Wendy Harpham on Healthy Survivorship

Do Positive Thoughts Extend Life?

NYTimes health columnist Jane Brody purposely used the indefinite adjective—“may”—in her conclusion about the benefits of positive thoughts:  "[Positive thoughts] may actually improve health and extend life." {A Positive Outlook May Be Good for Your Health]   Click here to read complete post on new website.

Laura Miller's Epiphanies and Regrets while Dealing with Cancer Again--Part II

In my last post I shared two of Miller's epiphanies. Here's more:

A Purple Card for Papa

In "The Healing Power of a Selfie" I shared an essay by Melanie Di Stante. She also wrote a children's book for families dealing with cancer. 

Lesson on Action in Beckett's "I'll go on."

Healthy Survivors influence their outcome positively through proper action.

How to Minimize Scanxiety

My prior post addressed steps clinicians can take to help minimize their patients' scanxiety. Here's an excerpt from my patient handout, Waiting for Test Results:

Healthy Survivorship and Letting Things Go - Part II

In medical situations where letting something go is a necessary step to Healthy Survivorship, the act of letting it go is an act of empowerment. So, too, in situations where letting something go is the healthiest option

Why Patients Do Cancer Walks

In Why Patients Keep Walking, I share with professionals in oncology why I keep doing the Dallas Lymphoma Walk.   A few excerpts:

The event provides a stage to honor my extraordinary survival—and everyone who has played a role in it. The public display, like an annual booster shot, immunizes me from taking any of it for granted.

When a Sister has Cancer

One morning earlier this summer, I was poised to do some writing in a crowded waiting room at my car dealership when my sister called me. "Can you talk?"

Music for Coping

An interesting article in the current issue of Arts & Health reviews the findings of a study that looked at Music as a Method of Coping with Cancer.

Now It's Funny

Cancer is not one bit funny. So don't be misled by a book title suggesting otherwise: Now It's Funny. How I Survived Cancer, Divorce, and Other Looming Disasters.

Words Matter

Maybe it is because I'm a writer, but a story that appeared in the NYTimes sports section is now laminated and in my personal file of most inspiring stories. I urge you to carve out two minutes to read it: