The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.
Martin Luther King
Its been a while since I last posted a blog and I feel I have to let you know how I am doing. Well there is good news, great news and better news so where do I start?
Well, the good news is that I am heading towards it being two years in June since I was diagnosed with Inflammatory Breast Cancer and I am feeling well, back to normal, (what is normal!). When I say normal I mean heading towards a life again, a normal life rather than the endless monotony that only cancer patients understand, the endless treadmill of treatment and ups and downs of the cancer highway.
I am one of the lucky ones, the best news is that I have just had my first annual scan post my treatment finishing this time last year and guess what. I am clear of cancer. I will shout this again: I AM CLEAR OF CANCER, NED (No evidence of disease), ready to face the world again and do my thing!
The other bit of news I have is that I am going it alone, starting my own business, ridding myself of the shackles of corporate control or entrepreneurial ego and stress. Don't get me wrong, I have had a great career, enjoyed every minute of it but just don't need the politics any more. So yippee I am in control of my own destiny and the buck stops with me. My efforts, my success, my rewards. Yes it will be a smaller salary for a couple of years, yes it will be a different type of stress and yes I will work harder than ever, but, I will be in control and if I fail it will be down to me and I will learn from it. The time is now. The last two years have been a battle but I have come through it and out the other side and boy does that feel good.
I have been active in chairing a support group of strong women who have been treated at the same hospital as me and it has been rewarding and challenging at the same time. Rewarding because I have met some of the most amazing women who like me battle breast cancer on a daily basis and the after effects of the treatments. Challenging because some of those ladies have secondary cancers and are too young and full of life to be going through this. Life plays its shitty cards and we have to get up and carry on. Brave strong women who I am honoured to know and will remain friends with forever.
I have also joined a group called the Inflammatory Breast Cancer Network UK and again met many brilliant IBC cancer diagnosed strong women who have set up a charity so further research can go into this rarer but not that rare in that I know hundreds of women who have suffered from it. Each with their own battle they have endured or are still enduring as all to often it is not diagnosed until stage 4.
Joanne my sister once again has stepped up to the plate to continue her unwavering support of me and my mad ideas and antics but hopefully I will make a success of my new venture and keep us in a life of the simple pleasures we have both come to enjoy, walks with our sausage dogs, holidays with our sausage dogs, cuddles with our sausage dogs, you get the picture!
I have also completed a coaching qualification with the ILM (Institute of Leadership and Management) as I wanted to make my time recuperating count for something. However I have decided coaching is not for me, I am far to bossy and end up after asking the third question making suggestion on which direction the business should go in so I guess I am more of a director than I thought! Certainly the amount of psychometric tests I have done in recent weeks tell me I am a leader (they mean bossy boots!) Most of you know that anyway!
So what's next? Well I am about to enter the world of the Big Data revolution and enter the Business Intelligence market and will explain more in a few weeks. Its exciting, it sits in a growth market and it is where I have decided my career future lies in terms of the direction my consultancy is headed.
I have to be honest I have enjoyed the last six months I have been feeling better and have fallen into long lie ins, walks in the middle of the day and far to many coffee breaks but I am raring to go, raring to get my teeth stuck into something and tomorrow is the first day of the rest of my life!
Love to you all, thanks for the support this last couple of years both for me and Joanne.
Wendy :)
