Happy (?) Anniversary

In reading a few recent posts on the Brain Tumour Support Facebook page, I found people acknowledging their “anniversaries” — of their diagnoses, end of treatment, etc. This gave me pause to consider that my own anniversary had passed, unnoticed.

On June 3, 2016, I collapsed at home and was brought to hospital by ambulance. CT scan revealed a substantial tumour in my brain. I was later transferred from Sault Area Hospital by air ambulance to Health Science North, in Sudbury.

To make a long story not so long, I had surgery to excise the tumour, and spent some time in recovery. Following my return to the Sault and further time in recovery, I underwent radiation and oral chemotherapy.

I was fortunate to have very little ill-effects from either treatment. My recovery went well, and I am back to nearly 100%. There is some residual memory loss, and other issues that may be a result of the surgery, or may just be my advancing age.

I was also fortunate to reestablish contact with a number of friends and relatives through Facebook. I also re-connected with a friend I had made while working at a summer camp. Our relationship blossomed and, in July 2018 I took the plunge and moved to Windsor to be closer to her.

It was a very scary thing to do. I had left the Sault in 1986 seeking fame and fortune. Finding neither, I returned in 1993 after my parents passed away and I inherited their house.

I lived in that house until 2007, when I sold it to go to Teacher’s College in Thunder Bay.

I recognized I had fallen into a deep rut, but through my tumour, surgery and treatments had been given an incredible opportunity to start over once again.

The move was successful, if not incredibly stressful. Packing up my belongings and moving to a city I had only visited in the past was a real leap of faith. Saying “good-bye” to friends and colleagues and moving to having no job and needing to make new friends was hard for me. But I recognized it was something I needed to.

So, with the passing of this year’s anniversary, I look back on where I’ve been, and what lies ahead.

I have a wonderful relationship with Christine, and I am happier than I can ever remember being.

So, yes, it is a Happy Anniversary.

Stress

Today I am feeling the stress of the COVID situation more than I have in the past 100 days. Perhaps it was the news that there are 98 new cases in Windsor-Essex, although none in Windsor nor Amherstburg, apparently.

I am wondering if this puts our return to work in jeopardy. My boss was looking to July 14th for me to re-start lessons in Windsor, pending approval from whatever authorities need to be consulted.

Until today, I was moderately comfortable with this, given the protocols that we are implementing. But knowing that the case count can, and has, spiked so drastically causes me some concern.

Even more concerned is Christine, who is severely immuno-compromised and will not allow me to have any contact with her once I do return to work. We are both wondering if the July 14th date is optimistic, given today’s spike.

I know my boss is anxious to resume the revenue stream that’s been lacking these past fourteen weeks, but also that she does not want to re-open and have to shut down again. I want to believe she does not want to put the instructors, and students, at risk, but …?

…she also believes that the protocols we will be implementing “should protect [us].”