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
Today’s recipe is stuffed butternut squash. One of the most abundant nutrients in winter squash, beta-carotene, has been shown to have very powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This vegetable is also rich in Vitamin… Continue reading
We all know that no two cancers are exactly the same, but now new research has shown that breast cancer is not a single disease but a collection of at least five separate… Continue reading
Normal service has resumed! After the christmas hiatus, it is time to get back into a routine and as it’s Monday, it’s time for the Meat Free Monday recipe. I’ve recently discovered a… Continue reading
Title Views Shaking the branches of the family tree 23,855 Did Grey’s Anatomy portray cancer accura 15,291 ‘Farrah’s Story’ a tale of inner strengt 14,733 “Pink Out” for Amy Mickelson 4,768 ER… Continue reading
‘Twas the night before Christmas… So begins the first line of the famous poem by Clement Clarke Moore which has delighted generations of children and adults since it was first published in December… Continue reading
Results of research currently being undertaken in Ireland could lead to a simple blood test for breast cancer, writes Dr Muiris Huston in today’s Irish Times. The term paradigm shift may have been overused… Continue reading
Today’s recipe is Baba Ghanoush, a very popular Middle Eastern dish made primarily of aubergine/eggplant and tahini, a paste made from sesame seeds. This is a healthy snack that can be eaten in… Continue reading
If you’re wearing a disguise for too long, it will be difficult for the mirror to recognize you. At the end of the day I hope you become the person they didn’t expect… Continue reading
Using Herceptin with chemotherapy, instead of after, clearly improves treatment of women with HER2+ breast cancer, and should be the new standard of care, says a Mayo Clinic researcher who led what is… Continue reading
