Yeah… about that last blog post at Christmas, where I was going to get life going again…. I didn’t end up hitting the ground running in 2022. This year took a bit of a run at my husband and me.
First of all - I’m ok.
I’m still dealing with some after effects of treatment, but I’ve made it through two mammograms free and clear! I currently have an unfortunate haircut that makes it LOOK like I’m not doing so well. I liked how my hair looked when it came back and wanted to continue to keep it short. Then I started taking a medication and it thinned out my hair. I have a whole different texture going on now. I didn’t realize how bad it was until I asked for a pixie and ended up with a buzz cut instead. I’m not complaining - t’s a small price to play to put cancer behind me. And the hair situation may change again. I talked to someone that happened to. But what I do know is that my hair will grow again. :)
The Murmur..
In January, my husband, Chris, went to a new PCP who discovered a heart murmur. Well, his last PCP discovered it and just asked “does it bother you?” and left it at that. This PCP did an EKG and ordered an echocardiogram. My husband is an average sized 51 year old. He’s not what you visualize as a “heart patient”. So, we were shocked a month later when he received a diagnosis of severe aortic valve stenosis. He’s an educator - he’s always been very active at work. It made sense that he would come home exhausted. We didn’t see it as unusual, but it was a symptom.
After a series of tests, It turned out to be a birth defect, a bicuspid valve, that caused the issue. He had no other heart disease whatsoever, which was wonderful news. So the valve would just need to be replaced. These days a valve can be replaced through an artery in the leg. You can do that a couple times. But valves last 10-15 years. He would need more than a couple to see him through.
When you’ve broken into your 50’s, and society is telling you that you’re old, it’s weird to hear how young you are. The same thing happened to me last year. Because he was young and healthy, he had to have a more invasive procedure. Better now than when you’re in your 60’s. It could have been open heart surgery. The tests revealed that he could receive a thoracotomy, which is dictated by the location of your organs. I always said his heart was in the right place! A thoracotomy is less invasive, but more painful and came with 5 days in the hospital and 12 weeks of recovery time.
The Surgery…
Chris had his surgery on March 25th. Eight years prior, on March 26th, my dad had surgery to correct the same problem, along with a couple other issues. My dad passed on March 30th due to complications after that surgery. He was 73. He also had a number of health issues. I told myself the situations were completely different. And they were. But the mental load was incredibly heavy.
His surgery went beautifully. His recovery wasn’t the smoothest, but he’s doing great now. I know I’m not saying a lot. Chris is a private person and I’ve probably said too much already.
The last year and a half has been challenging to say the least. We celebrated being back on a “normal” track with a trip to Niagara Falls, Ontario in July.
So what is “normal”? After a pandemic, cancer and heart surgery, I’m not quite sure. But I look forward to finding out. Read on to see where things stand…
The Reboot….
I kept my current clients going through all of this - and I am now accepting new clients! If you or someone you know is in need of graphic design support - bring it on! Book covers are one of my favorite projects to work on. So if you’ve finished the book you started over the pandemic, or if you can put me in contact with a book publisher, please let me know!
The Journal…
COMING SOON
After working on other people’s books, I wanted to put something out there for myself. I took inspiration from Niagara Falls and designed a journal about persistence. I wanted a tool to help me focus. So I made one which will be available on amazon.com.
The Book…
COMING … SOON?
In my prior posts I mentioned that I might write a book about my experience last year. And I am. I had started it when the turmoil of this year occurred. I wasn’t in a good headspace to write, but I’m getting back to it. But I did the book cover to make it real. My journal will keep me on track to finish it!
The Program…
This is a coaching concept I came up with during the pandemic, and I’ve finally launched it. An eight week program to improve design skills. If you or someone you know is the victim of bad design… drop them the link.
Thank You…
Thank you for reading all of this. If you’re a friend or client, thank you for your interest in me and your patience as I tried to lay low and practice some self-care (and husband care) through all of this. I look forward to seeing you again as I emerge from this chapter in my life.
If this is the first time you’ve read about me, welcome! Stick around and get to know more about me!
Forgive the old picture - once I figure out what my hair wants to do, I’ll get new ones. :)