Fruit for free
The blackberries have come early this season along the Irish country lanes and the brambles are now heavy with fruit, just ripe for the picking. It is one of the great pleasures for me of… 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
The blackberries have come early this season along the Irish country lanes and the brambles are now heavy with fruit, just ripe for the picking. It is one of the great pleasures for me of… Continue reading
Many, many times I have written here about the benefits of exercise in cancer prevention and recurrence. While I may not be able to control whether or not my cancer comes back, it makes the… Continue reading
A few weeks ago, I posted “Cancer – harder on the patient or the spouse?”, the personal reflection of one man on his struggles as a care-giver to his wife, who underwent treatment for breast… Continue reading
Last night as I was sleeping, I dreamt—marvelous error!— that I had a beehive here inside my heart. And the golden bees were making white combs and sweet honey from my old failures.… Continue reading
How’s this for a great mantra to live your life by. This really inspired me today. Do more than belong: participate. Do more than care: help. Do more than believe: practice. Do more… Continue reading
“Good News from Houston” is the title of a recent post by Phil Mickelson on his website. Both Phil’s wife, Amy and his mother, Mary have undergone surgery for breast cancer in… Continue reading
After the dramas of breast cancer, you may be tired of tending to your own body and soul, but putting the illness behind you requires a commitment to healthy habits and sometimes a… Continue reading
No Family History: The Environmental Links to Breast Cancer (Rowman & Littlefield) is the title of a new book which presents compelling evidence that exposure to everyday products such as cosmetics and toiletries,… Continue reading
The cancer charity established by cycling champion Lance Armstrong is seeking volunteers to help out at a major conference on the disease in Dublin later this month. Up to 500 delegates, including health ministers from… Continue reading