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I watched a new documentary called Unrest.  It really brings to light how incredibly obtuse the medical community can be.  Ignoring women’s complaints and/or treating them like hypochondriacs is a worldwide practice.  After watching the film, I was inspired to write.  If anyone is interested, you can find it at www.albertakat.ca
it was cathartic, and has provided an outlet for my frustration with what feels like medical ineptitude.

I started a blog on the topic of ovarian cancer almost five years ago. This was just after my treatments were finished and I had achieved remission. It’s definitely therapeutic to tell my story, I also acquire a sense of purpose when I think that a woman could be reading what I've written and that my experiences might somehow be helpful or encouraging to her. I call my blog The Teal Diaries and you can visit my site at www.thetealdiaries.com

Thank you for sharing, Jackie.  

I have been writing a diary ever since I got diagnosed and find it to be very therapeutic

More so than the writing- forcing myself to share it with my loved ones is what has been most life changing.  I’ve always been strong and independent- I also felt that meant keeping my personal challenges personal- internally dealing with everything going on in my life.  Sharing my story with others has been an eye opening experience for me.  

Agreed @Claudia ....I've done Art Therapy - needed that creative outlet, helped to get back to some of the "normal" part of me. It involved a bit of text and writing so that was helpful.  There are many online versions and tutorials that one can access if interested. Thank you for sharing those resources @Jackie and @AlbertaKat

Hi @AlbertaKat @Jackie @Claudia @Flowergirl  - Great discussion!  Here are links to a few articles that I thought you might enjoy....
https://www.cancer.net/blog/2014-06/power-writing
https://www.cancercare.org/publications/263-healing_with_words_journaling_and_reflecting_throughout_treatment
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/benefits-writing-why-you-should-write-all-the-time.html

Hi @AlbertaKat, @Jackie and @Flowergirl, I agree, great discussion. One of the positive things about being home and having more time because of cancer is that my creative juices have started flowing again after a bit of a hibernation period. Diary writing and a bit of painting has been therapeutic. But I am also now working on a piece of fiction that excites me, keeps me busy and distracts me! 

Hello @AlbertaKat, @Claudia @Jackie - I just found out that the Cancer Chat is offering the online Art Therapy session - I'm going to post in the Websites, Books Resources topic if you are interested.

Thank you - I actually just started an art therapy class at Wellspring

Hi @Claudia- That is good to hear... I hope you enjoy it!.

Nice topic  :) I use art therapy. Not intentionally: my work is related to painting and design. But it helps a lot. 

I wrote this about a year into my cancer journey -

Living with cancer

I looked for you -

I felt you there, deep down in the depths of my being

like a sullen malevolent toad,

eating me alive from the inside out -

a malignancy

whose tentacles dug further within

to rob my

breath from me

even after a long surgery

I imagined you

skulking

insidious

venomous

and I was ready to return

hatred for hatred

vileness for vileness

until

I discovered the clear empty space

like a window to eternity

that inhabits the hollowness

left behind

and I knew then

that you and I are the same

and there is nothing but light

that blocks my view.

Hi @tigerlily.  This is very moving, thought provoking and beautiful.  Thank you!  I would love to read things that others have written too, or, painted, or other kinds of art. @AlbertaKat @Jackie @Claudia @Flowergirl @CanaryBird

Hi @tigerlily - this is beautiful, thanks so much for sharing!

I painted this after my first chemo - probably the first time I have painted anything since highschool!

What a lovely poem by @tigerlily about her cancer journey. Although I generally tend toward prose, I’ve written a small amount of poetry since my diagnosis. I’ve chosen to post some of my poetic work on my blog. One entry is called Unit 42 Haiku and can be found at the following link.

https://thetealdiaries.com/2016/04/10/unit-42-haiku/

And here is a more recent poetic experiment of mine.

https://thetealdiaries.com/2017/04/04/poetic-discourse/

@tigerlily your poem left me shaking.. Especially this passage: "and there is nothing but light that blocks my view." So strong & impressive. Did you try to publish some of your poetry? May I please ask to read more of it if you have any other pieces? Thank you!

Beautiful painting @Claudia.. Did you use oil or acrylic?

Thank you for all your kind supportive comments.  I find that writing, particularly poetry for me, helps me give substance to my emotional mindset and then put it out there, outside of me.  It becomes other, and helps me move on, or change perspective. 
I love your painting @Claudia - I had the vertical incision too, and I identified to it right away.  I read your Unit 42 Haiku, @Jackie, that's quite an impressive blog you have there.  And your verses really caught the experience. 

@CanaryBird, this is for you.

Small things

The strong caress of the icy wind on my cheek

the Christmas lights on the house up the hill

the timid stars of a waxing moon

these small things so great I am dazzled

at finding the place in my consciousness

to perceive them

and I melt with love for

the presence of death

that has slowed me down

so that I notice

a minute sliver

of the wonder of the universe

Thank you dear @tigerlily , this is beautiful..

Wow!  I'm overwhelmed @Jackie @Claudia @Flowergirl @CanaryBird  @tigerlily. What a great discussion and place not only to share your thoughts, feelings and talent but to touch others with your words and images that evoke such deep emotion and sense of connectedness.  Thank you for sharing these things.

I am awed by the things I have read here. I have been quilting for about 25 years including art pieces. I haven't had the stamina since diagnosis to do much quilting so I picked up a crochet hook and now I create with  yarn. I have made afgans for all the people I love in the last 2 years. Not only is it therapy for me but something of myself to leave behind. ??

This is a very lovely and therapeutic topic, thank you for sharing. It is nice to have the creative outlet to convey the feelings and often create something beautiful.

Hi @Quiltmama.  Do you have photos of any of the quilts or afgans - we would love to see them!

Hi  @Claudia .
I have just found your post of the picture and I must say I stared at it for several moments, thinking how true it is.
Thank You for Sharing.  I hope to see some more. :wink: