Danielle Bonner

Equality Multitasker! @WCIDonegal coordinator & freelance trainer with @EqualityAware and now a 2023 breast cancer thriver, cancer doesn’t define you ☺️

[Fawzia Koofi @Fawziakoofi77]

In Afghanistan today, women are allowed to beg on the streets, do hard labor, or sell fruit in markets. They are even willing to work while wearing the Taliban style hijab.

But they are not allowed to study.
They are not allowed to become doctors, engineers, or hold jobs that give them dignity and financial independence.

Why?
Because financial independence leads to social, political, and economic freedom ,and that is exactly what the Taliban, and some male leaders in Afghanistan, fear the most.

They want to see women silenced, Dependent, Invisible.

But we refuse to accept that.
We will not give up. We will fight for our rights, our futures, for our country and our freedom.

Will you stand with us?
Video credit to Athena Vasal
#15thAugust

[Heather Barr @heatherbarr1]

“The 2024 Gender Index is a wake-up call not just for Afghanistan, but for all nations. It reminds us that gender equality is not a permanent achievement, but a continuous struggle.” https://t.co/nIlEcHZL9N

[The John and Pat Hume Foundation @humefoundation]

Today we launched the Women's Charter for Inclusive Constitutional Futures.

@fidelmaashe1 presented the Charter's 8 principles and a panel discussion with project participants followed.

It has created safe, inclusive, dialogic spaces for women to discuss constitutional issues.

[Danielle Bonner @bonnersisters]

Every patient deserves respect from the medical staff treating them and adequate supports offered to them, to allow them to get through one of the most challenging health situations. But this is not always the case.

[Danielle Bonner @bonnersisters]

While cancer does not discriminate, let’s also acknowledge there are inequalities when it comes to treatments and resources available to a cancer patient from the start of a diagnosis and the years following that diagnosis.

[Danielle Bonner @bonnersisters]

@CarolDa87459927 @ThanksCancer @deb_maes61 @BSBreastCancer @AMJohnston1315 @A_Research_Guru @CancerCanuck @mikejwhelan @Jdavis_Halton @thesaltiestcow @debbie_legault Sent a DM ☺️

[Danielle Bonner @bonnersisters]

@CarolDa87459927 @ThanksCancer @deb_maes61 @BSBreastCancer @AMJohnston1315 @A_Research_Guru @CancerCanuck @mikejwhelan @Jdavis_Halton @thesaltiestcow @debbie_legault I live in Ireland but have also used the NHS, after my first and last appointment with my 1st medical oncologist last year I had to report him to the medical council for want I can only say was a total lie about chemo duration and impact on hair. They are still investigating!

[Danielle Bonner @bonnersisters]

@CarolDa87459927 @ThanksCancer @deb_maes61 @BSBreastCancer @AMJohnston1315 @A_Research_Guru @CancerCanuck @mikejwhelan @Jdavis_Halton @thesaltiestcow @debbie_legault I hear you, funny how they don't remember things! When they are called out! x

[Danielle Bonner @bonnersisters]

@ThanksCancer I jetted off to Cape Verde 🇨🇻 best pre surgery advise I could give lol went scuba 🤿 diving too!

[Danielle Bonner @bonnersisters]

@rhughesphd Well not a project I ever wanted, but one I have to manage, while still carry on with living my life.

[Danielle Bonner @bonnersisters]

@rhughesphd Thanks for sharing this, for me the idea that you fight cancer is odd its basically saying you are going to fight yourself, which just makes no sense. When I was diagnosed with BC, I said I'm going to manage it (project cancer lol) It's encouraging to hear your take 😊

[Dr Liz O'Riordan @Liz_ORiordan]

Breast Cancer Survival Advice

Breast Cancer is just a plot twist in the story of your life
- It's up to you what happens next
- What you do with the life you have left
- Go out there and make memories with the people you love
Don't let it define you

[Danielle Bonner @bonnersisters]

I would say this applies to medical treatment settings. To be told you are sensitive to hospitals, when in reality you were traumatized by the very people you thought would be there to care for you, is a slap in the face and a cop out for them to not address structural failures.

[Dr. Jessica Taylor @DrJessTaylor]

When you are being abused or have been traumatised, it suits everyone else to frame you as over-sensitive and reactive than to admit the true harm being done to you.

After a while, like anything else, you begin to believe what they say about you, and you begin to question if you really are over-sensitive.

The likelihood is that you are not at all ‘over-sensitive’ but you have someone around you who will benefit from framing you that way, usually so they don’t have to address something you are feeling or saying.

Pay attention if there are people around you trying to reframe you this way.

[Mike Linn @TheCancerSutra]

December is Cancer Mental Health Awareness Month.

Talking about cancer has been one of the most useful tools for my mental recovery. But it's also been a hard skill to build, and most people who haven't experienced cancer suck at it...

Because that's how empathy generally works...

So the burden of boundaries realistically comes back to us even at a time when it's impossible to enforce them.

For me, I found that I hate kid gloves - being told:
--"I'm so sorry"
--"You're so brave"
--"I can't imagine what you're going through"

These are well-intended phrases, but they don't do a lot for most cancer patients. The problem is that there's no guide to cancer, and if someone hasn't had a friend or family member experience it, they don't know what to do either.

So if you want things to change, it becomes a bit of your responsibility to say things like, "Don't apologize - what did you do?" or "I'm not brave, I either do this or die... I don't want to..."

Like most things in cancer treatment and recovery, it's a very imperfect system and will be unique to your situation. But talking about it is FREE, and it can be super freeing.

That's why this December I'm pushing to formalize Cancer Mental Health Awareness Month and its hashtag #FreeCember.

Join me.

#thankscancer #mentalhealth

[Danielle Bonner @bonnersisters]

@defyingcancer @ThanksCancer No problem, one thing I've discovered this year is you have to be your own health advocate and if you are not happy with the Doctors they assign you, don't be afraid to fire them from your care. You are the Boss of your health :) x

[Dr Liz O'Riordan @Liz_ORiordan]

Here you are - shout it from the rooftops
VAGINAL OESTROGEN IS SAFE FOR WOMEN WITH ER+VE BREAST CANCER - EVEN IF THEY ARE TAKING AN AROMATASE INHIBITOR

Thanks to @BreastDocUK for saying this
#breastcancer

[Dr Liz O'Riordan @Liz_ORiordan]

How to cope in October if you’ve just been diagnosed with #BreastCancer

[Danielle Bonner @bonnersisters]

@rad__chat @Liz_ORiordan Have sent you an email 🙂