Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Decisions, decisions

As many of you now know, I am currently enrolled in dental hygiene school in Hamilton Ontario. As it turned out, my Dad’s first round of chemo happened to fall during my semester break; allowing me to be in Calgary and provide care and support for him during this time

With the end to my Dad’s first round was in sight, and my semester break coming to a close, I was now faced with a decision; do I go back to Ontario and continue with my last semester, therefore graduating at the end of July; or, do I defer my studies for 6 months and stay in Calgary to continue caring for and supporting my Dad.

The decision to continue with school or to defer has been one of the hardest decisions I've had to make in my adult life. The week leading up to my decision was one filled with family discussions and inner turmoil.

Whether our journey with this disease leads us to a bone marrow transplant, or through multiple rounds of chemo; it doesn’t change the fact that what is happening, is happening now. Yes, I am aware of the possibility that in 6 months when I must return to Ontario to finish my studies, something may be going on with my father. That is a 'what if'. But right now there IS something going on. I can't base my decision on a 'what if' in 6 months from now. I need to base it on the present. There are multiple directions this disease could take us, but 1 thing for sure; the next 6 months is when the majority of the treatments will be happening.

Right now, my Dad is sitting in the corner of the ring, waiting for the referee to signal the beginning of the next round. I want to be the coach in his corner. The coach that never leaves his corner; supporting him, cheering for him, and even picking him up after a hard blow. That is why I have decided to take a temporary leave of absence from my school, allowing me to be in Calgary and act as one of my Dad’s primary caregivers. I will be returning to school in Ontario to complete my last semester in August of this year. At that time, I truly believe my Dad will be in remission.

2 comments:

  1. At the risk of sounding mushy, but in honour of your last paragraph of this post, you should listen to a song called "I Won't Let Go" by Rascal Flatts (yes, the country fans will know). I think of your dad every time I hear it.

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  2. We were all wondering what would be the best decision either for you to stay or go back to school.But it was never ours to question, only your heart could give you the answer. I am so amazed at women you are becoming. It is very hard to learn you must listen to your heart first,and you have mastered this step already!

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