Wendy Harpham on Healthy Survivorship

Young Women Affected by Breast Cancer

Tomorrow morning I am delivering a keynote address -- "Happiness in a Storm: Embracing Life Through and After Cancer" -- at the 9th Annual Converence for Young Women Affected by Breast Cancer.    

Someone I Love is Sick

A recurring theme of this blog is that Healthy Survivors don't try to reinvent the wheel; they find out about and take advantage of available resources that can help. If you or someone you know is a parent of very young children and dealing with cancer, you need to know about a fabulous new resource:

Children Take Caregiver Role

A February 22nd NYTimes article by Pam Belluck invites readers to take a look at a huge, hidden problem in America: child caregivers. I hope you can find some time to read the article, watch the embedded video clips and then scroll through the readers' comments.

Holding Note

When I was in practice and had too many things to do at once, I'd resort to writing a "holding note" in a patients chart: "Patient seen and examined. Orders written.  Full note to follow."  Well, this is my holding note for my blog.

Jane Brody's Guide to the Great Beyond

In an earlier post, I introduced the topic of responsibility: What do Healthy Survivors owe their friends and loved ones? And what do friends and loved ones owe the Healthy Survivor?

And the Winner is...

Tammy Rivers. (applause) Tammy, please email me to claim your prize: an inscribed hardcover copy of Happiness in a Storm.  Congratulations! 

Why is this announcement late? Why have I been postless for a few days?

"Grammie (Gramps), I Hate You"

My last post addressed children's need to have a safe place to express whatever they are feeling when a parent has cancer. What if the "kids" are young or middle-aged adults?

"Mom (or Dad), I Hate You"

Family illness can be tough on kids, even when the adults -- the parent(s), teachers, coaches, aunts and uncles, family friends -- are doing everything right. If I were to put a magic microphone next to the children's inner voice, you might hear:

Owing the Little Ones

Yesterday I used a videoclip to jumpstart a discussion about responsibilities. When the grown son in the clip was only 3 years old, the father took what could have been an ugly scene and turned it into a moment rich with his expression of reassuring love for his son. 

What is That?

One of the defining traits of illness and injury is the need to adjust to unwanted change and loss.

Never Underestimate an Old Gal

"Funny, you don't look like a...(fill in blank)." 

Elevating Science

An essay worth reading -- "Elevating Science, Elevating Democracy" -- looks at the link between science and democracy. Dennis Overbye writes, "Science is not a monument of received Truth but something that people do to look for truth." I am pumping my fist in the air: Yessssss!"