christmas – followed by a… Continue reading
I’ve just been reading 10 Tips From a 26-Year Breast Cancer Survivor in the Huffington Post. In the article Lisa Marie Wilson shares advice from her grandmother, who, aged 57, was diagnosed with breast… Continue reading
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… Continue reading
I am so thrilled with these drawings done by Monica Lalanda, an emergency physician in Spain, and as you can see a very talented illustrator. Monica came to the DotMED conference last week at which I was… Continue reading
Originally posted on Jacquie Garton-Smith:
Being a doctor and a writer, it’s probably no surprise that I am interested in how two of my passions overlap. There are clear links between creativity and…
