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
This post should be required reading for all health care professionals! I particularly like the point raised about the patient not being a disease with a body attached but a life into which… Continue reading
Philippa has set me a challenge. A writing challenge. I said yes. Then I read her contribution to this challenge and well, let’s just say… I have a lot to live up to!… Continue reading
Today’s guest post is written by Jennifer Campisano, a first-time mom who was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer at the age of 32, when her son was just five months old. She writes about navigating… Continue reading
Click here to watch video I really enjoyed the experience of live streaming a talk on my experience of breast cancer for the GE Healthcare Breast Cancer Mosaic. The video is a bit… Continue reading
“Keep your face to the sun and you will never see the shadows.” ― Helen Keller Did you know that light takes a long, long, long time to move from the center of the… Continue reading
If you aren’t familiar with the idea behind Mojo Monday, it’s a writing prompt to get your creativity flowing. Feel free to write about it on your blogs, or simply leave a comment… Continue reading
I will be sharing my story about breast cancer during a one hour live streaming session on Tuesday 1 April , at 10.30pm GMT, 5.30pm EST, and 3.30pm PST. I would love if you could join me.… Continue reading
Today is my mother’s birthday. The third I have marked without her since she died. Her birthday was the last day I got to spend with her as my Mum; the next day she… Continue reading
