Jenesis: living beyond ovarian cancer

Jennifer Hollington

My story of living beyond ovarian cancer.

[2024-11-19] My interview with the World Ovarian Cancer Coalition

Today, the World Ovarian Cancer Coalition released a video in which I share my ovarian cancer story. The Coalition is a global not-for-profit that is focused on ovarian cancer. It brings together close to 200 patient advocacy organizations from around ...

[2024-11-18] CT scan to check for ovarian cancer recurrence

Today, I had a CT scan of my torso. The purpose was to look for a recurrence of my ovarian cancer. Though such a recurrence is not suspected, the diagnostic test was ordered to check whether there are any signs of cancerous tumours. If not, my oncology...

[2024-11-17] Saturday Synopsis #120

I delayed this week's Saturday Synopsis by a day because I wanted to share my adventures in cemetery searching yesterday. I spent most of today in the kitchen, so tonight calls for a simple post that looks back on my writings this week over the past fo...

[2024-11-16] Forebears, food and family

Today was all about forebears, food and family. Forebears This morning, Mel and I returned to Beechwood Cemetery in Ottawa's Vanier neighbourhood to find the gravesites of several Hollington ancestors. Armed with detailed maps provided by Beechwood s...

[2024-11-15] Christmas cookie memories

Today, my young neighbour and I made Christmas sugar cookies—the kind you roll out, cut into Christmas-themed shapes, bake, then decorate with icing and sprinkles. My Brazilian neighbour wanted to give her son the experience of a Canadian Christmas tra...

[2024-11-14] A journal of tiny achievements

Today, a dear and wise friend sent me the link to an episode of the podcast Everything Happens with Kate Bowler. Kate Bowler is a Canadian academic and writer, an associate professor at Duke University, and the author of several books, including her 20...

[2024-11-13] World Kindness Day 2024

On Monday, I received a call from a receptionist at the Beechwood Cemetery in Ottawa in response to a request I had made during the weekend for help with finding the graves of two Hollington ancestors. Armaghan provided the most thoughtful and kind ser...

[2024-11-12] Be the reason a child smiles

According to an African proverb, "A child does not grow up only in a single home." Though a child's parents can have a strong influence on them, as can their siblings, strangers who become the child's friend and even family can have an equally positi...

[2024-11-11] Source of Strength and Soldier's Anthem

Today, I rediscovered Wartime Canada, which provides "a window into the Canadian experience during the world wars." Its aim is "to make the visual heritage of the nation at war freely available in digital form." The site collates greeting cards, poetry...

[2024-11-10] Remembering Leonard Hollington

Today, Mel and I visited the Beechwood Cemetery in Ottawa's east end—our first visit to this beautiful site. We went in search of the grave markers of my great-great-great-grandfather James Hollington (1805-1891) and my great-great-grandfather (William...