It does feel very off brand to write topically, but here we are in the most unprecedented of times. We all love that phrase, right? Isolation was a term that hadn't been in my circle since 2005. And now here we are in 2020, all isolated away. My PTSD alarm bells started ringing when weContinue reading "Remission in lockdown"
Grief of self
I didn't have many breakthrough moments in therapy, but learning this concept was a massive step in understanding my emotions after cancer. My psychologist explained that a lot of my feelings were linked to grief. I was confused. Nobody I knew had died?? Was I grieving the people who didn't survive Ewing's sarcoma? Was thisContinue reading "Grief of self"
A New Chapter
Summer 2019 has been the beginning of a new chapter in life. It's been very exciting and stressful. I'm quite glad that it has begun to settle down now. I moved out of a student house and into a flat with my boyfriend, moved away from Plymouth to Bristol, and started a new job atContinue reading "A New Chapter"
The suffocation of mundanity in remission life
A big aspect of remission I struggle with is day to day mundanity. My mind leaps to the thought that I should be doing something amazing and life altering when I'm out food shopping or at my day job. Sometimes I ask myself 'what's the point?' Why don't I do something crazy and try toContinue reading "The suffocation of mundanity in remission life"
How I get the most out of an NHS appointment
I am SO blessed to say that all of my treatment has been covered by the NHS. I can't even begin to imagine the trauma of not being able to afford treatment, and thinking about the fact that other patients with Ewing's Sarcoma have to crowdfund to purchase treatment makes me so sad and angry.Continue reading "How I get the most out of an NHS appointment"
A moment to realise I have become more involved in sharing my experience
I wrote the following piece last August for a charity social media post. Thought I'd pop it on here to show that I had a goal set to become more involved in helping other patients, and feel that I am fulfilling that goal with this blog! 🙂 It's a bit emotionally draining to write aboutContinue reading "A moment to realise I have become more involved in sharing my experience"
My top 5 tips for getting to sleep with cancer related anxiety
One of my biggest ongoing problems during and after cancer treatment is sleep. And problems with sleep cause more problems in the day, creating an awful cycle if it doesn't get sorted. I was in this cycle for over a decade, but have recently invested a lot of time into improving my sleep and wishContinue reading "My top 5 tips for getting to sleep with cancer related anxiety"
Bad for your health, good for your soul
I often find myself at the receiving end of unsolicited health advice, as I'm sure we all do from time to time. It's an interesting perspective to query as a young person living in cancer remission. A lot of things cause cancer. My cancer was caused by a genetic mutation, which sadly would not haveContinue reading "Bad for your health, good for your soul"
Survivors guilt stopped me from seeking mental health care as a teenager, now it motivates me to get help.
Cancer is the first suggestion when you google survivors guilt I was interviewed by a radio station back in 2014, and when I was asked how I felt about my cancer diagnosis, I said guilty. This was less about my diagnosis, and more about surviving. I suffer immensely with survivor's guilt. It's a very commonContinue reading "Survivors guilt stopped me from seeking mental health care as a teenager, now it motivates me to get help."
Write yourself a spiel!
This is a real quick and practical piece of advise for you guys; nail a spiel. Prepare and rehearse a short synopsis of your cancer treatment and outcome that you can reel off when someone asks about it. Why? To give a cohesive answer that does not trigger an emotional response. Just saying the wordContinue reading "Write yourself a spiel!"
Remission Life 