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These bits and pieces represent some of my thoughts and growth over the period June 2003 to the present.
Funnily enough I had decided to take a break in June 2003 to focus on my health. I had been so busy since I started as principal, without a break after the Staff Development job. Even my January break had been severely interrupted with the Canberra Bushfires when the College became an Evacuation Centre and I worked on this for a week or so before teachers returned for PD!
Julia and I had booked 3 days at Solar Springs to start my break with a health kick. I had found the lump on the Thursday morning the day after a Seminar in Sydney-Andy Hargreaves. I was determined to avoid the Dr until the next Monday and enjoy the weekend at Bundanoon.
Here is what I wrote at Bundanoon:
Health commitment (June 2003)
Goal is size 16 by Oct and 14 by Dec
Health exercise
Bladder exercises
Buy mat for stretching
Organize stretching routine
Aquarobics class weekly
Walk/bike 5 times per week
Weight
Read Julia book copy tables
Set up kitchen for new diet
Start a food diary
General
Bed by 11.45
Meditate twice and weekends three times
Therapeutic massage every fortnight
Find a person to do cranial
I can do this I do want to live I do want to travel with Sam next year
And then I found the lump!
I have placed a photo of the original melanoma in this section of the web site. I was disinclined to do this but was advised by my very good friend Julia that it was important for people to see it. Some people may benefit.
It wasn’t until the mark, small and a bit like a bundle of blood vessels - started to change colour-black in corners- and seeing a brief glimpse of a similar ‘spot’ on “60 Minutes” that I was aware what it was.
My GP cried when he saw it……he referred me to a Physician Surgeon and it turned out to be a thin surface melanoma-0.07 in depth.
I was not given invasive surgery; possibly in retrospect a mistake. I was told the recurrence chance was 2 to 5% and to go about my life and forget about it. I then visited a dermatologist each year prior to June 2003 when we discovered it had spread to five lymph nodes in my left groin.
The story continues in Personal Journey on ‘thoughts June 2003’
I thought I might write my thoughts regularly a bit like a diary, but I didn’t.
Other things always came along to keep me busy.
I returned to work twice-once in Sept 2003 after recovering from the Operation. It was part time but still a bit full on as the deputies were on leave or in a position in the office.
In January I became full time with odd trips to Sydney for a Vaccine Trial. Then, in May, I found a lump and went to Sydney for tests. It was a recurrence and was removed. While waiting for the recommended Radiotherapy Sam and I went on our Trip
One short sleep past, we wake eternally,
And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die.
Death has no hold on him because he believes in something else so Death shall die. we all have our "something else's" and I am sure yours is helping you through this time.
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