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
The 22nd National Cancer Survivors Day® takes place this Sunday, 7 June, 2009. It is an annual, worldwide Celebration of Life that is held in hundreds of communities throughout the United States, Canada,… Continue reading
Four-o’clock Flowers Around the World, is a cancer project, which began as a tribute to symbolically fulfill the last request of Jim Donahoe, a cancer patient, who passed away in 1994. Jim loved… Continue reading
I wrote a piece last month on reconstructive breast surgery and specifically the lack of options presented to women by their surgeons. This piece was prompted by an article which appeared last December in the New… Continue reading
Regular readers of this blog will know of my commitment to the practice of mindfulness, not just for dealing with illness, but also for dealing with everyday life. Oscailt, an integrative healing centre… Continue reading
Phil Mickelson plans to return to the PGA Tour for next week’s St. Jude Classic and compete in the US Open that follows. The US world No. 2 suspended his 2009 campaign indefinitely… Continue reading
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) published new guidelines on the health hazard posed by the cancer-causing chemical acrylamide — which occurs naturally during the frying, roasting or baking of starchy foods… Continue reading
A few days ago I wrote a piece on dating after cancer, which touched on the issues of body image and intimacy. Now experts at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer… Continue reading
That fuzzy headed, forgetfulness we call “chemo brain”, which occurs after chemotherapy, or while on hormonal treatment can be quite distressing as you try to pick up the pieces of your life and move… Continue reading
Women who take anti-depressants, while on tamoxifen, may or may not be at risk of recurrence. According to ABC News, conflicting evidence has emerged at the annual meeting of the American Society for… Continue reading
Ever since Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City first pondered the perils and pitfalls of dating in the modern world, acres of column inches have been given to the subject. But what if… Continue reading
