On courage
“I’ve seen extreme bravery from the least likely of people. Life is about the moments when it’s all gone wrong. That’s when we define ourselves.” — Bear Grylls
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’ve seen extreme bravery from the least likely of people. Life is about the moments when it’s all gone wrong. That’s when we define ourselves.” — Bear Grylls
On the fourth floor of the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, they’re doing cutting-edge research on bladder cancer, the mechanics of cancer stem-cell replication, and the healing power of portraits. That’s… Continue reading
An article in today’s Guardian newspaper warns those who adopt “extreme diets” to try to stop the disease returning are wasting their time and may even be harming their health. Dietary regimes which urge… Continue reading
I came across an article recently in the Irish Times on the Shekina Sculpture Garden, in Co Wicklow. Described as a modern sacred space, it is a peaceful garden with a pond, shrubs and trees and… Continue reading
The following are some tips for practising mindfulness in our daily lives. As I have written here many times (and research bears it out), I believe that the practice of mindfulness can be of… Continue reading
Back again to the theme of exercise and breast cancer. This time the research focuses on exercise as a tool to battle the symptoms of depression and anxiety which may be attendant to… Continue reading
Singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006. In this video clip from 2007, she talks about her fight against the disease, her involvment with the National Breast Cancer Coalition, her… Continue reading
Again and again, I made aware of how lucky I was to be living in the catchment area of a specialist breast cancer unit, when I received my treatment for breast cancer. Isn’t… Continue reading
For all those who asked me to reprint the John O’Donoghue poem, Blessing, read by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the spiritual care conference: Beannacht (“Blessing”) On the day when the weight deadens on… Continue reading