Writing as therapy is an established coping mechanism but I would be interested to hear a health professional's view of this growing modern day phenonema and its health benefits. I believe blogging is basket weaving for the twenty first century.
There are an incredible variety of blogs out there. Some are deeply emotional, some educational, others full of humour. They are real life soap operas.
I was recently diagnosed with cancer and have found blogging incredibly valuable in many ways. Friends and family are naturally very concerned at this time and I want to keep them informed but I found repeating the daily events around the time of my diagnosis both tiring and stressful. Each time I had to share or update my story with a concerned loved one, I felt the pain of the diagnosis over. At one point, I simply unplugged my telephone. Blogging enables me to update all my loved ones in one go and importantly, share my news in a considered way and at my own speed.
Cancer brings with it a host of emotions ranging from worry and fear to loneliness and even love. These emotions are often very mixed and hit with such speed, it can be hard to process and express them clearly. By blogging, I have been able to process and present my news in a way that I am comfortable with.
My particular cancer and its treatment has had some effect on the clarity of my speech which can make conversation distressing for me and must be worrying for my friends and family to hear. Communication by blog gets round this.
Anybody being treated with cancer will tell you they spend a lot of time in hospital waiting rooms. To describe this as boring doesn't come close. Sat alone for sometimes hours with a dog eared copy of an out of date magazine and the worry of the meeting or treatment that is ahead if you for company can be torturous.
Should you ever find yourself in a waiting room at the Royal Marsden - and I sincerely hope you never do - and see a 44 year old man tapping into his iPad, that'll be me.
Example of my blog when I am using humour can be seen by clicking here
or visiting http://cancerpants.wordpress.com/2011/03/30/cancer-pants/
FormerMember
Hi Fulham,
I found your piece about blogging to survive very interesting. My husband died of cancer 15 months ago but I have a form of Ataxia that has affected my speech. Thank goodness its not life threatening but it has made my life very difficult. I can totally relate to your blogging as it is easier to write than speak but I find people treat you as mentally ill if your speech is a little umh different!! good luck with the blogging and I hope your cancer goes into remission
I uderstand where you are coming from i would rather write than talk to people and having to go over the journey that brought me here time after time to people who ask is very upsetting to me ..
Jan x you are a long way from me i attend the beatson in Glasgow for my chemo right now but its a 5 day treatment at a time so not so much been sitting in waiting room just at hospital bed but guess that will change when i start my raidothrearpy
