Since Last We Spoke

Summer is here, with sweaty, sticky, sun-drenched days suddenly upon us, after what seemed like the dreariest start of June in a long time. Maybe it was the particularly hard winter this year that made the spring-like feeling of June such a bummer for so many Chicagoans. Whatever the case, that time is over---a switch has been flipped, and the heat is on.

I wasn't too disappointed in the rainy, cool weather, as I was working hard to finish my capstone project, and spending most of my time indoors. The weather seemed to match my mood, actually. On convocation day this Saturday, though, the rain had disappeared, and the warm sun had us sweating under our giant purple, polyester robes. No complaints, though---the day was simply fantastic, and I wouldn't have changed a thing, even with beads of sweat running down my back.

I actually had a sense-memory moment that morning, once I was all dressed up. The heat, the scratchy feel of the fabric, the hat...I had felt these things before. No, it wasn't for my undergraduate convocation at the UW-Madison, although I remember that day being warm, too. I wracked my brain for awhile, then it hit me---MARCHING BAND! Yes, the fabric was an unmistakable match, used not for comfort but for ease of washing and longevity. The hat was the icing on the cake, reminding me of the always-interesting hats (can you say, shako?) we had to wear---hats that, once removed after a parade, always revealed heads of fully-drenched hair. This was not a pretty sight in the eighties, with all our hairspray/mousse/styling gel coiffed heads put into what amounted to little plastic kilns while marching. Sure, our hair looked like we'd just stepped out of the shower when the hat was first taken off, but once dried (usually on the bus ride home), we all looked like we'd styled our hair with a hatchet and a jet-engine.

Yes, a graduation gown is a lot like a loose-fitting marching band outfit, and with the number of years I marched, I felt oddly at home. As we walked over from the library to the auditorium where convocation was to be held, two-by-two, I half-expected to be put into parade rest, then to have chaperones run up with bottles of water to spray on our faces and into our mouths.

It feels almost surreal to be finished with school. Finished. Completely, totally finished. Wow. Everyone keeps telling me that, once I'm done for awhile, I'll wonder how I ever did it in the first place. That hasn't hit me yet, but I wouldn't be surprised. So much has happened in a such a short time, I haven't had time to adjust.

Since we last spoke:

1) I graduated, as mentioned already. Here is some proof. Go, Team Lusignan!

Our Family


I couldn't have done it without my folks---thanks, Mom and Dad!


Me and my sweetie---next in line for the pomp and circumstance, and deserving of a medal for all the support he gave me.


EJ kept asking, "When are you taking pictures with the graduates AND A KID?" She got her wish.


Future Graduate



2) We got rid of the minivan, and replaced it with a blue Honda CR-V, thanks to my generous parents. I am SO MUCH HAPPIER tooling around the city in this smaller, more maneuverable, zippy little ride. I'm also happy to report that the car has four-wheel drive, which was hard to live without last winter. The final awesome feature---a remote starter! That's right, in the cold, nasty winter, I can step out onto my porch four stories above our parking lot (provided I snag a space, of course), turn on the car, and let the defrost work its magic. EJ has named the car for us: Bluebell Woodlawn Sally Lightning McQueen Lusignan. Bluebell = our idea. Woodlawn = a street near our house, which EJ likes to read off the road sign. Sally = Lightning McQueen's blue, female friend. Lightning McQueen = Need I say more? When I told EJ that our car wouldn't be red like our old CR-V, hence, she might not want to name it Lightning McQueen after a red car, she said, "Mom, Lightning McQueen is a name, it can be for any color car. It is JUST A NAME, MOM!" (Insert teenage-like look of disgust, plus three-year old exaggerated eye roll.)

3) EJ is going to camp every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday morning. It is fantastic. She goes every day in a swimsuit, plays in the kiddie pools with her school friends, and returns home happy and tired. She also reminds me every day that she wants a SCHOOL party for her birthday, i.e., she wants me to bring cupcakes to camp. Deal.

4) For the first time in 15+ years of testing, I had a clearly elevated TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) level in a blood test taken last week. The interesting part: the tests were for a seemingly-unrelated problem, some numbness/cold feeling I've been having in my face. More tests were done following this result, and we'll see what happens. Since every single person on my mom's side of the family has hypothyroidism, and I have had symptoms since my late teens (with blood tests always showing my result to be normal or low-normal function---bad enough to be irritating, but not bad enough to be treatable), I was actually PLEASED to have this test come back with a red flag this time. I've asked for years, what makes this hormone range NORMAL for me, if I am exhibiting so many of the symptoms? Now, with what might be a swollen thyroid causing nerve problems in my neck/face, I may finally qualify for some help.

5) More on health---I have referrals all set up to visit an obesity clinic at Northwestern, as well as to see a GI specialist at U of C who apparently treats obesity for those not seeking bariatric surgery. I also have a referral for the sleep lab, if that ends up being a part of my disease make-up. On deck for next week: get appointments. I also started attending an exercise class last week that meets 3 times a week and has free childcare. Can't beat it. It nearly killed me, but it will get better every time. Thanks to all who have been inquiring about this journey since March. I tried to juggle appointments and follow-up while I was working on my master's project, and I just couldn't do it. I let myself off the hook until I was done, and now am on a mission. As I discovered in my capstone project, all the outside support I can get will help me to see success---it's statistically validated, so it must be true!

6) I discovered sparkling shiraz at our graduation party. Who knew? Is it worth drinking? Oh, yes...yes it is.