"If You're Going Through Hell, Keep Going" ~Winston Churchill

Well, it's been a while since I have written last, and there are lots of updates to offer.

I recently had my one-year post-chemo follow-up appointment, and everything looked "perfect" according to my oncologist. And, I must say, I have been feeling great. With a run-down body and mind, it took a little while to recuperate. Right up until September I was feeling extremely tired and run-down. The thought of working full-time again was scary to say the least--I didn't know how I would do it. But, somehow, it happened. By October (6 months post-chemo) my energy levels had increased significantly and I was beginning to feel like myself for the first time in a while. I eased my way back into the workforce--I started by substitute teaching and acquiring a few piano students. I gradually added new projects to the load, and presently I have seven such projects on the go.

Right now, I am really focusing on developing my career and getting my finances back on track (which explains my lack of writing!). I am trying my best to focus on everything that was, unfortunately, put on hold for the past 1.5 years. I am currently the Project Manager for an Arts Education Resource which is being developed by the New Brunswick Visual Art Education Association--we are creating a set of DVDs featuring artists, musicians, and performers from New Brunswick, which will eventually be used in the schools. I am also assisting in the development of an "Art EduKit," which is another resource being developed by the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in Fredericton, for the NB Department of Education. In addition to all of this, I am holding tutorials for Music Education at the University of New Brunswick (Faculty of Education), teaching piano privately, and preparing for a concert upcoming on April 12th, which will be an evening of classical music featuring me on piano. And, the substituting continues ...

When I look back to how discouraged I was just 6 months ago, I feel proud about everything I've been able to accomplish and how far I've come in such a short period of time. At this point in my life, cancer seems like a bad dream. Sometimes I cannot believe that one year ago I was undergoing chemotherapy. Sometimes when I tell people that I had cancer last year, I feel as though I'm speaking about someone else--did I really go through all of that?! But, at the same time, cancer has become a piece of me, so I guess it is has been normalized for me.