KEYNOTE!!!! & Curiosity

Where do I begin, to tell the triumph of this story? What details do I include? Where do I start? How to share the depth & width of the last year? Let me begin with a disclaimer...... I think I'll go with the actual, though highly edited & sanitized, version of how we got here, the details are not particularly pleasant -- you have been warned, we're veering slightly from the all-happy, all-the-time perspective.

Well over a year ago I was invited by ZB to present some of my upbeat workshops in Baton Rouge for Louisiana's state-wide conference for PreK & K teachers. Just as it was time to fly south I learned that I had been diagnosed with Ductal Carcinoma In Situ, for the second time in two years and 10 months time. My responsibilities at last year's conference concluded about 48 hours before my plane ticket would return me back to Ohio, just in time to have my Bilateral Mastectomy surgery -- for my second diagnosis of early-state Breast Cancer. To say I was emotional last year is a bit of an understatement. I went with "the-show-must-go-on" mentality and everyone was so supportive, despite all the kindness I was pretty wired. It's probably safe to say I was about ready to come outta my skin and on the verge of tears with every sincere Louisiana hug.

Greg Thomas, the ZB representative told me at the end of my visit that he would submit my name for consideration for their 2011 keynote. All I had to do was make my way back twelve months later. That's a pretty attractive carrot.

The surgery went well. The keynote was offered. I was thrilled..... and then 2010 got underway for real. Things began going sour with my getting a skin infection along the incision line, known as cellulitis. It did not clear up with the first round of antibiotics. Which came next the frozen shoulder or the seroma/hematoma? At this point I'm not sure that it matters, about the chicken or the egg? What I do know is that the numerous trips every week to the Physical Therapist began in earnest. Then I needed to get a referral to a new surgeon to deal with all of the above. Six weeks to get into that office, during which the Lymphedema conditions began to present themselves. Continuing PT. Kinesio wrapping. Compression sleeve & gauntlet. Compression camis. Then the draining of the seroma and the subsequent draining and the draining again and the one more trip for draining..... with the continued PT.

Then my dear husband began his pep-talk-of-the-decade, prompting me to return to my work creating the illustrations for "Red, White and Blue." Physical therapy. Quilting illustrations. Physical therapy. Quilting illustrations. Physical therapy. Drawing the sign language chart for the book. Physical therapy........ well you get the idea. The book rolls off the presses. NAEYC in CA. Kentucky. NYC-tour. Utah visit. Return to Louisiana.

The auditorium is empty upon my arrival. I have a crew of four techie buddies to sort out the power-point issues with the projector, the wrap-around-my-head pinch-me microphone, the speakers and the lights. Oh, happy day indeed. All of that physical therapy may have been worth it!!!! Then as we're running the sound check, Keith walks across the stage to deliver my drinking water and quite innocently says, "Ma'am, (rhymes with shazaam) I could dance to that!" I quite genuinely inquire if he's sincere. Short story long, he returns at tip-off to lead the dance line: worm, moon walk, and a bit of crumpin'..... much to the thrill of the assembled crowd. Way to hyper-launch us into "Celebrate."

Next up I plan to teach, "You're Wonderful" and just the day before the humongous tip-off I met a trio of teachers who are deaf at the Zaner-Bloser booth. I asked if they'd be willing to join me on stage. Their first reaction was quite definitive: "no-way!!!!" After much flying-of-the-fingers between the interpretor and myself they relented and here's some evidence of their leading a very moving rendition of my signature song.

My camera was apparently having a bit of a nervous breakdown on my behalf, but I wanted you to have a glimpse even if you must use your imagination a bit more than normal with the pictures clarity.

Big times. Triumphant in fact. Guess what? I didn't even cry this year! Not even tears of happiness..... the experience was just flat out awesome in every way.... at least from my vantage point. Trimphant return to Baton Rouge: amazing. Being able to lift both of my arms above my head, for the audience in Baton Route: PRICELESS!!!

Louisiana, you will always be the yardstick for me to judge my progress. You will always hold a special place in my heart: thank you for your vote of confidence. You got me through some tough times. Having something to look forward to is the foundation for hope. I will forever be grateful for your trust in me -- that I could climb back -- and I did! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.