It’s the same with writing. As a writing teacher, I usually
have to tell students that they have already ended an article, that any extra
work only adds words but not meaning, perhaps even confusing the reader.
End when you are
finished, I tell them.
Not helpful, they
say. How do I know when I am finished?
Do you have anything
more to say?” I ask.
Usually, the answer is no.
They have exhausted the topic but don't feel secure to let it go.
So it is with this blog. I have been doing this for a tad
over seven years and I now know it is time for me to stop. I have said what I
have to say. I have gone as far as I can.
The world is far different in terms of triple-negative
breast cancer than when I started. Other media outlets now regularly write
about TNBC. And research has significantly increased, with the focus on
metastatic disease and genomic testing.
Women with TNBC are no longer the wallflowers at the breast
cancer prom. Fewer and fewer reports use
the scary language—incurable, lethal, deadly—that defined the disease and the
reporting on it in its early days. Yes, those words still sneak into some news
releases, but that is no longer the standard.
So the time is right for me to move on. I will leave the
blog up, as the information here remains current. I am not going to add to it,
though. Instead, I am going to focus on general health writing, essays, and
art. I am developing a more general blog on my website at patriciaprijatel.com. It is a work in
progress, so if you head there, be patient as I begin building a new body of
work. And while I learn how to handle the blasted technology.
My
book, of course, will remain a resource. And I will continue to give talks,
but my approach will be more focused on overall health. And I will do writing workshops and coaching.
I have loved getting to know all of you and I appreciate how
you have invited me into your lives. This has been rewarding and fulfilling.
But I have had my say.
Hugs to all of you.
