It's been a long time since I wrote to you and a lot has happened. Here's a few of the highlights:
- I am two-years-all-clear of breast cancer. OMGYAY!!!! The oncologist's have had lots of conversations with me over the past two years regarding the potential for DCIS to be over-treated. But, my youth (!) and the grade of the cells would most likely have continued on, so I am incredibly lucky that it got picked up and dealt with. But treatment sucked the energy right out of me, I was really pretty out of it until around the November a couple of weeks after radiotherapy ended. I'm still more tired than I was before and I cope OK when I pace myself. During radiotherapy I somehow ended with an ongoing digestive upset of indeterminate nature and lost 10kg over 18 months. I'm just back at the bottom of the healthy weight range for my height recently.
- I published a paper at the end of 2015, got general registration as a psychologist, and began working in private practice in February 2016. I love being a psychologist!
- I submitted my PhD in December 2016. It took 5 years with multiple monthly intermissions, 3 jobs, 1 bout of cancer, 3 kids and the Big Guy and ... I passed WITH NO CORRECTIONS in Mar 2017.
- My relationship with tBG is only getting stronger, though we have been mightily tested with work/study/child-rearing/ex-spouse stress.
- In Dec 2016 we bought a house, renovated it over Christmas and new Year and moved in in February of this year.
- All the kids are grown and gorgeous in their own ways and lovely to both us and others. Really, they're all pretty awesome and I feel so happy to share my life with my beautiful family.
- My Mum got lung cancer in June this year (but had it surgically removed) and is OK, that was an intense time but the prognosis is hopeful.
- I just opened a new sole practice and even before I've started marketing I've been getting referrals from doctors who already know me. That feels good and I'm excited about having my own business.
- I recently got a period after 6 months off. God only knows what's happening inside me. I'm 45 now, our kids are grown and babytime is over for me like it is for most of my peers now.
I've decided to leave the blog here rather than shut it down. I hope that some of the random ramblings and my situation echo in heart of future readers. The thing about being in clubs about crappy stuff happening to you (infertility) is that when it's not happening to you, you don't belong anymore.
I'm still, 9 years on, sad that my Best Beloved and I didn't get to create life between us. Life is a miraculous and improbable thing. We are all so very lucky just to be here and be conscious of our own existence.
I wish you well, reader, why ever you've landed here.
