The Beginning

Today is exactly six months from the day that I woke up with unusual discomfort in my lower abdomen, the first hint of this crazy time of cancer and chemo and healing.   So I guess it's appropriate that this should be my last regular post, though I do have more compelling reasons for bowing out of the blogosphere.  Besides successfully getting rid of Grazelda, my demonic muse, starting this coming week I'll be far too busy taking pre-requisite courses for nursing school. 

"Margaret," you ask (and I know you will, because everyone does), "Has this whole Cancer Experience influenced you choice to make this career move?" 

Why yes, like pretty much everything else in my life, my future plans have been influenced by cancer.  I'd been thinking about going into medicine in some capacity before I got sick, but I have definitely gotten a closer look at the field and its challenges and rewards and possibilities.


Medical technology of the past fifty years saved my life and has given me back a life of the same (or greater) quality with a similar life expectancy than before Grazelda.  Even Margaret the Luddite can get behind those results. 

I had some fantastic care from doctors and nurses who had a vast amount of knowledge that I needed them to have, the communication ability to share it with me, and the technical skills to coax my body back to health.  Especially Shirley, my chemotherapy nurse (have I mentioned how cool she is?).

I want to help people, I want to work with my hands, and I'm going to study my tail off to become the best nurse I can.  I'll still be working at Community Home Repair full time, so it's going to be a very, very full year.  But I don't have cancer anymore, so I have to do something with my time! 

That is also to say, Thank You, dear reader, for coming along with me on this journey, being the statistics that boost my spirits, the comments that make me smile, and people who are informed about my life without me having to recount the gory details over and over again.  I have never felt alone. 

I'll post medical results as they come, but we're hoping for really mundane and no more than monthly.  So for now, I bid you good health, good friends, and as much hair as your heart desires.