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
Scientists are close to discovering how breast cells become cancerous it emerged yesterday. Dr Paul Edwards from Cambridge University has identified a gene called NRG1 which is linked to more than half of… Continue reading
Cancer treatment will be dramatically transformed in the near future as a number of research projects reach fruition. Sir David Lane, chief scientist at Cancer Research UK, revealed this week that teams are… Continue reading
Yesterday I attended the launch by Europa Donna Ireland (EDI) of a leaflet highlighting the 9 things every woman in Ireland should know about breast cancer. It is the first time a… Continue reading
This was the question I pondered today as I read about a drug which has been developed to erase painful memories. If you have seen the 2004 film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless… Continue reading
Researchers at UK’s Dundee University have been given more than £1.5m to come up with a model that can measure the shape and speed of cancer. The university has long pioneered the use… Continue reading
I am borrowing today’s post from my online friend Lily, an avid reader, who this month chose In your face by Lia Mills. I really enjoyed Lily’s review of this book, which she… Continue reading
So back to business again this morning and today I am highlighting a recent medical story which recommends that more research is needed to indicate which DCIS patients are candidates for less invasive surgery. This is something… Continue reading
So for those who are thinking by now.. enough with the cancerversary – we’ve heard it all ..this is the last word on the subject I promise. So please indulge me for just one… Continue reading
At the recent LiveStrong Global Cancer Summit held here in Dublin last month, Lance Armstrong spoke of the “the obligation of the cured” – the idea that those who survive cancer should… Continue reading
How suddenly life can change. How illusory that feeling of control over our lives…. As you can see, I am in a reflective mood this week, as I remember the strange limbo I found… Continue reading
