Cancer blogs

There's a good article in the paper today about how cancer patients are increasingly turning to blogging as a way of managing information control, connecting with others in the same situation, and processing what's happening to them.

I've got a chapter on health and disability in my book, and I recommend blogging to cancer patients in it:

Blogs are a great way of keeping lots of people informed at once about the state of your mind and body, and if you don't necessarily want everyone in the world to be able to find it, you can set the security so that only people approved by you can get in. Tell folks that the blog is "required reading" before talking to you about your illness. One thing to keep in mind, though--if your regular posting schedule falls off, people are going to worry like mad. So don't get in the habit of posting frequently. Set the expectation that you'll only post when you have news, or once a week, or some such. And if you have a bad enough time of it that you can't post yourself, ask someone else to step in and write up the information that you want people to know.

Blogging is also a good tool for all kinds of major life projects, not just going through cancer. A friend of mine adopted a girl from China, and she maintained a blog about the process. This kept all her friends updated at once--and think how interesting it will be for her daughter to read someday!

My sense is that a lot of people think of blogging as something you commit to as a lifestyle. While it can be that for some folks, project-based blogging can be a valuable tool. Not only will it keep your friends and family updated on the progress of your chemo, adoption, pregnancy, dissertation, home renovation, trip to China, or what have you, but writing, as we all know, is a wonderful way of clarifying thoughts and feelings.