Let's start with good news! In my last post, I mentioned that my first follow-up mammogram had turned up some new areas of concern. I didn't want to talk much about it then because I was so sick of worrying over it. My doctor had been warning me that based on the look of the calcifications seen on the mammogram, he felt fairly sure more very-early-stage cancer would be found, in which case he'd recommend full mastectomy. Happily, after several rounds of biopsies to be sure, including a surgical biopsy, nothing cancerous was found. Phew! I can't tell you what a relief that was. It was also a relief when I had a full "cancer panel" genetic test done that came back clear for any risk-increasing mutations.
That said, there are no guarantees for the future. Plenty of breast cancer shows up in women who lack any obvious genetic markers. The doctors still intend to keep a close eye on me, with scans every few months. But since the surgical biopsy in August, I've been in the clear, which is a wonderful place to be.
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| Clear skies ahead (taken on my daily dog walk by the lake) |
Around the time of my final surgical biopsy in August, winter really kicked into gear, with storms dumping fresh snow one after the other onto our local ski areas. I enjoyed some great powder days, which was a lovely way to celebrate my new clean bill of health.
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| The kiddo following me down the summit slopes of Treble Cone |
The snow hasn't stopped yet, although it is now mid-spring and the ski areas are closed. Just a few days ago, we had snow all the way down to lake level for the first time this year. (Lovely big fluffy snowflakes falling, too, my favorite kind to watch.)
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| Most times, the snow line stays high on the mountains, so it's exciting when we get snow on the grass! |
Work at MetService has kept me very busy, with multiple trips up to Wellington, plus my first trip to another MetService office in Raglan. (So, yeah, any non-work writing continues to creep along at a very slow pace. I guess I need to make a decision soon about whether to go ahead and publish The White Serpent without waiting to add a short story.)
The NZ government announced a decision "in principle" to combine MetService (whose responsibility is near term weather forecasting), and NIWA (whose responsibility is seasonal & climate forecasting), so it'll be interesting to see how that goes! The details of how the merger will work are still being hashed out, and new legislation will have to be passed, so it's not a fast process. But most everyone at both institutions, me included, agrees the merge makes sense. (The review that recommended the merge was started under the prior government and agreed to by the current one, so it's not really a political decision.)
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| Beach near the town of Raglan |
Aaaaaand speaking of politics, I may be a NZ citizen now but I still retain my US citizenship (and have to file US taxes), so you better believe that I made sure to vote in the upcoming US election - and that I voted for Harris.
I wish I could say I was shocked that the election is predicted to be so close. How anyone could listen to Trump and think it's a good idea to vote for him is so dismaying I don't even have words. I'd try harder to find words if I thought it would matter. But how do you have a conversation when today's Republican voters don't seem to understand there's such a thing as objective truth? It doesn't matter what facts or evidence they are provided. If it doesn't conform to their beliefs, it gets dismissed instantly as "lies", without the step of actually evaluating or considering the evidence.
This is a problem for which I can't see a solution, and that's what makes me the most afraid for the US's future. I hope that's just a failure of my imagination. Just because I can't see a solution doesn't mean there isn't one. If Harris wins, at least that gives the nation four more years of (relatively) sane government, and that is no small thing. All I can do is vote and pray.
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| Hope in dark times (Rainbow seen over Taramea Bay, Riverton) |
