Entries by Marie Ennis-O'Connor

These Gift Ideas For Newly Diagnosed Cancer Patients Will Show How Much You Care

June 30, 2021 in , /by

Do you have a friend or family member who is newly diagnosed with cancer? Chances are you’d like to get them a gift to show you’re thinking of them. While any thoughtful gift will be welcomed, there are some gifts that are particularly helpful at this time. The gift ideas listed in this post are […]

What Do You Do When Your Doctor Tells You Not To Google?

May 26, 2021 in , /by

What do you do when your doctor tells you not to Google?  A recent Twitter conversation prompted this question, so I set out to answer it with the help of the patient advocate community. Not surprisingly the first answer I received was firmly focused on the benefits patients found when they turned to the internet. […]

Patient Advocacy: Ten Tips For Twitter Success

April 26, 2021 in , /by

I love Twitter. It’s one of my favorite places on the Internet, and one of the few sites I visit more than once a day. I’ve been a Twitter user for over a decade and in that time I’ve found it has been one of the best places on the Internet to advance my advocacy […]

Patient Advocacy: 21 Tools To Help You Achieve More With Social Media

March 29, 2021 in , /by

Recently I had the pleasure of taking part in an Ask Me Anything #patientchat about social media (If you missed it you can catch the transcript here). I had forgotten how fast-paced a Twitter chat can be and given that social media is such a huge topic, inevitably I didn’t get to cover everything in […]

Nourishing Your Body and Mind: Nutritional Advice For Cancer Survivors

February 24, 2021 in , /by

There are few things more confusing to those of us who have had a cancer diagnosis than dietary advice. From conflicting recommendations from well-meaning friends to advice in magazine articles and online blogs, we can easily become overwhelmed with mixed messages. To bring more clarity to bear on the topic I spoke with registered dietitian […]

12 Actionable Tips For Social Media Success in 2021

January 29, 2021 in , /by

2020! What a year it was for all of us.  In the advocacy world, we saw an unprecedented shift towards online activities.  We relied on zoom calls, webinars and social networks to keep us connected and informed.  Where many organizations and individuals may in the past have used social media as an add-on to in […]

9 Tips to Help You Build a Better Advocacy Blog

November 23, 2020 in , /by

Do you blog about your illness? Many patients find blogging about their condition is not only therapeutic, but is also a great way to connect with others going through similar experiences.  A blog can also be a powerful advocacy tool – a way to raise awareness, build community and show commitment and passion for the […]

Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Its Many Shades of Pink (and Blue)

October 21, 2020 in , /by

We are more than half-way through Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM) – impossible to miss given the pink ribbon avalanche that arrives each Fall. While there is no denying that BCAM has played a significant role over the past two decades in raising public awareness of breast cancer, there is nevertheless growing criticism of its […]

Patient Empowerment Revisited: Part 2

October 5, 2020 in , /by

Welcome back to the second part of this discussion on patient empowerment. In Part 1 we looked at self-advocacy and the importance of having access to information which allows us to take a more active role in our care. We also looked at how a team-based, partnership approach to care – one in which the […]

Patient Empowerment Revisited: What Does It Truly Mean To Patients?

September 22, 2020 in , /by

Language is constantly evolving in our everyday lives. This is also true of the language we use to describe patienthood. The words we use color how we view our world and how the world perceives us as patients.  ‘Empowerment’ is one of those words frequently attached to patients.  The term is most often used to […]

Quotation Inspiration: 10 Quotes to Inspire, Motivate and Uplift Cancer Patients

July 24, 2020 in , /by

This month, I thought we could all do with a little quotation inspiration. When you’re dealing with cancer, some inspiring words can be just the thing to give you a daily lift. Note this is not the same as saying that “thinking positive” is the best way to deal with cancer. While for some, a […]

Music as Medicine: The Healing Power of Music

June 29, 2020 in , /by

The late neurologist, Oliver Sacks in his book “Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain,” argued that music is essential to being human in ways that we’ve only begun to understand. Music stimulates the brain centers that register reward and pleasure, which is why listening to a favorite song can make you happy.  There is […]

How to Create a Month’s Worth of Posts for Your Advocacy Blog

May 28, 2020 in , /by

Are you looking for a way to boost your advocacy activities online? One of the best ways to do this is to create a blog.  Blogging shows your commitment and passion for your cause and because a blog is interactive, it’s also an extremely effective way to build a community and engage more people in […]

Patient Advocacy: 10 Ways To Create Share Worthy Content For Social Media

April 28, 2020 in , /by

 When you want to raise awareness of your cause, amplify your advocacy activities and create change where it is needed most, social media is an important channel to share your message with the world. But it’s not enough just to create content and push it out online. How you create, publish, and promote your content […]

Practicing Self-Care in the Time of Coronavirus – How to Mind Your Mental Health and Well-Being During Covid-19

March 24, 2020 in , /by

As the coronavirus outbreak continues its relentless spread, the impact of the pandemic is being felt across the globe. We are facing a critical time of fear and uncertainty individually and in our communities. COVID-19 will affect us all to varying degrees –  physically, emotionally, socially and psychologically.   You may notice an increase in some […]