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 was reading some research last week which suggests that emotional states can be transferred directly from one individual to another by “emotional contagion”. People can “catch” emotional states they observe in others. This… Continue reading
Looking at the pictures in the newspaper this week of comedienne and actress, Jennifer Saunders, as she attended the ballet in London, those of us who have gone through chemo, will recognise her gorgeous… Continue reading
In keeping with the spirit of last week’s thanksgiving, today’s poem is from my favourite poet, Mary Oliver, whose poetry always touches me deeply. Her poem is an invitation to look closely at all… Continue reading
Chemotherapy is such a crude blunderbus of an instrument, that to see us moving closer to more targeted and personalised cancer treatment is hugely encouraging. One way in which we are moving one step forward in this advance is… Continue reading
Some of you may be reading this right now and you are feeling overwhelmed by the doom and gloom that seems to be all around us. You may be suffering a health, emotional or financial… Continue reading
Women with a personal history of breast cancer should consider annual screening with MRI in addition to mammography, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North… Continue reading
This past week we saw the first snowfall of the season in Ireland, and suddenly our ordinary everyday landscape is transformed. We look at everything around us through fresh eyes, marvelling at the… Continue reading
One of my favourite TV cookery shows at the moment is Nigel’s Simple Suppers. I love to see how chef Nigel Slater whizzes up everyday store cupboard ingredients into a tasty midweek supper.… Continue reading
As I am recovering from surgery this week, I was interested to be emailed this quiz on pain personality. It probes our attitude to pain and I was surprised to see my results… Continue reading
