Keeping calm and dealing with it

When I was part of the leadership team for the women’s group at Church we’d sometimes discuss what we’d do if a problem should arise, and apparently I’d frequently say “we’ll deal with it”, which a friend later “memed” for me as in the picture below.

Most of my friends will now know about the following, but I have decided to include something about it in my blog for some sense of completeness (this blog doesn’t record everything in my life, but it does keep track of a few significant things, and it would feel strange to me to leave this out). So, the last few weeks have involved some disconcerting news and events, culminating in a diagnosis of early breast cancer (thank goodness for screening programs). I started finding out about this at the end of January; by mid-late February — which is when I posted the news to Facebook, and which is when I have placed this post in my blog — I was starting to have some idea of what might happen as a consequence. You now know why the Scouts’ Cape Pillar hike was planned and conducted with unusual haste.

My intention is to deal with this unexpected situation as calmly as possible, but with the occasional bit of humour thrown in. The good thing about early detection is that the prognosis is likely to be good, and treatments are so much better these days. So, I’m facing some serious surgery next week and some yet-to-be-determined treatment afterwards, and I’ve given up my plans to become a Dolly Parton impersonator (the lack of blonde hair was a notable problem). I’m feeling optimistic and sanguine about things, although this was not on my original agenda for the year, and so far I’ve had lots of wonderful support from family and friends. One step at a time; keeping calm and dealing with it.